Lady L., Ex Libris Director of Film Adaptation, George Cukor
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$275.00
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[Ex Libris George Cukor] Gary, Romain. Lady L., A Novel. First American Edition. 1959. Book and dust jacket are both in very good condition. George Cukor’s famous Paul Landacre-designed bookplate is attached to the front endpaper.
Romain Gary was a Prix Goncourt Award-winning writer who once headed the French Consulate in Los Angeles. He was married to Lesley Blanch (The Wilder Shores of Love) who was the inspiration for the grande dame in this novel, a satire of the English class system, which is told from the perspective of Lady L. on her eightieth birthday. This is a significant copy, because George Cukor, a friend Romain Gary and his then-wife Lesley Blanch, was set to direct the 1964 film adaptation. After the sets were already constructed (under the direction of Lesley Blanch) and the film cast (Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida, and Ralph Richardson), Cukor backed out, claiming illness. Despite its significant investment, the project was scrapped and an entirely different version was made directed by Peter Ustinov (starring Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, and David Niven).
“Lady L. remained silent for a while, closing her eyes. She was thinking how very fortunate she had been, how very lucky: she could have been born a lady, like so many of her friends, or simply into a good home and a happy family … and she would never have known how beautiful life could be.”
--Romain Gary
Romain Gary was a Prix Goncourt Award-winning writer who once headed the French Consulate in Los Angeles. He was married to Lesley Blanch (The Wilder Shores of Love) who was the inspiration for the grande dame in this novel, a satire of the English class system, which is told from the perspective of Lady L. on her eightieth birthday. This is a significant copy, because George Cukor, a friend Romain Gary and his then-wife Lesley Blanch, was set to direct the 1964 film adaptation. After the sets were already constructed (under the direction of Lesley Blanch) and the film cast (Tony Curtis, Gina Lollobrigida, and Ralph Richardson), Cukor backed out, claiming illness. Despite its significant investment, the project was scrapped and an entirely different version was made directed by Peter Ustinov (starring Sophia Loren, Paul Newman, and David Niven).
“Lady L. remained silent for a while, closing her eyes. She was thinking how very fortunate she had been, how very lucky: she could have been born a lady, like so many of her friends, or simply into a good home and a happy family … and she would never have known how beautiful life could be.”
--Romain Gary
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