Reno, Signed by Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr. to MGM's Director of Publicity
[Signed Presentation to Barrett Kiesling, Head of Publicity for MGM] Vanderbilt, Cornelius, Jr. Reno. First Edition. 1929. Book is in very good condition; dust jacket is in good condition—jacket shows chips, tears, and a discolored spine. Book is labelled in Vanderbilt's handwriting "Limited Edition No. 14." It is inscribed, "To the Barrett Kieslings who understand my opinion of honesty transcending success, and who know how I tried to accomplish both, Neil Vanderbilt, Feb. 14, 1929." Laid in a signed typewritten letter from Vanderbilt to Kiesling.
Cary Grant commented, “Divorce is a game played by lawyers.” It was not always that way. It once resembled a summer camp for café society types. In the first half of the 20th Century, those wanting a no-fault divorce would establish residency in then-glamorous Reno. The author, a Vanderbilt scion, was intimately familiar with the process and was inspired to write this novel about it. Published in the last moments of pre-Depression high society, the mise-en-scène is as important as the plot.
“It does not matter a damn what a man’s habits are, so long as [they are] regular.”
--Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr.