Channing Pollock — The House Beautiful

New York, Samuel French, 1931 . First edition. Cloth. A signed presentation copy of Channing Pollock's play about the true meaning of happiness in opposition to materialism, in the original dust wrapper. The first edition, first impression.  In the publisher's original unclipped dust wrapper. Inscribed by the author to the front free endpaper, 'To Katherine Lyons in the conviction that - with me - she still sees retirement as one of the lovely things of life, Channing Pollock, Boston Oct 30 1931&apos. The story follows a couple, Jennifer and Archibald Davis, as they buy a house in New Jersey and spend thirty years fighting off materialism, greed, and ruthless real-estate developers. The play is now best remembered for Dorothy Parker's, who wrote "The House Beautiful is the play lousy." From the library of Clive Hirschhorn, theatre critic at the Sunday Express from 1966 to 1995, and a noted book collector of 20th century authors, with his collection including all the major works of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Steinbeck and others. In the publisher's original cloth binding, with unclipped dust wrapper. Light fading to back strip - most concentrated to head and tail - with bumping to back strip head and tail. Inscription to front free endpaper. Dust wrapper back strip lightly age toned, with light edgewear to back strip head, minor closed tears to fold over rear pastedown, minor closed tear to back strip tail, and minor holes to tail of front wrap. Minor ink marks to front wrap head. Internally, firmly bound. Pages clean and bright. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: None. Very Good Indeed/Very Good Indeed.