The Dollar Bottom and Taylor's Finest Hour [Signed] Hollywood Oscar for the best short film of 1981.
Kennaway, James (5 June 1928 - 21 December 1968) was a Scottish novelist and screenwriter. He was born in Auchterarder in Perthshire and attended Glenalmond College. [Edited and Introduced by Trevor Royle] Susan Kennaway
(Book #ID 81408)
Published by Mainstream Publishing Company Ltd., 25a South West Thistle Street Lane, Edinburgh First Thus Edition 1981. Edinburgh 1981.
First edition hard back binding in publisher's original black covers, gilt title and author lettering to the spine. 8vo. 9'' x 5½''. Contains 111 printed pages of text with monochrome photographs from the film. Published posthumously, this publication celebrates two unique short stories, one never published before. The comic possibilities of the first of these stories, The Dollar Bottom, were realised some 26 years after its initial publication in a small literary magazine when it was made into a short feature film, winning a coveted Hollywood Oscar for the best short film of 1981, directed by Roger Christian. It won an Academy Award at the 53rd Academy Awards in 1981 for Best Short Subject. Schoolboys at a public school set up an insurance scheme against being caned by the teachers. The scheme proves so successful that they float the company on the Stock Market. Taylor's Finest Hour is another story in the same mould. Written in 1957 to amuse his father-in-law during a period of convalescence, forgotten and put in a bottom drawer. His best known novel was his first, Tunes of Glory (1956), which was turned into a well-known film of the same name starring Alec Guinness and John Mills. It was a realistic work, set in the army just after the Second World War, and drawing to some extent on Kennaway's own experiences. This was not entirely typical of his later output, some of which was more experimental in nature. Fine condition book in Fine condition price clipped dust wrapper with very light sun fading down the spine. SIGNED by the author's wife to the front free end paper 'Caroline, Best wishes for a Happy Birthday, and many thanks for keeping on the Taylor II Stories, with love from Susan Kennaway, 1985.' Dust wrapper supplied in archive acetate film protection, it does not adhere to the book or to the dust wrapper. Member of the P.B.F.A. ISBN 0906391210
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