Vassos, John (Illustrations); Text by Ruth Vassos

Humanities (with a unique inscription from Vassos) [Hollywood Movie Industry] [U.S. Army]

New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc, 1935. First edition, inscribed association copy. Hardcover. SIGNED. Quarto [30.5 cm] 104pp. Folio [30.5 cm] 1/4 blue cloth with red cloth over boards with bold gilt stamped titles. Double title page printed in black and bold red. Boards a bit warped; some dampstaining and tapestains to boards (dampstaining primarily to rear board); pages a bit toned. Good. Item #61356

The first edition was strictly limited to 2,000 copies.

This copy is intimately inscribed by John Vassos to Colonel Darryl Zanuck on the front free endpaper: "Written in 1935 - / now 1944 - / One wonders..... are we / going to make the same / mistakes? / To Col. Darryl Zanuck / from another soldier - / Lt. Col. John Vassos C.E. / in New York City / July 27 1944."

Inscribed to the giant American film producer and studio executive Darryl Zanuck. Zanuck (1902-1979) was vice president in charge of production for Twentieth Century-Fox. The IMDb website (writer David S. Smith) refers to him as "One of the kingpins of Hollywood's studio system." He is known for his signature productions of "How Green Was My Valley," "The Grapes of Wrath," and "Twelve O'Clock High." He was also known for producing "The Longest Day" (1962), which was viewed as the definitive examination of D-Day for decades. Also highly significant, is the fact that Zanuck was responsible for the first use of dialogue in a full-length film, "The Jazz Singer." Zanuck joined the U.S. Army when he was 15 years old. He was active in World War I and World War II.

John Vassos was also in the military. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps developing camouflage techniques.

A unique inscription not only between two military men, but between two people with huge ties to the entertainment industry. The artist John Vassos was the designer of the first consumer television set for RCA, while Zanuck was considered a major studio boss of his era.

Price: $450.00