A SMATTERING OF IGNORANCE by OSCAR LEVANT (First Edition)
Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1940. 267 pages. This appears to be a first edition although it is not stated. Oscar Levant, the charmingly neurotic creative curmudgeon, writes about music, musicians, and himself. Not to mention famous friends like George Gershwin and Harpo Marx. A witty series of recollections by the multi-talented Levant: a fine pianist, character actor, and television personality. His razor-sharp intellect and humorous slant on life never failed to entertain. If you ever watch the movie BANDWAGON you can see Levant looking at his feet during the dance numbers. That always cracks me up.
CONDITION: Interior pages are clean with tight binding and no marks. Grey cloth cover is in nice shape with some bumping to top and bottom of spine. Inside of front and back cover has some discoloration, as do endpapers. Dustjacket is not price-clipped ($2 price). Jacket has wear along top and bottom edges all around with a few chips and small tears. $25 SOLD!

MY LIFE WITH CHAPLIN: AN INTIMATE MEMOIR by LITA GREY CHAPLIN with MORTON COOPER (First Printing)
Bernard Geis Associates, 1966. Stated First Printing. 325 pages with 24 pages of photographs. 7 3/4 by 9 3/4. Ah yes, the genius Chaplin had a weakness for the (very) young ladies. These are the recollections of Chaplin's second teenage bride who was married to the Little Tramp for two turbulent years. They met when she was 12 and began an affair when she reached the ripe old age of 15--Chaplin was in his mid 30's.
But do not fret! Chaplin later found great happiness with his fourth wife, Oona, who was 17 when the 56-year-old Chaplin made her his final bride. They were very much in love and had eight children. But that is another book!
CONDITION: A well-preserved copy bound in red cloth lettered in gild and black. Binding tight with clean pages. First inside page has faded writing in pencil and one brown patch. Cloth cover has slight bumping to top and bottom of spine, dust jacket not clipped, a few small chips and tears along top of spine and folds. $12

THE WOMAN WHO WOULD BE KING by GEOFFREY BOCCA (BOOK CLUB EDITION)
Rinehart & Company, Inc., 1954. 7 3 D4" by 9 3 D4". 217 pgs. Book Club Edition. Black and white photographs. "The private life of the world's most enigmatic woman, based on facts never before revealed." Wallis Warfield Simpson became the controversial Duchess of Windsor when, as a divorcée, she wed King Edward VIII of England, who chose to abdicated his throne in order to be with "the woman I love". A tale of true romance or the story of a meek man dominated by one royal--well, no, she missed the boat on the royal part--bitch? Well, we can all agree that she was quite the fashionplate. this biography begins with her Baltimore girlhood and her marriages to Spencer and Simpson. But the emphasis is (of course) on the events surrounding the abdication, which catapulted her to infamy. Yowsa!
CONDITION: Interior is clean with no marks. Grey shiny cloth cover has very slight bumping to top of spine. Dustjacket has some smudgy dirt on the front and one tear upper right coner (about two inches long) Some wear along top and bottom edge of jacket. Not price-clipped. $5

WE WERE FIVE by JAMES BROUGH and THE DIONNE QUINTUPLETS: ANNETTE, CECILE, MARIE, AND YVONNE (Stated First Printing)
Simon & Schuster, 1965. 7 3 D4" by 9 3 D4". 256 pages, illustrated with photographs. A strange tale of the circus-like upbringing of the Dionne Quintuplets, a "cheerful" phenomenon during the tough days of the Depression. As babies, they were taken from their parents by the Ontario government and lived out their childhood at a hospital/tourist mecca called "Quintland." The sisters were a bigger draw than Niagara Falls, with about three million visitors coming to gape at their girlhood. Here they tell their side of this bizarre story.
CONDITION: Interior pages clean and white with tight binding. You can see some faded pencil notes and pricing on first white page upper right and some erased numbers on last page upper left but no other marks of any kind. Red cloth cover has a little wear to corner and top and bottom of spine. Dust jacket is a bit dirty, especially on the back. some chips and wear along top and bottom of spine and along folds. Looks quite nice. Not price-clipped ($5.00 price). $20

WISH YOU WERE HERE: THE ART OF DONALD MCGILL by ARTHUR CALDER-MARSHALL (First Edition)
Hutchinson of London, 1966. Maroon stamped on yellow cloth with DJ. 127 pages, with numerous full-color and black and white illustrations. States "first published 1966" so I believe it is the First Edition. McGill was the greatest practitioner of the comic postcard and the seaside was a common subject. His art was exuberant, cheap, and sometimes naughty! Lots of chubby people, drunks with red noses, sexy young ladies, cute tykes, and this one guy in red and white stripped pajamas who keeps turning up--McGill's "Everyman"? This book deals with McGill's philosophy, life and art, and discusses comic postcards in general.
CONDITION: Very slight browning to edges of interior pages. Tight binding and color plate are clean and bright. There is a bold Christmas inscription in black marker on the endpaper. Yellow cloth cover has a few smudges on it. Price-clipped dustjacket. Minor tears and wear along top and bottom edge of jacket. One noticeable tear upper left corner of cover. $20