The Night of the Iguana

New York: New Directions, 1961. Hardcover. Fair/Fair. 8vo; green cloth with black cloth spine lettered in yellow; dust jacket (worn and chipped). Fireside Theatre Book Club Edition as noted on jacket. Laid into this copy is a program from the fireside Theatre's production in February 1963, starring Bette Davis, Margaret Leighton, and Patrick O'Neal. The play served as the basis for a memorable film (1964) directed by John Huston, starring Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr. This copy is from the library of Bryan Sheedy, with his ownership signature, dated 1963 on the front flyleaf. Additionally signed (from the bottom up) on the same page by Tennessee Williams. Sheedy bought and ran a guest house in the Turks and Caicos and, over the years, befriended literary figures, Williams among them. Apparently a wide-bodied, larger than life figure, in the look and manner of a modern day Falstaff, he was known to have a large library of inscribed literary first editions (see New York Times travel piece on Sheedy from 1998). Unfortunately, the Turks and Caicos is not the best place to store a collection of books, and Sheedy's copies tended to be (judging by the ones we have), well, on the "sheedy" side. This one was spared the water damage that affected some of the other books, but has suffered curious little puncture wounds to the upper and lower corners of the front board. Unlikely that these are from a chained iguana such as the one that is depicted in the play; one would need to consult a herepetologist. In any case, one of the more difficult titles to find signed by Tennessee Williams, who was generous when it came to signing books. An interesting copy. Sold as is.