Berg, A. Scott (Goldwyn, Samuel)

Goldwyn: A Biography

ISBN: 0394510593
New York, NY, USA: Alfred A. Knopf, 1989. First Edition. Hardcover. "...the story of a man whose name is synonymous with the American movie, from its beginnings through its golden age. Samuel Goldwyn's story is a pioneer story, a folk story, a movie fantasy that came true; it is a story about creativity, ambition, money, drive...about a time in America when there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow." (from front flap) The acclaimed biography of Samuel Goldwyn (1879-1974), the quintessential Hollywood Movie Mogul & embodiment of the "American Dream" come true, by A(ndrew) Scott Berg (b. 1949), the popular Pulitzer Prize-winning American biographer. Born Schmuel Gelbfisz, as a Jewish teenager he fled the pig-faced pogromists of Poland to the USA, & reinvented himself in the mythical-yet-real American method as Samuel Goldwyn- ultimately reinventing American culture & entertainment along with himself. The whole incredible story in all its intimate details is chronicled & assessed in Berg's riveting & thoroughly researched text. With three sections of captioned historical photographs of Goldwyn, his family & illustrious celebrity Co. Hardcover in unclipped first-issue dust jacket (with $24.95 price printed at front flap, "3/89" at rear flap), "FIRST EDITION" as stated at copyright page, first printing though not explicated thereon per contemporary custom of this publisher. From the collection of Barbara (1935-2023) & Irving (1933-2018) Nusbaum, world travellers, connoisseurs, eminent collectors of art & books- the dearly beloved parents of this grieving writer. The Nusbaums loved & were devoted to the classic Golden Age Hollywood dramatic, comedy & especially musical films of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer et al.; & of course also to rags-to-riches Jewish-American legacies. An outstanding Berg biographical collectible in its rarest original form, with distinguished provenance. Book in very fine condition with only a touch of wear, fading of dark blue-colored cloth edges & corners of front, back covers & spine; one short, thin streak of light browning-spotting at upper edge of text block; very slight browning to side edge of same. Interior very fine with only a sparse hint of browning, rubbing to blank white paste-downs & endpapers, otherwise substantially mint. Dust jacket very fine with only very light rubbing, occasional mostly faint scratching to front, back covers & spine; slightest wear & some tiny bumps, creases at/from edges & corners of same & flaps. An extra handling fee of $1.50 will be added for shipping due to the size and weight of this item. Very Fine / Very Fine. [Item #6780]

Price: $40.00