The Entertainer.

OSBORNE, John (1929-1994).

London: Faber and Faber, 1957. [Drama]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.89. Publisher's green cloth, in photographic dustwrapper (showing Olivier as Archie) by Anthony Armstrong Jones (Lord Snowdon). Some stage directions to acts 3-4, long gift inscription to pastedown, else fine, in a near fine wrapper, toned to spine with a couple of short tears. John Osborne was an anti-Establishment writer, one of the 'angry young men' and leading playwright of England's post-war youth generation. As an actor he had several movie credits, notably appearing in the cult British films 'Get Carter' (1971, opposite Michael Caine) and Flash Gordon (1980, with Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton, Peter Wyngarde and Max Von Sydow). This, the follow-up to 'Look Back in Anger', was chosen by the English Stage Company as one of the new plays it wanted to produce. George Devine, a founder of the company, was a good friend of Lawrence Olivie and persuaded him to take the lead role. The play was directed by Tony Richardson, a comparatively young, inexperienced and unknown talent who had just directed Osborne's debut and would go on to direct the movie of 'The Entertainer' (1960), with Olivier being Oscar-nominated for his portrayal of Archie Rice on screen. Item #50297

Price: £75.00