August 2012 Auction Ends Thursday, August 30th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/30/2012
Typed manuscript for ''Life on Film,'' Mary Astor's 1969 bestselling memoir of her life in Hollywood. Astor writes eloquently about her long career, beginning with her first roles in silent movies. She was in dozens of movies before she landed her iconic role as the sultry Brigid O'Shaughnessy in ''The Maltese Falcon.'' Astor tells about her ''wonderful, rich memory'' of making this Hollywood classic, describing the relaxed pace of shooting, the kidding among the stars, and John Huston's directing style. ''...His shooting script was a precise map of what went on...Nobody improvised their way through this one!...'' Astor's admiration for leading man Humphrey Bogart is obvious. ''...Bogie was a hard-working guy, a good craftsman...I have heard people say he wasn't really a good actor. I don't go along with that...His technical skill was quite brilliant...We who knew him well, we liked him. Bogie was for real...'' Although ''The Maltese Falcon'' was nominated for Best Picture, Astor points out, ''...It got nothing. And if I'd had my druthers, I would have preferred getting my Oscar for Brigid rather than for Sandra...''; Astor won a Best Supporting Oscar for ''The Great Lie'' in the same year. Handwritten corrections are made throughout her 230pp. draft ending with a handwritten ''Mexico -- 1970'', likely indicating this was an early, incomplete draft. First 32 pages are on 8.5'' x 14'' blue tissue; the remaining pages measure 8.5' x 11''. Minor toning and chipping, else very good condition. Fascinating account of Hollywood history by one of its legendary stars.
Draft of Mary Astor's Fascinating Hollywood Memoir, ''Life On Film'' With Handwritten Corrections -- ''...I made 'The Maltese Falcon' early in 1941...''
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