THE BEAUTY TRAP

[Los Angeles]: Betnic Productions Inc, 1972. Wraps. Very good. Revised Draft of this unproduced screenplay. Veteran producer Frank P. Rosenberg hired Ernest Tidyman (1928-84) to adapt Jeanne Rejaunier's best-selling novel, which deals with the glamourous, sometimes sleazy life of topflight New York fashion models. Tidyman began work on the project in 1970, immediately prior to writing the screenplays for Shaft (1971, based on his 1970 novel) and French Connection (1971), which established him as one of the top screenwriters in the business. The production was ultimately abandoned. However, this draft includes casting notes with potential candidates for each role listed in order of preference - for instance, the actresses targeted for the role of Charlene include Eleanor Parker, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Susan Hayward, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Anne Baxter, and Angela Lansbury - as well as brief bios of the preferred producer (Gordon Oliver), director (Gordon Douglas), and production manager (Nate Barrager). Green titled vinyl wrappers, noted as "Revised Draft" on the title page, which is dated November 8, 1972 and includes credits for Tidyman, Rejaunier, and Betnic Productions. 169 mimeographed pages, with the last page numbered 154. The contents are crisp and clean. Some very light edgewear to the wrappers, which are bound with two brads, with the remnants of a paper label to the spine; otherwise very good. Scarce, OCLC locates no copies.