Lazarus Laughed (1925-1926) A Play For An Imaginative Theatre [Three Separate Volumes: First Limited Edition Signed By O'neill, + Fine First Trade Edition In Fine Dj, + A Unique Third Printing Signed By Entire Cast And Crew

New York : Boni & Liveright, Inc., 1927. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Green Cloth. Very Good/Near Fine Dustjacket. 8 3/8 " High. Three Different Editions: A Fine Copy Of The Signed Limited First Edition Of The Book, Signed By O'neill, In A Near Fine Original Slipcase. Also Included Is The First Trade Edition, Near Fine In A Near Fine, Unfaded Dust Jacket, Not Price-Clipped. Also Included Is A Unique Copy Of The Third Printing, February 1928, The Printing Just Before The First Production Of The Play, At The Pasadena Playhouse. Prepared By Or For Claude D. Seaman [Of The Standard Lighting Company, Los Angeles], With His Name On Front Endpaper Carefully Blocked In Ink. Printed Heading, By Hand, On First Blank "World Premiere/ Of O'neill's/ "Lazarus Laughed"/ Pasadena Community Playhouse/ April 9 - 1928"; Repeated On Verso; Half Title With Line For Author's Signature [But He Was Not Present And This Line Is Thus Blank]; Verso With "World Premiere..." Text Repeated, With Lines For Director, Musical Director, Director Of Movement, Art Director, Production Manager, Business Manager, And The Chairman Of The Production Committee, Each Line Signed By The Person Holding That Position; Title Page; Verso Is Copyright Page; Synopsis Page; Verso Are Lines Drawn And Extended To Each Of The "Characters" Listed On The Following Page, Each Line Signed By The Person Who Played That Part, Maurice Wells Thus Signing Twice, 14 Signatures In All; "World Premiere" Text Repeated At Foot Of Characters Page And Again On Verso; "Act One" Title Page; Verso Repeats Then "World Premiere...' Text, Followed By Lijnes For Each Of The Producing Staff / Setting, Including The Designer James Hyde, And 11 Others. With, Laid In Loosely, The Los Angeles Newspaper Review By The Spectator Of The Production Which Shortly Moved To The Hollywood Music Box [Theatre], With A Clipped Newspaper Ad For The Production Citing A Cast Of 250 And A Production Cost Of $100,000. The Play Has Since Been Produced Only Four Times, Due In Part To The Expense And Difficulty, But Also To Its Philosophical, Didactic Yet Confrontational Tone Which Has Not Set Well With General Audiences Since The Original Use Of This Dramatic Form Several Thousand Years Past. Irving Pichel [1891-1954] Played The Title Role. He Also Played The Servant, Sandor, In Dracula's Daughter, Fagin In The 1933 Film Oliver Twist, And About 57 Other Films 1930-1939, With Minor Roles In Films He Later Directed. He Directed Films 1932-1954, Including The Most Dangerous Game, She, Earthbound, Hudson's Bay, The Moon Is Down, They Won't Believe Me, The Miracle Of The Bells, Destination Moon, And Santa Fe. In 1947 Hje Was One Of The Hollywood 19 Subpoened By The House Un-America Activities Committee; He Was Not Called To Testify, But Was Blacklisted, Requiring Him To Work Outside The Us. Victor Jory [1902-1982] Was Canadian, Attended School In Pasadena, Appeared In Theatre All Over The Us And Made His Motion Picture Debut In 1930, Later Appearing In Over 150 Pictures And Dozens Of Tv Episodes. [Note That This Book Is Not Signed By O'neill. Gilmor Brown, Producer Of The Play, Was Director Of Public Speaking And Dramatics At Caltech, Later Director Of The Pasadena Playhouse, And Responsible For Making It Into One Of The Premier Small Theatres In The U.S. From The 1920'S Into The 1950'S, Routinely Featuring Prominent Starring Actoirs And Furnishing An Entree For Many Actors Who Later Became Successful In Motion Pictures And Tv.