THE NAKED SPUR - THE MGM VAULT COPY

New York: Random House, 1953. First Edition. Distinguished copy of this western novel, centered around a bounty hunter who tries to bring a murderer to justice, and forced to accept the help of two unsavory strangers in the process. Basis for Anthony Mann's 1953 film adaptation, starring Jimmy Stewart, Janet Leight, and Robert Ryan. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, at the time, a rare honor for a western. First Printing. Octavo (19.5cm); dark orange paper and beige cloth-covered boards, with titles stamped in black and dark brown on spine; black topstain; dustjacket; [viii],175,[1]pp. The vault copy formerly retained by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Library in Culver City, California, bearing their typed and rubber-stamped label on the front endpaper, and rubber-stamped address to two sides of the textblock, and lower margin of several internal pages. Light wear to spine ends, a bit of softening to crown, else Near Fine. Dustjacket is unclipped (priced $2.50), with light wear to extremities, touch of dustiness to rear panel, and a few faint creases to flap folds; canvas tape and mounted paper label stamped VAULT COPY, applied to lower spine and front panel; Very Good+.