KEY LARGO

Washington, DC: Anderson House, 1939. First printing. Very good plus in very good jacket.. Inscribed association first edition of Anderson's verse play, the basis for the classic 1948 John Huston film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in their last roles together. This copy is inscribed to "a friend of mine who was a lawyer in Boston, a fellow by the name of [Robert] Montgomery with whom I went to the University of North Dakota" (Anderson, LETTERS). Montgomery was the author of SACCO-VANZETTI: The Murder and the Myth, drawing on his acquaintance with many of the figures involved in the trial, and his opinions informed Anderson's writing of his two plays based on the Sacco-Vanzetti case, GODS OF THE LIGHTNING (1928) and WINTERSET (1935). WINTERSET in particular was directly inspired by conversation with Montgomery, who "told me that I shouldn't think so badly of the fellow who condemned Sacco and Vanzetti. [...] Montgomery said, 'The old fellow really deserves your sympathy.' That really gave me the idea for the judge, and then for the rest of it." An uncommon association. 7.25'' x 5''. Original grey cloth stamped in dark red. In original unclipped ($2.50) pictorial dust jacket. Pictorial endpapers. 125, [1] pages. Inscribed by Anderson "For Bob and Mary Montgomery / from Max / 1939" on half title. Additionally signed by Anderson on title page. Light bumping to boards, light chipping/scuffing to jacket with a few small closed tears.