Deluxe Edition of Hollywood with Uncorrected Proof Initialed and Numbered #6/10 by John Martin (#147/150)

This collection includes the deluxe editor of Charles Bukowski’s novel Hollywood, an Uncorrected Manuscript for the novel initialed by Black Sparrow Press founded John Martin, a “9 x 7” announcement for limited edition print of the cover art for the novel, and a 4” x 6” Banes & Noble card promoting on-demand prints of the cover art.

Published in April 1989 by Black Sparrow Press, this is the deluxe edition with a Charles Bukowski signed print as well as his signature on the colophon. This copy is hand-numbered 147/150 copies and is in Fine condition.

The Uncorrected Manuscript is numbered #6/1o and is initialed “J.M.” for John Martin, founder of Black Sparrow Press. It has a comb binding with a clear plastic sheet over the title page and a vinyl rear cover. I’m not an expert on rating uncorrected manuscripts, so let’s call it Near Fine.

The “9 x 7” announcement is for a limited edition print of the cover art for the novel. John Register was the artist and the edition of 75 prints are advertised as being signed by himself and Bukowski. Although not the thickest of stock, it’s a great reproduction (better than the book) and would like great in a frame. It is in Near Fine-minus condition with some scratches (two larger than the rest) that are noticeable tilting it under a light. All four corners are sharp.

The 4” x 6” Banes & Noble card isn’t a terrible reproduction and is printed on textured paper. It promotes its Prints & Posters Gallery sub-brand, when print-on-demand digital printing came of age and people. Like many dot-com ideas at the time, its ultimate value in this space was overhyped. It’s in find condition with sharp corners.

Hollywood is a “fictional” novel about the creation of the film Barfly, which came out two years before Hollywood was published. I say fictional in quotes because so much of the novel does document the creation of the film and even the characters are easily identifiable. For example:

Frances Ford Lopalla = Frances Ford Copolla
Firepower Productions = Cannon Films
Francine Bowers = Faye Dunaway
Jack Bledsoe = Mickes Rourke
Rick Talbot = Roger Ebert

One of the reasons Hollywood was able to be published so quickly after the film’s premier was that Bukowski had begun writing it for serval years before Cannon Films signed on and production actually began. He wrote what would be considered a very long short story that covers at least the first third of the novel. And to me, that part is the most entertaining in the novel.

It follows Barfly director Barbet Schroeder (Jon Pinchot in the novel) as he moves to Los Angeles, buys a giant old America car, moves into a seedy neighborhood, and is frequenting the home of Bukowski and wife Linda Lee almost daily. This part of the story climaxes with Schroeder Pinot, threatening to cut off his hand with an electric saw in an executive suite of Cannon Films Firepower Productions if the studio doesn’t pick up the film.

This copy is in Fine condition.

File Box 2, Case 5, Crate 2