DOCUMENTARY

[Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953.] Typed and Autograph Drafts by playwright Christopher Fry, of prose and poetry for his screenplay of the documentary film 'A Queen Is Crowned'.

Author: 
Christopher Fry (1907-2005), playwright [Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953; Laurence Olivier; Rank Organisation, London]
Publication details: 
[Production by the Rank Organisation, London. Released in 1953.]
£950.00

Seven items from the Christopher Fry papers, relating to the film 'A Queen Is Crowned', which was a British box office hit in coronation year, and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. At the time of writing Fry was at the height of his popularity: around this time he had four plays running in the West End at once. 'A Queen Is Born' - billed as 'The only full-length feature of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II' - was made in Technicolour, produced by Castleton Knight for the Rank Organisation, with music by Guy Warrack, and with Fry's script narrated by Laurence Olivier.

Typed Letter Signed ('Oliver G. Pike') from the ornithologist Oliver Gregory Pike, offering his services as a lecturer.

Author: 
Oliver G. Pike [Oliver Gregory Pike] (1877-1963), FZS, FRPS, British ornithologist, wildlife photographer and documentary pioneer
Publication details: 
On his letterhead of 'The Birdland Lectures, The Bungalow, Leighton Buzzard.' May 1925.
£80.00

1p., 4to. In fair condition, aged and lightly-creased. The letterhead includes fourteen endorsements from newspapers in the left-hand margin, with Pike described as 'Author of the Birdland Books. | 100,000 copies sold.' Although bearing a genuine signature, the letter may be a circular. Pike is enclosing 'a copy of my Lecture Prospectus for next season' (not present). He goes on to discuss his 'new Lecture entitled: - "BIRDLAND CAMEOS"', before concluding: 'If your Society should decide to engage me, I can promise them a thoroughly interesting evening.'

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