[Erich von Stroheim's lost film.] 'Final Shooting Script' of his adaptation (with Leonard Spigelgass and Geraldine Nomis) of Dawn Powell’s ‘Walking down Broadway’, for which he was sacked by the studio, the film being reshot as ‘Hello, Sister!’

Fox agreed to the film on condition that von Stroheim was limited to shooting 85,000 feet of film (around an hour and a half of screen time). The studio was pleased when he brought it in on time (he tied a thread around lead actor James Dunn’s genitals, and tugged on it every time he wanted him to show emotion) and on budget, but a screening left them appalled at the morbid content. Von Stroheim was sacked and the film was rewritten and renamed ‘Hello, Sister!’, with three-quarters of the original retained. It was a flop and von Stroheim chose never to direct again. 168pp, 4to, with four pages of prelims followed by script paginated 1-157, with seven added pages (6A, 28A, 42A, 65a, 76A, 133a, 147A). A mimeographed copy on rectos of leaves only. In good condition, lightly aged, held together with slightly rusted staples. In brittle and worn green card wraps, with edges chipping. The first page reproduces the stamps of the 'Fox Film Comp.' of California, with the item described as a 'Mimeo' and dated '8/9/32'. The title page that follows reads: ' WALKING DOWN BROADWAY / Story and Continuity / by / Erich von Stroheim. / Based upon the Play by Dawn Powell. / Dialogue by Erich von Stroheim -- / Leonard Spiegelgass and / Geraldine Nomis / An Inconsequential Story / concerning small people / along / THE GREAT WHITE WAY.'