Personal book-bound script for The Gun Fighter (20th Century-Fox, 1950)....

Description

Personal book-bound script for The Gun Fighter (20th Century-Fox, 1950). Vintage original 131-page revised final script dated August 31, 1949 with blue revision pages dated October 4, 1949. Screenplay by William Bowers and William Sellers, from a story by André De Toth. The present script was custom-bound for Mr. Peck's personal library in full tan calf with title and Mr. Peck's name stamped in gilt on the front board. Spine stamped in gilt with five raised bands. Decorative endpapers. With 14 gelatin silver glossy 7" x 8.75" production stills from the film tipped to pages bound-in. Spine is sun darkened with light flaking of the gilt. Corners and edges rubbed, with some light scuffs and faint spots to the boards. Front board slightly bowed. Very Good.

The film was directed by Henry King, who Peck had worked with before on Twelve O'Clock High (1949), and based on the two men's research of the "Old West" era, decided that Peck should wear a mustache for his role as an aging gun slinger. The facial hair turned out to be problematic, and calls for reshoots came from head of production, Spyros Skouras. Unfortunately, so much of the film had already been shot that it was too late to reshoot with the mustache shaven off. Darryl Zanuck blamed the film's poor reception on the star's facial hair, indicating that fans wanted to see a clean-shaven Peck, not an authentic-looking cowboy, and Skouras reportedly told Peck, "That mustache cost us millions." The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story, William Bowers and André De Toth.

Please note that while not a studio presentation script, the present script was custom bound for Mr. Peck's personal library and features his name stamped in gilt on the front board.

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