Ethel Merman Merman Autobiography 1978 First Printing HC DJ Broadway

A true first printing, identified by the complete number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 on the copyright page, this is Ethel Merman's (1908-1984) candid autobiography written with noted entertainment biographer George Eells. Published near the end of Merman's legendary career, the memoir chronicles the rise of Broadway's greatest musical-comedy star from Astoria, Queens, to international fame through productions including Girl Crazy, Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Happy Hunting, and Gypsy. Richly illustrated with photographs, Playbill reproductions, and personal memorabilia, the book includes anecdotes involving Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Judy Garland, Stephen Sondheim, Jack Klugman, Jerry Orbach, and many other major figures of twentieth-century American theater. It remains one of the definitive first-person accounts of Broadway's Golden Age. The book is in Near Fine condition. Black cloth boards remain clean and attractive with bright gilt spine lettering, sharp corners, a tight square binding, and clean yellow endpapers. The interior appears clean and unmarked with no writing, highlighting, or loose pages observed. The original dust jacket is present and grades Good+. It shows several closed tears and chips along the spine ends and corners, moderate edge wear, age toning, and a larger chip with associated tearing at the lower rear panel. Despite the wear, the jacket remains complete and presents well. The dust jacket was designed by Irving Perkins, a distinguished American book designer who spent decades at Simon & Schuster creating memorable trade jackets and typographic designs. While not as publicly recognized as some contemporary designers, Perkins helped define the visual identity of many major Simon & Schuster publications during the 1960s and 1970s.…