A mimeographed manuscript of William Faulkner's "dialogued treatment" for Drums Along the Mohawk is set to sell as the highlight of Bonhams' Fine Books & Manuscripts auction on October 16.
 Scholars have long argued the extent of Faulkner's work in filmmaking, and this new script will answer many questions |
The script, produced for the 1939 film based on Walter D Edmonds' novel of the same name, will sell with a $15,000-20,000 estimate.
The manuscript was created by Faulkner in 1937, and includes a detailed list of characters with description, as well as a sequence by sequence breakdown of location.
Faulkner submitted the manuscript, but was then replaced by Lamar Trotti and Sonia Levien, who would earn the final screen credit.
According to Bonhams, scholars have long argued the extent of his (Faulkner's) work and involvement in filmmaking. This new to the market consignment will certainly shed some light on this aspect of his career, with the writer providing 238 pages of screenplay.
Also starring in the sale is a typescript of the mysterious B Traven's unpublished screenplay adaptation of his novel The Bridge in the Jungle, which shares an identical estimate to the Faulkner manuscript.
Although he achieved great popularity with his novels The Death Ship (1926) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1927), little is known of B Traven, with his true identity remaining a mystery.
However, when invited by director John Huston to the set of filming for Treasure in Mexico Traven declined, but sent a man named Hal Croves in his place. Such was Croves' intimate knowledge of Traven's works, it is thought that the pair were actually the same person - a view that is generally accepted by scholars today.
A signed letter from Hal Croves will accompany the sale.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has a fantastic selection of rare literary items for sale, including a Charles Dickens signed letter, an autographed copy of Virginia Woolf's Orlando and a signed extract from William Golding's Lord of the Flies.
