CHILDREN OF THE RITZ

Sydney: Cornstalk Publishing Company, 1927. First Australian Edition. The author's second book, one of six Fitzgerald-esque novels written before turning his hand at crime fiction. The story of a rich, beautiful flapper who decides to give a try living life in the raw. She marries a poor chauffeur, and their roles are reversed when her family loses their money and he wins $50,000 at the racetrack. The Cornstalk edition is rare in dustjacket, and the first of the author's books published outside of the U.S. Basis for John Francis Dillon's 1929 silent film of the same name, starring Dorothy Mackaill and Jack Mulhall. OCLC finds 5 locations, of these, only 3 in the U.S. Octavo; taupe cloth, with titling and ruled border stamped in black on spine and front cover; dustjacket; 301, [3]pp. Foxing to text edges, preliminary and terminal leaves; boards sharp and clean; Very Good+. Dustjacket lightly shelfworn, with a few small nicks and short tears to extremities, and some scattered soil to rear panel; list of books in the Canberra, Famous Bellbird, and Platypus series printed on verso; Very Good+.