The Magic Christian (First Edition, inscribed to producer Si Litvinoff)

New York: Random House, 1960. First Edition. First Edition. INSCRIBED by Southern to noted producer Si Litvinoff and his wife Toy on the front endpaper: "To Seymour and Toy with greatest admiration / Terry Southern." The two men collaborated on an unproduced version of "A Clockwork Orange" (1971), to be produced by Litvinoff and adapted for the screen by Southern, based on the 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess. It was Litvinoff who arranged for Southern's option purchase for the rights to the novel in 1965. Southern originally intended to have Richard Lester or Nicholas Roeg direct the film, and have Mick Jagger star as Alex (with the Rolling Stones as the gang of Droogs). However, the project fell apart and was picked up by Kubrick and Warner Brothers three years later. A fine association.

"The Magic Christian" is the basis for the wild 1969 film starring Peter Sellers, Ringo Starr, Richard Attenborough, Roman Polanski and many others.

About Near Fine in a Very Good dust jacket. Book is Near Fine but some fading and light foxing to the topstain. Jacket has moderate, uniform foxing, with light wear at the extremities.