First edition book: King Kong, conceived by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper, novelized by Delos W. Lovelace. First edition. NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1932. Hardcover bound in original green cloth lettered in dark maroon, pictorial endpapers showing several action stills from the movie, with scarce first-issue color pictorial dust jacket, 5.75 x 8.25, 249 pages. Book condition: VG+/VG, with dust jacket expertly restored along edges and spine panel slightly faded. Accompanied by a custom-made clamshell box made by Dragonfly Bindery/Studio of Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
Featuring stills from the classic RKO thriller on the endpapers, Delos W. Lovelace's original novelization of the film King Kong was released by Grosset & Dunlap in 1932 as part of the film's advance marketing. Co-creator Merian Cooper was the key influence in King Kong's development, with noted writer Edgar Wallace lending his well-recognized name to the screenplay; as Wallace passed away early in the creative process, the screenplay was ultimately authored by James Ashmore Creelman and Ruth Rose. This highly sought-after first edition of the classic tale, released just over two months before the film's premiere, represents a landmark achievement in the 'monster thriller' genre of American science fiction.
