Convicted murderer and author of Papillon (1906-1973), an account of his time in a penal colony in French Guiana, later turned into a film starring Steve McQueen. DS, 20 pages, 8.75 x 14, April 1, 1970. Lengthy agreement between Charriere and the Walter Reade Organization, granting the company the film rights to his book Papillon. Charriere will receive $400,000 for the rights, divided into two equal payments, with the company being granted certain artistic license in the telling of the story. Signed on the final page by Charriere, publisher Robert Laffont, and a representative of the Walter Reade Organization, all of which have initialed each preceding page. Several pages bear handwritten corrections. A separate photocopied one-page addendum is also included, listing six directors attached to the project, including Roman Polanski, Robert Aldrich, and Sam Peckinpah. In fine condition, with the last page detached but present. Despite listing six acclaimed directors on the addendum, the film was ultimately directed by Franklin J. Shaffner, with writers Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple, Jr., taking on Charriere's source material. The film stars Steve McQueen as Charrière ('Papillon') and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega, and after initially earning lukewarm reviews, it has since been deemed as one cinema's greatest achievements. Charriere is very scarce in autographic material, even more so relating to the classic film of his highly successful memoir, in which he was brought to life and fame by the legendary Steve McQueen.
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