HILTON, James

The Story of Dr. Wassell

First edition, preceding the English. Endpapers foxed, else near fine in near very good dustwrapper with some modest chips and tears. Signed by both James Hilton and the subject of the book, Dr. Corydon Wassell. Based on Wassell's heroic stance against orders to save the wounded during the Japanese invasion of China. Filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille heard Franklin D. Roosevelt praise Wassell in one of his "Fireside Chats" and tracked down the doctor, who had been awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery, and who agreed to allow his story to be filmed in return for a large donation to the Navy Relief Fund. DeMille then hired Hilton to create a story and then script, which he did with Alan LeMay and Charles Bennet, for the DeMille-directed film starring Gary Cooper. This novel was written alongside the film (probably to facilitate the story-writing process, as is sometimes the case for novelist-screenwriters), and appears to have been released prior to the film's debut in April, 1944. This copy also bears the contemporary signature of actor John Burton, who appeared in several films either scripted by Hilton or based on his novels, including Lost Horizon, Mrs. Miniver, and Foreign Correspondent (though he was not in The Story of Dr. Wassell.) At any rate a scarce book to find signed by both Dr. Wassell and Hilton.

[BTC #91752]