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[New York, 1922.] Quarto-sized pamphlet measuring 31 x 24 cm (approx. 12 x 9.5 in.). Unpaginated. [28] pages. Original printed wraps (rear wrapper printed identically to the front); verso of each wrap also printed. Good plus. Short (2 cm) tear to fore-edge of front wrap, a few other tiny tears, crease to lower corner of front wrap, minor wear to spine, some faint scuffs to wraps. Leaves are mildly age-toned but clean. Tiny tear to fore-edge throughout. FIRST EDITION. An attractive promotional piece for Channing Pollock's Broadway play, "The Fool," staged at Selwyn's Times Square Theatre. On the verso of the front wrap is a portrait of Channing with a brief sketch of his career. On pages [2-3] is an essay by Pollock under the caption: "Something Worth Reading. Channing Pollock's Own Story of His Struggle for the Success of `The Fool.' Reprinted from The New York Times of Sunday, November 19th, 1922." This is followed by a full-page composite portrait of the Selwyns and their staff, a quote from the play (p. [4]), and a reproduction of a poster or playbill cover for the Selwyn production (p. [5]). Most of the pamphlet (pp. [6-25]) is occupied with an attractive photo essay featuring images of the stage production with captions discussing the characters and plot. This is followed by two pages of letters to Pollock and a full-page ad for the Selwyn Theatres. On the verso of the rear wrap is an ad for Brentano's forthcoming publication of "The Fool," which was the first edition of the play in book form. "The Fool" was a surprise Broadway hit and the basis for a later film and novel by the same name. The success of the play was due largely to Pollock's sheer determination. He had struggled mightily to find a producer for "The Fool" and received a break when Archibald Selwyn agreed to stage the play. However, "when it opened to generally unfavorable notices, Selwyn was ready to close it, but Pollock, who owned 25 percent of the work, would not let him. Pollock began a primitive publicity campaign, writing letters, making speeches, and printing advertisements with favorable remarks from the few notables who had liked the play. The publicity turned business around. According to Pollock, `Before the end of the season, seven companies were touring . . . reaching audiences of not less than 85,000 people each week, or close to five million theatregoers in a single season." --Bordman & Hischak, "Oxford Companion to American Theatre," pp. 235-236, noting that the Times Square Theatre production ran to 360 performances. "The Fool" was made into a motion picture in 1925 and, in the same year, Pollock published a novel based on the play. Rare. Not in OCLC or NUC.
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