IRVING BERLIN (1888-1989)
Inscription to Harold Arlen with the score for Songs from Irving Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band." [Hollywood?:] 20th Century Fox, "Darryl Zanuck in charge of production," 1938. First edition thus, inscribed "To Harold/with all my best/always/Irving Berlin." Original printed wrappers. 12 x 9 1/4 inches (30 x 24 cm); 180 pp., illustrated with a montage of photographs from the film and reproductions of earlier sheet music covers. Nick to spine and lightly rubbed, else fine, the inscription large; Together with similar film scores for Songs from "Top Hat", 1935, and Songs from "Follow the Fleet", 1936, both in similar wrappers, "Top Hat" fine; "Follow the Fleet" with a few scuffs to covers.

Provenance: A Portion of the Harold Arlen Archives, Property of Mrs. Rita Arlen

The film scores for several of Irving Berlin's most popular works, the first inscribed. "Alexander's Ragtime Band" had been a major international hit when first released in 1911 and the 1938 film version, starring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, Don Ameche, and Ethel Merman, and the film was awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Score.