MOVIE CONTRACT SIGNED BY WILLIAM FAULKNER

FAULKNER, William. Typed contract signed. Beverly Hills: Twentieth Century-Fox, March 22, 1957. Eleven pages (contract) and one page of Notary's witness, with single rider on overslip on page 7. $18,500.

Original typed movie contract between William Faulkner and 20th Century-Fox for the rights to The Sound and the Fury, signed by Faulkner.

27 years after the publication of Faulkner’s geat novel by Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, Hollywood was clearly interested in filming Faulkner’s daring, controversial, and experimental novel. In this document Faulkner agreed to assign the movie rights to Twentieth Century Fox for a period of seven years. In 1959, Fox’s movie The Sound and the Fury—which can only be called a loose adaptation of Faulkner’s novel—was released, starring Joanne Wooward as Quentin Compson, and Yul Brynner as Jason. Interestingly, the contract specifically mention prior agreements (“of no further force or effect”) between Faulkner and Columbia Pictures in 1955.

Holed punched in left margin. A unique signed item in excellent condition.