Damon Runyon

A first edition, first printing of Guys and Dolls.

• Damon Runyon (American).
• New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1931. 
• In the supplied dust wrapper, priced correctly at $2.00.

Guys and Dolls originated from the short stories of Damon Runyon, whose colorful tales of New York City’s gamblers, gangsters, and showgirls inspired the 1950 Broadway musical by Frank Loesser. The musical combines characters from Runyon’s stories, notably “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure,” and centers on Sky Masterson, a high-stakes gambler who falls for mission worker Sarah Brown, while his friend Nathan Detroit struggles to keep his floating crap game alive and marry long-time fiancée Adelaide. In 1955, it was adapted into a successful film starring Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons, and Vivian Blaine. The movie retained the musical’s charm and energy, though some songs and plot points were altered. Both the musical and the film remain classics, praised for their humour, memorable songs, and vibrant portrayal of Runyon’s distinctive Broadway underworld.