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CARMICHAEL,IAN: : WILL THE REAL IAN CARMICHAEL. . . an Autobiography.[Author SIGNED copy.]

LONDON.MACMILLAN,1979.

ISBN 0333254767.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,SIGNED+inscribed,1st edn.FINE/NFINE.Neat ink,dated gift presentation inscrptn to ffe - pointing out author's signature+inscrptn to the title-page: 'With all good wishes Ian Carmichael',and price-clip to dw/dj. Bright,crisp,clean,glossy laminated subject portrait,b/w+ colour photographic illustrated dw/dj,with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no major nicks or tears present.Some minimal rubbing and subsequent light chipping with miniscule loss to head of spine/backstrip.Top+fore-edges bright and clean; contents bright,tight and near pristine - no dog-ear creases to any pages' corners - an unread copy? Bright,unblemished, publisher's original blue cloth bds with bright,stamped silver gilt letters to spine/backstrip with aforementioned inscribed feps and immaculate plain green rear eps.8vo,8-400pp [paginated] includes list of illustrations,Pts 1-3 comprising 34 chapters/sections, profuse contemporary b/w photographs(87+) throughout the text and the book,and an index,plus [unpaginated] half-title+title pages,b/w portrait photographic frntis, dedication and contents list/table. Ian Carmichael - who will always be associated with Bertie Wooster and Lord Peter Wimsey - is one of the most British of British actors.His engaging autobiography,full of good stories,shows us the man behind the actor. He was born in Hull where his father was a successful businessman and,after prep school at Scarborough,was sent away to Bromsgrove School where he was more interested in the latest records of Nat Gonella and Harry Roy - and,in the holidays,running his own dance band - than in his academic studies.It was towards the end of his time there that he decided to become an actor and he joined RADA in January 1939.His time at RADA was briefly interrupted by the outbreak of war,but he completed his training and even landed one or two professional engagements - including touring the provinces in Herbert Farjeon's revue Nine Sharp - before the Army claimed him in the autumn of 1940.Commissioned into a tank regiment,the 22nd Dragoons,he was stationed at first at Whitby - where he began a lasting love affair with the girl he was to marry,and the north Yorkshire countryside where they now live (then 1979).In the army his thespian activities were at first somewhat limited,but he did do a play, 'Springtime for Henry',with Nigel Patrick and produced a successful revue which eventually pleased even his demanding commanding officer,'Craigie'.Come the invasion of Normandy he was in the thick of the fighting round Caen and then the advance to the Rhine.At the end of hostilities he finished up organising army entertainment in Germany. By now the 'pernicious,habit-forming drug called showbusiness' had re-established itself,and there was no question about 'whither Carmichael?' His early post-war career was mainly in revue - an important step in the right direction was working with the incomparable Leo Franklyn in 'The Lilac Domino' and the climax the successful 'The Lyric and Globe Revues',in which his sketch 'Undressing on the Beach' was a case of once seen never forgotten.Then his name in lights in a highly successful West End play,'Simon and Laura',with Coral Browne and Roland Culver - until one day in the mid-50's his agent called him: 'Ian,I've just had the Boulting brothers on the telephone.They want to turn you into a film star'.There followed that succession of brilliant comedy films - 'Privates Progress', 'Brothers in Law','Lucky Jim','I'm All Right Jack' - which established him as a household name. Writing in a relaxed,entertaining style,he carries his story on to the days of Wooster and Wimsey.There is a whole gallery of marvellous characters - besides those already mentioned they include Kay Kendall,Peter Finch, Robert Morley and Moira Lister - and fascinating accounts of everything from 'corpsing' (if you don't know what that is read the book) to the 'chemistry' that makes good comedy and the problems of adapting the Wodehouse stories for television.Above all,Ian Carmichael emerges as a dedicated artist and an extremely agreeable companion whose interests go well beyond showbusiness.Though a common title and autobiography,very uncommon to find SIGNED copies. Please contact seller,because of the weight and value of this item,for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page!

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,SIGNED+inscribed,1st.
'With all good wishes Ian Carmichael'

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