This book is his autobiography. There was the one described in Mr. Baade's catalogue and another dozen copies on Abe including several signed by Hart.
So you are thinking "Okay, he was born in Newburgh." And you are probably thinking that next I'll decide to collect Lobster Newburg recipes. In Mr. Hart's account he starts the book and appears to finish off Newburgh in the first two sentences. "I was born in Newburgh, New York. My first recollection is of Oswego, Illinois." Oh well. In fact he returns and provides some interesting description of Newburgh and his early life there. It also turns out that his first appearance in vaudeville years later was in Newburgh with a troop preparing to play New York.
What makes this copy special though is that at the height of his career as a Hollywood director, he inscribed this copy of his autobiography to a fellow easterner who like him came to Hollywood late in life and stayed to make a lasting impression on America. I'm referring of course to William Claude Dukenfield whose screen name, if you look carefully can be devined: W. C. Fields.
Here is how the bookseller described it:
Hart, William S. (W. C. Fields)
MY LIFE EAST AND WEST Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1929 1st ed. 8vo. Brown cloth. vii, 362 pp, color frontis by Charles M. Russell, 24 black and white plates. Very Good, text very clean, spine and small portion of front cover slightly faded. SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY HART TO W. C. FIELDS: To my friend Bill Fields And I'm not "looking out of the window" nor is it any Ballyhoo! Horseshoe Ranch, Newhall, Calif. 1931 - William S. Bill Hart." The two were close friends, both their careers beginning on the boards before taking to the silver screen. Originally from the estate of W. C. Fields. An outstanding association copy."
Well I was interested. It was priced at $350, much higher than other copies but a fabulous association copy. Numerous calls and emails to the seller went unanswered and in time I forgot about it. This past week I ran across a note I had made in March and called one last time. This time the seller answered as we quickly agreed on a price of $267 including shipping.
Today I have this little piece of history. The Hudson Valley, Newburgh, silent films, Hollywood, famous men and a very nice hand-written inscription - all in one book. No, it doesn't show up on Hudson Valley or Newburgh lists but, when someone asks me why I collect, this is one of the first books I'll show them.
