Myrna Loy 1987 Being and Becoming Press Kit

I lifted the lid on a few boxes I hadn’t touched in years last night and found piles of interesting movie, sports and general ephemera, plus other odds and ends like the first business cards I had printed for my website and several pounds of assorted, well, junk.  I think I put the lid on these boxes when I moved in 2006 as the stock wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, much of it was listed for sale at one time or another but none of it is really primo stuff—that’s not to say that most of it wasn’t interesting! 

I broke out the first few pieces today as selections in my current run of 99 cent auctions.  Truth be told I wouldn’t price much of what I discovered last night any higher than 99 cents, but that said there are definitely some items among the bunch worthy of being bid up higher.  I think this three piece Myrna Loy promotional lot qualifies in the latter regard.

I can’t recall if these sheets from Knopf originally came stuffed inside my own copy of Being and Becoming (a movie star autobiography that all classic film fans should own!) or if it came with the stack of 30 or so other promotional photos for random 1980’s books that I found it with last night.  This was more than just a photo though, I’ve listed it as a three piece lot, all of which are shown here:

This one-sided sheet actually measures approximately 8-1/2” X 14” with the bottom cut off in my scan above.  Kind of rubs me the wrong way that they need a Liz Smith quote calling Being and Becoming a “feast for gossip aficionados” (which it really isn’t!), but they’re trying to sell the book and I agree with Smith when she says “I think it will become one of the classic movie star autobiographies.”

This small slip doesn’t do anymore than it says: request two copies of any published reviews as well as ask for reviews not to be published prior to Being and Becoming’s official November 5, 1987 publication date.

Finally this 5” X 7” glossy photo includes the picture of Loy shown on the sheet at the top and gives permission to use it in connection with reviews or promotion of Being and Becoming.

I had a lot of fun going through the boxes last night and will probably show off some other items that caught my attention here on Immortal Ephemera this week.