JAMES THURBER 1940 Pencil Drawing "Male Animal" RARE NR Three Thurberesque Poses Of Producer Herman Shumlin! Start Price USD 499.00 Current Price USD 499.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price USD 750.00 Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, July 16, 2008 End Time Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Location Studio City, CA See more about 'JAMES THURBER 1940 Pencil Drawing "Male Animal" RARE NR' Description Here is a very rare opportunity to pick up a GENUINE original drawing by legendary cartoonist and humorist JAMES THURBER (1894-1961) at a very reasonable price.First, a little background on this piece: James Thurber and actor/playwright/director ELLIOTT NUGENT (1896-1980) wrote a play entitled THE MALE ANIMAL based on Thurber's frequent verbal and visual commentary on the battle of the sexes and set in a New England college town. The play starred Nugent, Leon Ames, and a very young Gene Tierney, and opened at the Cort Theatre in New York on January 9, 1940. It closed on August 3, 1940.In the January 29, 1940 issue of LIFE magazine, there's an article entitled THURBER REPORTS HIS OWN PLAY, "THE MALE ANIMAL," WITH HIS OWN CARTOONS. In addition to a synopsis of the play and numerous drawings of different scenes, there is a photograph of the cast, along with a Thurber drawing of the cast, both of which include a slightly befuddled-looking man with a moustache, wire-rim glasses, and a hat. According to the amusing caption of the drawing in LIFE magazine, "DAZED MAN AT RIGHT IS PRODUCER HERMAN SHUMLIN."HERMAN SHUMLIN (1898-1979) was a veteran Broadway writer/producer/director whose impressive list of credits includes the stage versions of THE LAST MILE, GRAND HOTEL,  THE CHILDREN'S HOUR, THE LITTLE FOXES, THE CORN IS GREEN, WATCH ON THE RHINE, and INHERIT THE WIND.After Shumlin's death, his estate - an extraordinary collection of Broadway memorabilia spanning more than five decades - was auctioned off. I purchased this drawing in 1983 from an art dealer in New York, had it matted in an acid-free matte and framed in wood. It shows the same befuddled man with a moustache, wire-rim glasses, and a hat - aka Herman Shumlin - in three different poses, undoubtedly directing the actors during a rehearsal. (I can just see Thurber, sitting out front, sketch pad in hand, dashing off his impressions of the proceedings, possibly in preparation for the aforementioned LIFE magazine piece.)Thurber has captioned this drawing "Shumlin In Action"in his own hand.Although the piece is technically unsigned, it is also unmistakably the handiwork of James Thurber. As a matter of fact, it's uncanny how much Thurber's caricature of Shumlin looks so much like a great many befuddled men in his drawings over the years. He fits right in with all those other little men trying to make sense of a nonsensical world.The drawing itself is on a sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" paper, which Shumlin affixed to a cardboard backing, presumably in 1940. This has caused a slight browning to the drawing, mostly at the top and along the edges. I swear it has not darkened any further in the 25 years I've owned this drawing, so it seems in little danger of turning to dust within any of our lifetimes. The cream-colored matte is about 12" x 14" and the brown wood frame is 13-1/2" x 16". It's an impressive piece that has gotten many comments over the years.An original Thurber drawing from THE NEW YORKER or even a quick ink representation of one of his dogs easily brings four figures (not counting those after the decimal point). Although I'm not exactly giving this drawing away, I think the price is eminently fair (if I do say so myself) and is a fascinating artifact from Thurber's first excursion into the world of Broadway. Truly a unique item.Please note: If you're wondering what the strange, dark, dirty-looking areas are in the center of some of the photos are, those are reflections of yours truly, in the glass, trying to take a decent picture. Sorry if it misleads at all.Also, the final image showing a drawing of the entire cast of THE MALE ANIMAL is NOT the drawing I'm offering here. That's from the 1940 LIFE magazine article. I only included it to show another Thurber drawing of Herman Shumlin, plus a photo of Shumlin himself.I am, however, including the entire original 1940 LIFE magazine (featuring a scrumptiously young Lana Turner on the cover) that contains the piece on Thurber and THE MALE ANIMAL. I feel the magazine belongs with the drawing, to help illustrate (no pun intended) the background of the piece.I prefer PayPal, but also accept Money Orders, Cashier's Checks, and Personal Checks (which need to clear before I ship).I ship USPS worldwide and delivery confirmation is included in U.S. Priority Mail shipping. Insurance is extra.Winning bidder: Please make payment arrangements within one week of the auction's closing.Please email me before the auction closes (for obvious reasons) if you have any questions.Feel free to check out my other offerings!Happy bidding to all you Thurber aficionados! Place a Bid!