Gallico ended his blockbuster novel The Poseidon Adventure with the sinking of the overturned luxury ship as a scant handful of survivors looked on. After the success of the first film of the same name (which ended with the ship still afloat) he was approached by Irwin Allen to write a sequel following on from the film's ending, rather than that of the novel. Mr. Gallico obliged with this further adventure featuring survivors and salvagers, a Communist killer, a beautiful girl pirate, a Vietnam veteran and a New York cop - the stricken Poseidon becomes a battle ground and the prize is a fortune in looted gold.
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Described as 'mainly autobiographical' by Gallico, this is a collection of some of his short stories that appeared in American and British magazines, spanning the years from his very first which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post to later stories which reflected his life in Europe. Of course, there is always more to the tale than first appears. From where did the idea come? How much of the writer's personal life, personality and personal problems have got into the telling? For each story in this volume, Gallico has written a separate background. The tales herein: McKabe; Flood; Did You See The Coronation? The Roman Kid; The Witch Of Woonsapucket; Penntifer's Plan; Oh, Them Golden Mittens; Thief Is An Ugly Word; The Dowry; Verna; The Enchanted Doll; The Glass Door; The Awful Secret of M. Bonneval; The Hat; The Silver Swans; The Silent Hostages; Shut Up Little Dog; Love Is A Gimmick; The Lost Hour; Orchestrations for Twelfth Night. -
Coronation: Paul Gallico
$10.00June 2, 1953. It's a great day for the Commonwealth - it's the coronation day of the young, beautiful Elizabeth II. Will Clagg, steelworker, his wife Violet, their two children Johnny and Gwinny and Grumbling Granny are determined to see this wondrous event. No matter how long the day, nor the obstacles to be encountered...Each member of the family learns a great deal on this important day, and returns home laden with life-long gifts they never expected. -
Set in England prior to the coronation of Elizabeth II. Mrs 'Arris is a charlady, hard-working, cheerful and always obliging. When she sees the beautiful Dior gown that one of her titled ladies will wear to the Coronation festivities, Mrs. 'Arris is determined to have one too. And she can - if she gives up catching the bus...and going to the cinema...and going to the pub for a drop of gin with her neighbour...and if she takes on extra work and does some sewing from home...She faces all manner of obstacles and snobbery and unwittingly does some good on her journey, but she is determined. Made into a beautiful film, Mrs. 'Arris Goes To Paris with Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Ada 'Arris. and Omar Sharif - and recently remade. -
Jennie: Paul Gallico
$12.00This is the story of a young boy called Peter, who is knocked down by a car. To his considerable astonishment, when he recovers, he is not a boy anymore - he's a cat! Fortunately, he meets Jennie, a cat who had been abandoned by her family when they moved away, who educates him in the wiles of the feline world and life on the London streets. Will he stay a cat with Jennie, or return to being a human boy? -
Jennie: Paul Gallico
$8.00Gallico's fantasy story is of a young boy called Peter, who is knocked down by a car. To his considerable astonishment, when he recovers, he is not a young boy - he's a cat! Feeling very lonely, confused and lost, he meets Jennie, a cat who had been abandoned by her family when they moved away, who educates him in the wiles of the feline world. Will he stay a cat with Jennie, or return to being a human boy? But then he is challenged by Dempsey, a battle-scarred veteran and Peter must win... This is not necessarily a children's or teens' book - any reader will gain something from this story. -
The small English travelling circus of Mr Marvel is stranded by disaster in a remote part of the seemingly limitless plain of La Mancha, in Spain. Mr Marvel returns to England to deal with the insurance problems; and the story is that of the members of the circus ""family" who are left to handle the animals of the menagerie, of the acts and the horses. Among this group of misfits is Rose, who chooses to stay with Toby of the equestrian troupe and Mr. Albert, who has taught her to love the wild animals as he does. Rose - despite her dubious morals - has managed to keep a strange kind of goodness and innocence, even when she sells the only commodity she owns to secure food for the animals. Then Mr. Albert and the dwarf Janos find that they too have something to sell - to the Marquesa, whose desperate plight can never find recompense in her fortune. This is a story of dark romance, disaster and eventual deliverance, cowardice and greed, compassion and cruelty, kindness and love - and told with brilliantly observed humour and pathos. -
The small English travelling circus of Mr Marvel is stranded by disaster in a remote part of the seemingly limitless plain of La Mancha, in Spain. Mr Marvel returns to England to deal with the insurance problems; and the story is that of the members of the circus ""family" who are left to handle the animals of the menagerie, of the acts and the horses. Among this group of misfits is Rose, who chooses to stay with Toby of the equestrian troupe and Mr. Albert, who has taught her to love the wild animals as he does. Rose - despite her dubious morals - has managed to keep a strange kind of goodness and innocence, even when she sells the only commodity she owns to secure food for the animals. Then Mr. Albert and the dwarf Janos find that they too have something to sell - to the Marquesa, whose desperate plight can never find recompense in her fortune. This is a story of dark romance, disaster and eventual deliverance, cowardice and greed, compassion and cruelty, kindness and love - and told with brilliantly observed humour and pathos. -
Matilda: Paul Gallico
$25.00When a Broadway agent sells a boxing kangaroo to a showman - who really called up for a knife-thrower - things really start happening. The male kangaroo, called Matilda, accidentally tangles with a middleweight boxing king and the affray is reported with mock seriousness by journalist Duke Parkhurst. He claims that Matilda is now technically the World Champion and Bimmie the agent, Billy Baker the Bermondsey Kid who owns Matilda, Duke and a variety of rascals, scoundrels and reprobates all get involved. Even the Mafia want to get in on the act. Gallico, with his talent for the whimsical, has written an ingenious and hilarious story, a champion in itself.