SLIPPERY HITCH By Gerald Butler. Murray Hill, New York: Rinehart Company, Incorporated, (1949). First American edition, first printing. Publisher's first edition R seal to the copyright page. Optioned for a large sum by Warner Brothers for film adaptation, but never produced. A hard-boiled dialogued, noirish mystery featuring two brothers--one bad and one good, who both love the same gal. Butler, author of KISS THE BLOOD OFF MY HANDS was renowned for his hard-boiled, tough-guy style, (with amoral characters in the vein of James M. Cain), and was also a screenwriter. This important vintage mystery is quite elusive in the U.S. hardcover. Surface tea? stain to the front cover near the fore-edge, else tight, firm and about very good in salmon linen boards with black and yellow titles and decorative rules embossed to the spine; in an about very good dust jacket with rope and frighten-eyed face illustration by Karov to the front panel, with some fading and age-toning to the borders, fading and light spotted age-toning to the spine panel, nicks and very short tears to the upper and lower spine edges and corner tips; original printed $2.50 price still intact to the front inner flap. Presentable collectible that will be placed in a clear protective, removable dust jacket sleeve after photographing for this entry. PLEASE VIEW OUR STORE FOR MORE GREAT FIRST EDITION MYSTERY BOOKS THANKS!