CHRISTIE, Agatha (1890-1976). A group of 3 titles, including:
The Hound of Death and Other Stories. London: Odhams Press Limited, [1933]. 8vo. Original purple cloth spine stamped in gilt (spine sunned, binding edgeworn, text toned and foxed). FIRST EDITION of this short story collection. -- The Moving Finger. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1942. 8vo. Original red cloth, front board and spine stamped in black (some edgewear to binding, endleaves toned); original dust jacket (jacket restored and repaired, spine sunned, some soiling, several creases, repaired tears). FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. -- Curtain. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, [1975]. Original blue cloth-backed boards, spine lettered in gilt (minor rubbing); original dust jacket (price with blue ballpoint ink covering, light rubbing to jacket ). FIRST AMERICAN EDITION.
The Hound of Death, Moving Finger and Curtain are the sources of various episodes of several television series (both The Agatha Christie Hour and various Miss Marple series). More importantly, The Hound of Death contains the short story, Witness for the Prosecution, which has been adapted several times for film and television, most notably the 1957 mystery film starring Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich, directed by Billy Wilder. It was nominated for several awards, including Best Actor (BAFTAS) for Charles Laughton.