Bonhams 1793 : CRICK (FRANCIS) Autograph letter signed ('Francis), to Larry Bachmann, 1993

Autograph letter signed ('Francis), to Larry Bachmann, regretting on his own behalf and that of James [Watson, his fellow discoverer of the double helix structure of DNA] that he had not been able to get an acceptable script about the story of their discovery, but suggesting that he had never thought it would be easy ('...the story doesn't have enough sex or violence for a major movie. Perhaps a musical comedy?...'); he also gives an outline of his travel plans before reaching Oxford where he and his wife hope to see the Bachmanns and tells Larry that he now has the page proofs of his new book ('All about consciousness!' [The Astonishing Hypothesis]), one page, written on an air mail letter blank, stamped and addressed on verso, two of his own address labels, folio, La Jolla, California, 6 April 1993

Sold for £1,500 inc. premium

Footnotes

Only one other letter by Crick (1916-2004), a typed letter signed to the same recipient, has appeared at auction. Larry Bachmann (1911-2004), son of Paramount film executive and agent J.G. Bachmann, was a screenwriter and producer and one-time head of MGM in Europe, who planned for a long time to make a film about the discovery of the double helix. He was also a novelist and benefactor of Oxford University.

Category: Books / Books, Maps and Manuscripts

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