quote:

Originally posted by jkt:
...one can never have too many books.

That would be a good signature line.

Bookmonger is a good word.

...THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MANY BRADBURY BOOKS...

jkt, I have answered my own question: my copy of Moby Dick arrived today.

Appropriately enough, it came in a cardboard box maunfactured in Waukegan, Illinois.

I have blogged briefly about it on my website (link below).

quote:

Originally posted by jkt:
...THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO MANY BRADBURY BOOKS...

Yeah, and I'm still working on getting all mine signed!

Today, whilst at Ray's, I asked "can I have your autograph?" He sprayed forth spittle as he took my books in hand and put signatures on same: The Ghosts of Forever, Surround Yourself With Your Loves and Live Forever, and The Golden Apples of the Sun (golden edition).

I told him I still have to get three new books: Skeletons, Moby Dick the Screenplay, and We'll Always Have Paris (that's not til next year), when he produced a glossy, and said, this is going to be the cover for We'll Always Have Paris. I took a photo, or so I thought, but it didn't take - blahst!

To return to that question of the authorship of the Mapple sermon in Moby Dick:

I've just attempted to compare the version in the release print of the movie with the version in the Subterranean book of the Bradbury screenplay. (And for good measure, I also compared to Melville's original text.)

I was hoping for a clear cut answer, but it isn't that simple! The speech in the film wanders in and out of Melville's language, coincides with Bradbury's text in places, then drifts away again. I'm going to have to spend more time on it, but my initial response is this:

Overall, what Welles says in the film seems to match Melville more exactly than it matches Bradbury. That is, the precise turn of phrase in Welles' lines seems to match Melville. I'm not sure what this implies for the authorship of the scene. But the idea that what we see in the film is "take 2", from the Bradbury script, seems to be false. Unless they were using a different draft of the script to the one in the Subterranean book.

Sorry if this is unclear, but my head is a bit addled from trying to transcribe Welles's speech from DVD!

I'm going to have to get a copy of Welles' play script (Moby Dick Rehearsed) for more detailed comparison. Unfortunately, it's been out of print since 1965!

Philnic:

Now I feel better, I was reading the script along with the DVD and got completely lost.

Hey guys, I applaud your efforts, but you should all realize that Huston WAS using a script different in some respects from the one Ray submitted. Called the 'shooting script' or director's script, it is mentioned in my introduction, and it does contain additions and revisions. This is the script Huston would have used with his actors and his editor/cinematographer. Because of this script - still largely based on Ray's work of course- you cannot expect the film to follow Ray's text exactly. Generally, Huston shortened Ray's speeches, and cut out entirely some of the voice-over narrations given to Ishmael. Huston also worked with other 'authors' on the script, such as Roald Dahl, and I suppose, Welles. Now, I have not checked the shooting script to see what Huston has for Mapple/Welles to say, but I bet it's very close to the final film. But only careful study of all the scripts involved in the production, including the continuity script which is a record of what was actually said, is going to give you a reasonably certain answer to your questions.

Best,

Prof. Touponce

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Touponce:
...such as Roald Dahl...

Perhaps my second favourite writer!

Bill, thanks for checking in on this discussion. It's good to see you here so often!

Just in case anyone has lost track, the question I originally posed isn't whether Bradbury wrote Welles' speech. Rather, it's whether Welles was correct when HE claimed to have written the speech. Which is why I am now looking at Welles's text (from Moby Dick Rehearsed).

Did I neglect to post this review?

http://www.sfsite.com/07b/md276.htm

BiplaneI:

I cannot help you with SubPress' website but Amazon sells the book, at discount, with free shipping offered. You can also go to www.mysteryandimagination.com and order the book from the shop that will be hosting Mr. B's birthday party.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jkt,

Just to note, for the trade editions of books from Sub Press (i.e. the unsigned versions of Bradbury's books) do what jkt said, order from Amazon. You'll save yourself a lot of money.

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
Bill, thanks for checking in on this discussion. It's good to see you here so often!

Just in case anyone has lost track, the question I originally posed isn't whether Bradbury wrote Welles' speech. Rather, it's whether Welles was correct when HE claimed to have written the speech. Which is why I am now looking at Welles's text (from Moby Dick Rehearsed).

I'm replying to my own post from a year ago... becuase it's taken me a year to get back to closely examining the Mapple speech.

I have now compared the release version of the film of Moby Dick with Orson Welles's MOBY DICK REHEARSED. And:

The speeches are virtually identical.

Conclusion: when Welles claims to have written the version of the Mapple speech used in the film, he was correct.

Earlier in this thread, I mentioned that the language in the speech on the DVD is very Melvillean. Well, the Welles version of the speech in MOBY DICK REHEARSED is a finely condensed version of what Melville wrote. And the release version of the film uses almost identical selections. One passage from Welles' play is missing from the film, but otherwise it's identical.

If I get time, I'll put the text from the play on my website for all to see.

The Welles text I referred to above is now posted on my website, along with a YouTube link to Welles' performance of the Mapple sermon in the film.

Here's a direct link:

http://bradburymedia.blogspot....dbury-vs-welles.html

Melvillean is a good word.