This document captures John Steinbeck (1902-1968) systematically managing the European performance rights for his seminal 1937 novella, Of Mice and Men. The stage adaptation, a critical success on Broadway, found a renewed and poignant life in post-World War II Europe.
This 1948 authorization, created for Swiss and Italian territories, mirrors the practical business arrangements Steinbeck made for other works, such as his contemporaneous agreement with Mlle. Bataille for The Moon is Down in France and Belgium. The appointment of Maximilian Becker, a legitimate agent for American authors in Central Europe, illustrates Steinbeck's professional approach to his growing international legacy, ensuring royalties were efficiently collected and remitted as he worked on major projects like East of Eden. The late 1940s were a period of immense personal strain for Steinbeck, including a tumultuous divorce, making such administrative delegations both a necessity and a mark of his business acumen.
Condition: Very Good. Clean edges, sharp corners, but a very dry surface. Signs of staining and discoloration.