Upright folio. Brown cloth with leather title plate to spine, bound in original wrappers printed in red, black, and white. Title (vb); Cast (vb); Synopsis (vb); Musical Program; 5 - 198. This copy humorously inscribed on title verso by Ira Gershwin "First Mortgage on the words owned by Ira Gershwin/Oct. 28, 1934," seemingly to playfully suggest that Arlen might later put the lyrics to use. Also with the large ink inscription "Property of Harold Arlen" and giving his address. Fuld p. 654, indicating that the present score was published on April 29, 1932. Lightly toned, else fine. An excellent association copy. 

While most of his best-known songs were written with his younger brother, the pianist and composer George Gershwin, Ira also wrote with Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen. The brothers had first met Arlen in 1929 when Strike Up The Band was in the try-out phase in Boston.  George was Harold’s favorite composer and George said about Harold “he is the most original of all of us” after hearing Stormy Weather. In the month prior to the present inscription, Harold had appeared as the first guest composer on George’s radio show on 30 September 1934.  Harold was then living in the penthouse of the Croydon Hotel at 12 E86th Street at Madison Avenue, the address given here in his ownership inscription.

"Of The I Sing" opened in New York City on Dec. 26, 1931 and ran for 441 performances, receiving critical and box office success. Brooks Atkinson's original review in the New York Times called it "a taut and lethal satire... funnier than the government, and not nearly so dangerous." In 1932, it became the first musical comedy ever to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize.  An original musical comedy in two acts, with the book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin, the songs in the production include: “Wintergreen For President”; “Who Is the Lucky Girl To Be?”; “The Dimple on My Knee”; “Because, Because”; “As the Chairman of the Committee”; “How Beautiful”; “Never Was There a Girl So Fair”; “Some Girls Can Bake a Pie”; “Love is Sweeping the Country”; “Of Thee I Sing”; “(Here’s) a Kiss for Cinderella”; “I Was the Most Beautiful Blossom”; “Hello, Good Morning”; “Who Cares?”; “Garcon, S’il vous plait”; “The Illegitimate Daughter”; “We’ll Impeach Him”; “The (Senatorial) Roll Call”; “Jilted”; “Who Could Ask For Anything More? I’m About to Be a Mother)”; “Posterity (Is Just Around the Corner)”; “Trumpeter, Blow Your (Golden) Horn”; and “Finale (On That Matter No One Budges).”