'It Ain't Cricket'. The duplicate typescript of a musical play in aid of the Ernest Jones Memorial, written by Kerwin Maegraith (1903-1970), 'Adelaide born, well travelled Sydney based cartoonist, caricaturist, songwriter and radio broadcaster' (Design and Art Australia Online)
Folio (335 × 208 mm), [24] leaves (rectos only) of duplicate typescript (the last leaf is a later reproduction from the original typescript). The first page is inscribed in pencil by the author 'Rights reserved by Kerwin Maegraith. Advertiser Newspaper Ltd, Adelaide', and he has made a few additions and corrections in pencil to the text (for example, Jardine and Larwood have been altered to read Lardine and Jarwood, to protect the guilty).
The leaves are bound together with two brass split pin fasteners along the top margin; the top sheet (headed 'Caste' - possibly not an error!) is slightly chipped and creased, and the entire script is creased where folded across the centre; overall, in excellent condition.
The single performance of the fund-raising testimonial play took place at the Theatre Royal in Adelaide on Saturday 16 December 1933. Ernest Jones (1869-1943) was 'Australia's first express bowler', and considered among the best of his day; he played 19 Tests for Australia between 1894 and 1902, touring England in 1896, 1899, and 1902. The State Library of South Australia has a copy of the lavish J.C. Williamson programme for the event; it notes that 'Don Bradman makes his first appearance as an actor in "It Ain't Cricket". He will beat the leg field in the second act and paste tennis balls at the audience and also at the gallery. He will hit a dozen to them and these will be autographed by himself and Ernest Jones'. One contemporary newspaper article describes the play thus: 'Many outstanding figures of history will give their views on body-line bowling and leg theory during the play, which will move through the ages from days of Julius Caesar to the third Test match in Adelaide this year'. Another one was written after the event: 'International and interstate cricketers formed the leg trap field for the third Test scene. V.Y. Richardson, T.W. Wall, P.K. Lee, C.E. Pellew, H.C. Nitschke were in the "field", and C.W. Walker, State wicketkeeper, was behind the stumps. The decision of the jury in the trial of Larwood [read Jarwood] at the finish was in keeping with the result of the major controversy between the M.C.C. and the Board of Control'. Coincidentally, the edited memoir of Maegraith has recently been published (September 2017). It contains two pages (plus two full-page illustrations) on the musical, and interesting snippets include: it was essentially a rehash of 'The Outline of History' by H.G. Wells; Don Bradman travelled from Sydney for his starring role; and £1000 was raised for Ernie Jones. Provenance: Harold Gard, an Adelaide opera singer and the producer of the play; by descent.
Item #109278
Sold