Actually, if the question is a good one, I'll answer it here anyway...
I have a first edition of... Is it worth anything?
The short answer is probably no! Gallico's books tended to be very good
sellers, and there are a reasonable number of each of his first editions. You
can normally buy a good Gallico first with dustcover for around UK£20
(US$30). If you assume a 50% markup by the dealer (and that seems not
unreasonable!) then your book might be worth at most £15 ($20) or so.
There are a few exceptions to this. For example, if you have a first edition of Farewell to Sport, in very good condition with a dustcover, it might be worth around £100 (US$150).
In general, the older and scarcer the book, and the better the condition, the more likely it is to be worth something. If it is signed, then it's worth a bit more. But it is unlikely to be a large sum in any case - and without the dustcover, forget it!
I am looking for a Gallico book. Can you recommend a bookshop which might
have it?
If you're looking for Gallico in general, my experience is that most
second-hand book shops have a few in stock. If you are looking for a particular
one, there are two standard ways to find it.
I used to have a copy of the Ed Welch/Spike Milligan Snow Goose LP. Where
could I get another one? Is it available on CD?
To answer the second question first - it is not (and as far as I am aware, has
never been) available on CD. However, the CD with Ruth
Cracknell is the same as the Spike Milligan one, but with a new voice-track
laid over. This was only available in Australia, and is now (of course) no
longer available. A bit of research on the Internet might help you find it - or
keep an eye on eBay, which is where I got my copy.
As for getting another copy of the LP - well, eBay UK is the place to go. I'd say that a copy turns up on eBay about once or twice a month. They normally sell for £5 to £15 (say about US$8 to US$20) - plus a bit for postage.
Is the film of The Snow Goose starring
Richard Harris and Jenny Agutter available on video or DVD?
At the moment - no. It seems that the film rights are owned by Hallmark. It was
done as a joint venture between them and the BBC as one of the Hallmark Hall of
Fame series. They are of the opinion that the Estate of Paul Gallico does not
wish the film to be released on video. But from what I've been able to find
out, the Estate of Paul Gallico have no objections, and it's up to Hallmark
whether they do or not.
It can do no harm to email Hallmark and ask them again if they'd like to bring out the film on video - or possibly ask the BBC if they can do it.
One other possibility; I believe that the UCLA Film and Television Archive have a copy of the film. If you live near there, then contact them; they may be able to arrange a showing of the movie for you. They can't give you a copy - but at least you'd be able to see it!
The only other point to mention is that bootleg DVDs of the film do exist - normally not very good quality. A bit of judicious Googling might pay dividends.
I am doing an assignment/some homework/an essay; can you answer some
questions for me?
Probably not! Please see the feedback page.
Are you the Martin Benson who was a TV and film actor in the fifties, or
are you related to him?
I've actually been asked this twice now - I guess that counts as frequently
enough. No, I am not the same person, and as far as I am aware I am not related
to him.
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