Signed Despairing Love Poetry from a Film Star
'Anthology of Moods' Renie Riano. Self published, Melbourne 1935. Limited edition, no total, this being No.75, signed by the author. 112pp.
A curiosity.
These poems are the unvarnished outpourings of a betrayed and broken heart, an anthology of her deeply felt reaction to romantic betrayal. Hate, anger and black despair.
A long self penned article in Table Talk, August 1935, regarding her recent 'disappearance' to…'find herself.' Riano was living with her mother in Collins Street at that time and a star of Ernest Rolls' productions at the Apollo with Roy Rene when she 'disappeared' herself.
See images for the dark and frank flavour of this work.
Renie Riano was born in Britain in 1899 into a vaudeville acrobatic family. She married in the U.S. in 1919 and very little biographical detail is known until her numerous screen and television roles from 1937 until 1971. Predominantly known for 'Maggie' in the 'Jiggs and Maggie' series of films.
She spent some long periods of time in Australia in the 1920s and 30s as Trove provides evidence of her fame performing as a comedienne in the 1920s at the Tivoli and Princess Theatre ('Her legs are insured for £20,000!') and an article on her as an interior designer in a 1933 Australia Home Beautiful. She was also known as graphic artist, the modernist wrapper of this book designed by her. By 1937 she was an extra in Hollywood at the start of a long film career. Died, California, 1971.
Wrapper soiled and torn to the corners, black cloth boards rubbed at the bottom and corners bumped. Offset endpapers. Toning to the text which is overall clean and straight. (23x15cm)


Estimate $80-120