THE GRAPES OF WRATH - STEINBECK CONTRACT FETCHES $24,000

A movie contract signed by author JOHN STEINBECK fetched $24,000 (GBP12,600) at a Motion Picture + Television auction in New York yesterday (25JAN06). The contract handed over the rights to Steinbeck's novel THE GRAPES OF WRATH to Twentieth Century Fox. JOHN FORD went on to direct the movie adaptation, which starred HENRY FONDA, in 1940. Contracts signed by HUMPHREY BOGART, MARILYN MONROE, YUL BRYNNER and AUDREY HEPBURN were among the 160 lots which raised a total of $267,280 (GBP140,673).