# Is "The Movie: 'Barfly'" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Movie: 'Barfly' by Charles Bukowski (Black Sparrow Press, 1987) is identified by: Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, August 1987. True first is the 1987 Black Sparrow Press edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, August 1987
- Original screenplay illustrated with black-and-white photographs
- The collectible first is the trade hardcover in decorated paper-covered boards (pictorial image of the film's principals) with clear acetate dustjacket, issued alongside a signed and numbered limited issue signed by Bukowski and film principals, and a deluxe hand-bound issue
- Krumhansl 103
- No statement of later printing on the first
- Publisher imprint reads Black Sparrow Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Black Sparrow Press |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, August 1987 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Black Sparrow Press, Santa Rosa, August 1987. Original screenplay illustrated with black-and-white photographs. The collectible first is the trade hardcover in decorated paper-covered boards (pictorial image of the film's principals) with clear acetate dustjacket, issued alongside a signed and numbered limited issue signed by Bukowski and film principals, and a deluxe hand-bound issue. Krumhansl 103. No statement of later printing on the first.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1987 Black Sparrow Press edition. Signed and numbered and deluxe issues are the scarcer states.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; Black Sparrow was a small literary press.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Movie: 'Barfly'* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-movie-barfly
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.