Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Bono (Sonny) papers
2654
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
Title: Sonny Bono papers
Creator:
Bono, Sonny
Identifier/Call Number: 2654
Identifier/Call Number: /repositories/5/resources/3248
Physical Description:
101.3 Linear Feet
85 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1966-1998
Abstract: The Sonny Bono papers consist of television scripts, production records, film reels, photographs, memorabilia, and personal
materials belonging to musician and politician Sonny Bono. Also included are scripts from television programs produced by
George Schlatter and written by his collaborators Allan Blye and Chris Bearde. Many of these programs featured Sonny & Cher
as guest stars.
Language of Material:
English.
Born Salvatore Bono in 1935, Sonny Bono was an American singer and actor who came to fame in partnership with his second wife
Cher as the performing duo Sonny & Cher in the 1960s and 1970s and on their own television program
The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour (1972-1974). The couple divorced in 1975 and began their respective solo short-lived television programs
The Sonny Comedy Revue (1975) and
Cher (1975-1976), but eventually returned to television together for
The Sonny and Cher Show (1976-1977). Bono's acting career continued with small parts as a guest performer in various television programs.
Bono ran for political office and served as the mayor of Palm Springs, CA from 1988 to 1992 and as a Republican congressman
for California's 44th district from 1995 until his death on a skiing trip in 1998. His widow, Mary Bono, was elected to fill
the remainder of her husband's congressional term.
The Sonny Bono papers consist of television scripts, production records, film reels, photographs, memorabilia, and personal
materials belonging to musician and politician Sonny Bono. Also included are scripts from television programs produced by
George Schlatter and written by his collaborators Allan Blye and Chris Bearde. Many of these programs featured Sonny & Cher
as guest stars.
The series Sonny and Cher records include scripts and reels from
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971-1974),
The Sonny & Cher Show (1976-1977), and
The Sonny Comedy Revue (1974).
The series Blye Bearde Productions scripts is composed of materials from shows produced and written by Allan Blye and Chris
Bearde including:
The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show (1974-1975),
The Ken Berry "Wow" Show (1972), and a selection of Osmand Brothers specials.
The series Other materials includes personal materials such as family photographs, home movies, political and show business
memorabilia, a custom western saddle and bridle, and items from Bono's office.
Advance notice required for access.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library
at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
[Box/folder no. or item name], Sonny Bono papers, Collection no. 2654, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of
Southern California.
Collection is unprocessed
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence
Costumes and clothes
Home movies
Memorabilia
Moving images
Musicians -- 20th century -- Photographs
Realia
Scripts
Television scripts
Bono, Sonny -- Archives
Bearde, Chris
Blye, Allan
Cher, 1946-
Farmer, Gene
Schlatter, George, 1932-
Sonny & Cher