Finding Aid for the Albert Lewis memorabilia collection 2412
Sarah Jardini for History Associates Incorporated
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
2022 May
Doheny Memorial Library G4
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0185
ctlibarc@usc.edu
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
Title: Albert Lewis memorabilia collection
Creator:
Lewis, Albert, 1884-1978
Identifier/Call Number: 2412
Identifier/Call Number: 809
Identifier/Call Number: /repositories/5/resources/1283
Physical Description:
19.125 Linear Feet
17 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1900s - 1978
Abstract: This collection consists of memorabilia from the personal library of film and theatre producer Albert Lewis.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: 1
Container: 2
Container: 3
Container: 4
Container: 5A
Container: 5B
Container: 6A
Container: 6B
Container: 7A
Container: 7B
Container: 8
Container: 9
Container: 10
Container: 11
Container: 12
Container: 13
Container: 14
This collection consists of memorabilia from the personal library of film and theatre producer Albert Lewis. Materials include
Lewis' unpublished autobiography
Which Reminds Me… recounting his vaudeville days and early producing career. The collection also includes film and play scripts, photographs,
pocket-sized diaries Lewis kept while traveling with theatre productions, correspondence, clippings, and materials belonging
to sons Arthur and Burton.
Albert Lewis (1884-1978) was a theatre, film, and television producer with an expansive catalog of projects. Lewis began as
a partner to producer Max Gordon (1892-1978), creating single act plays for vaudeville. In 1925, Lewis produced and directed
the original Broadway production of
The Jazz Singer which was later adapted into the film
The Jazz Singer (1927). In 1942, Albert Lewis and George Balanchine co-produced and co-directed
Cabin in the Sky a Broadway musical with an all-Black cast, which Lewis later produced the film version in 1943. He also co-wrote films with
his son, Arthur Lewis, including
Oh You Beautiful Doll (1949) and
Golden Girl (1951). Together they also produced the Broadway musical
Three Wishes for Jamie (1952). Arthur Lewis produced theater works including
Guys and Dolls (1953),
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1963), and
Funny Girl (1966). He produced
Baxter (1972) and
The Killer Elite (1975) for the screen, and
Brenner (1959),
The Asphalt Jungle (1961), and
The Nurses (1962) and
The Diary of Anne Frank (1980) for television. Arthur Lewis is a University of Southern California alumnus.
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 cin@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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to USC by Albert Lewis' children Arthur, Burton, and Elinor in 1978.
[Box/folder no. or item name], Albert Lewis memorabilia collection, Collection no. 2412, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries,
University of Southern California.
Collection is unprocessed.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Correspondence
Memorabilia
Motion picture industry -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Motion picture producers and directors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Realia
Scripts
Television producers and directors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Vaudeville -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Theatrical producers and directors -- Archival resources
Lewis, Albert, 1884-1978 -- Archives