Finding aid for the Roger Edens papers 2296

Marissa Chavez & Brandon Werts for History Associates Incorporated. Addition description provided by Diann Benti based on an inventory created by Edward S. Comstock.

USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library

2022 January

Doheny Memorial Library G4

3550 Trousdale Parkway

Los Angeles, California 90089-0185

ctlibarc@usc.edu

URL: http://libraries.usc.edu/locations/cinematic-arts-library

Contributing Institution: USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library

Title: Roger Edens papers

Creator: Edens, Roger, 1905-1970

Identifier/Call Number: 2296

Physical Description: 64.25 Linear Feet 53 boxes

Date (bulk): 1930s-1960s

Abstract: This collection consists of scripts, production information, and music scores from American composer, arranger, and associate producer of film Roger Edens (1905-1970). Edens was associate producer for a number of musical films, including "On the Town" (1949), "Show Boat" (1951), "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), and "The Band Wagon" (1953).

Language of Material: English.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of the papers of American composer, arranger, and associate producer of film Roger Edens (1905-1970). The papers include scripts, production information, and music scores. Edens was associate producer for a number of musical films, including "On the Town" (1949), "Show Boat" (1951), "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), and "The Band Wagon" (1953).

Materials include correspondence, memos, and personal files relating to Edens' career at MGM and other studios. There are original arrangements for stars such as Judy Garland and Ethel Merman, sheet music from other composers, books, records, and transcriptions. There are scripts in various stages for many MGM musicals including Good News (1947), Easter Parade (1948), On the Town (1949), Show Boat (1951), An American in Paris (1951), and Funny Face (1957).

Biographical / Historical

Roger Edens (1905-1970) was an American composer, arranger, and associate producer of film. Edens was associate producer for a number of musical films, including "On the Town" (1949), "Show Boat" (1951), "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), and "The Band Wagon" (1953). He often worked with Judy Garland and composed music specifically for her. He won 3 Academy Awards for Best Score in 1948, 1949, and 1950.

Conditions Governing Access

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.

Conditions Governing Use

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.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Roger Edens, March 18, 1971.

Preferred Citation

[Box/folder no. or item name], Roger Edens papers, Collection no. 2296, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Processing Information

This collection is not fully processed.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Academy Awards (Motion pictures) -- Archival resources

Arrangers (Musicians) -- Archival resources

Composers -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century -- Archival resources

Motion picture producers and directors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources

Music -- 20th century -- Archival resources

Musical films -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources

Scripts

scores (documents for music)

Edens, Roger, 1905-1970 -- Archives

Scripts

Produced screenplays

Box 1

An American in Paris 1950-06-12

Box 1

Athena (complete, rerun) 1952-04-14

Box 1

Athena (temporary complete) 1952-07-18

Box 1

The Band Wagon (2 copies) 1952-08-28

Box 1

Brigadoon (2 copies) 1953-10-14

Box 1

Deep in my Heart (Romberg story, temporary complete) 1951-07-20

Box 1

Deep in my Heart (Romberg story, temporary complete) 1951-08-08

Box 1

Deep in my Heart (complete, 6 copies)

Box 1

Deep in my Heart (dialogue cutting continuity) 1954-11-23

Box 1

Doctor Doolittle (synopsis, Parts I and II)

Box 1

Easter Parade 1947-06-06

Box 1

Funny Face (revised final white, 4 copies) 1956-03-21

Box 2

Good News 1947-01-22

Box 2

Goodbye Mr. Chips (revised) 1965-01-21

Box 2

Goodbye Mr. Chips (first draft screenplay, 2 different versions) 1965-03

Box 2

Goodbye Mr. Chips (first draft screenplay) 1965-04-27

Box 2

Goodbye Mr. Chips (draft) 1965-08-17

Box 2

Green Mansions (alternative version screenplay by John L. Balderston and book synopsis) 1934-1945

Box 2

Hello, Dolly! (first draft screenplay) 1967-02-22

Box 2

Hello, Dolly! (final) 1968-05-29

Box 2

Jumbo (temporary complete, 2 copies) 1951-10-09

Box 2

Jumbo (temporary complete, 2 copies) 1955-01-21

Box 2

Jumbo (complete, 2 copies) 1961-11-10

Box 2

On the Town (script) 1948-12-13

Box 2

On the Town (temporary complete) 1949-02-02

Box 2

On the Town (complete) 1949-02-24

Box 2

Show Boat (complete) 1950-11-01

Box 2

The Sound of Music (first draft screenplay) 1963-09-10

Box 2

Take Me Out to the Ball Game (complete) 1948-04-22

Box 2

Theodora Goes Wild (revised final) 1936-08-06-1949-11-04

Unproduced screenplays

Box 2

Amazing Nellie Bly (temporary complete) 1955-11-01

Box 2

The Beach Boys (script)

Box 2

The Beach Boys (final draft) 1958-10-14

Box 31

Choose Your Partner (second draft) 1959-01-20

Box 3

The Divine Sarah (by Ben Hecht) 1955

Box 31

Here Come the Brides (first draft) 1958-12-16

Box 3

Huckleberry Finn (Along the Mississippi treatment complete) 1944-10-31

Box 3

Huckleberry Finn (temporary complete) 1951-06-18

Box 3

Huckleberry Finn (temporary complete) 1951-07-30

Box 3

Penny Angel (original story) 1938-04-09

Box 3

Penny Angel (script) 1938-05-03

Box 3

Say it with Music (7 various drafts) 1965-1967

Box 3

Wedding Day (temporary complete) 1955-05-17

Box 3

Who is Sylvia (first draft) 1958-01-31

Box 3

Who is Sylvia (first estimating draft) 1959-09-22

Box 3

Wives Ahoy! (2 copies)

Box 3

Woman on the Rock (script) 1957-05-24

Stage play scripts

Box 3

Hello Dolly! (stage play)

Box 3

Hello Dolly! (Las Vegas version)

Box 3

Hello Dolly! (Rehearsal script for Detroit opening)

Box 3

Hello Dolly! (Stage manager's script as per New York opening)

Box 3

Hello Dolly! (script as played in New York) 1965-1966

Box 3

Jumbo (complete) 1938-04-29

Box 3

Love Me, Two?

Box 10

Make a Wish 1951

Box 3

Nellie Bly (musical produced in 1946)

Film production materials, memos, and information

Box 4

Miscellaneous memos, letters concerning Roger Edens (MGM) 1946-1957

Production materials and other miscellaneous items related to films

Box 4

Films (1264-1489)

Scope and Contents

Materials concerning the films: Presenting Lily Mars (1264); DuBarry was a Lady (1266); Cabin in the Sky (1267); Ziegfeld Follies (1325); The Harvey Girls (1348); Till the Clouds Roll By (1369); Summer Holiday (1386); The Pirate (1400); Good News (1404); Easter Parade (1418); Words and Music (1427); Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1432); The Barkleys of Broadway (1433); In the Good Old Summertime (1440); Annie Get Your Gun (1450); On the Town (1453); Pagan Love Song (1489).

Box 5

Films (1502-1812 and unnumbered)

Scope and Contents

Materials concerning the films: Royal Wedding (1502); An American in Paris (1507); Show Boat (1520); The Belle of New York (1545); Singin' in the Rain (1546); The Band Wagon (1610); Brigadoon (1645); Athena (1650); Deep in my Heart (1654); It's Always Fair Weather (1663); Funny Face (Paramount); Jumbo (1796); The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1815); Goodbye Mr. Chips (20th Century Fox).

Box 6

Films: Hello, Dolly

Scope and Contents

Materials concerning the film: Hello, Dolly (20th Century Fox).

Memos and other information from unproduced MGM films

Box 7

Casey Jones

Box 7

Great Day

Box 7

Honey Boy

Box 7

Huckleberry Finn

Box 7

Nelly Bly (Roger Edens' story ideas)

Box 7

St. Louis Woman

Information from unproduced films (20th Century Fox and Columbia)

Box 7

The Beach Boys (20th Century Fox)

Box 7

Here Comes the Brides (Wives Ahoy!) (20th Century Fox)

Box 7

Who is Sylvia? (Columbia Studios?)

Box 7

Miscellaneous magazine clippings and postcards

Personal materials (music, photographs, and miscellaneous)

Box 9a

Original manuscript music for films

Box 9a

Original manuscript music for "Fall in!" (hospital revue, WWII soldier prod.)

Box 9a

Miscellaneous special material by Edens

Box 9a

Material written for the birthdays of Kay Thompson and Dore Schary (2 folders)

Box 9b

Articles and photographs about Salzburg location hunting for "Sound of Music"

Box 9b

Sigmund Romberg music

Box 9b

Pat Michon music (song arrangement by Edens)

Box 9b

Gershwin music (some in Edens' hand)

Box 9b

Elsa Martinelli pictures

Box 9b

Photographs

Box 9b

Arthur Freed autographed photograph

Box 9b

Miscellaneous items

Books

Box 9b

Academy Awards Illustrated

Box 9b

Technique de l'Erotisme

Box 9b

L'Erotisme au Cinema

Box 10

Around the World in 72 Days (2 binders with photostat of book by Nellie Bly)

Box 10

Story ideas

Scope and Contents

Includes story ideas: Breath of Fresh Air; Circus; Minsky [The Night They Raided Minksy's (?)]; Pittsburg Story; The Rich Get Richer; Seventeen; Strike it Rich; Hell's Bell's; Calamity Jane; and three untitled folders.

Music

Box 11

Miscellaneous music chiefly by Edens

Scope and Contents

Box 11 contains music by Roger Edens (most manuscript in his hand), with two folders containing sheet music by various composers).

MGM film music

Box 12a

695: Hollywood Revue (of 1933) (two songs "You Are," which was dropped from the film and "Life is a Merry Go-Round," which was dropped from Dancing Lady)

Box 12a

710: The Liar (1 song "Yes Me")

Box 12a

712: Going Hollywood (1 song "Our Big Love Scene")

Box 12a

714: The Vinegar Tree (1 song "Lovely Lady")

Box 12a

731: Sadie McKee

Box 12a

751: The Merry Widow (1 dropped song "The King Can Do No Wrong")

Box 12a

807: Reckless

Box 12a

833: Broadway Melody of 1936

Box 12a

934: Born to Dance

Box 12a

940: Every Sunday (short) (1 song "Americana")

Box 12a

945: Maytime

Box 12a

957: A Day at the Races

Box 12a

988: Broadway Melody of 1938

Box 12a

1011: Rosalie

Box 12a

1020: Everybody Sing

Box 12a

1048: Honolulu

Box 12a

1050: Love Finds Andy Hardy

Box 12a

1053: Listen Darling

Box 12a

1060: Wizard of Oz

Box 12a

1066: Ice Follies

Box 30a

1088: Babes in Arms

Box 12b

1099: A Day at the Circus (1 song "Step Up and Take a Bow")

Box 12b

1111: Broadway Melody of 1940

Box 12b

1120: Go West (1 song "Ridin' the Range," 4 copies)

Box 12b

1133: Two Girls on Broadway (1 song "Let's Dance")

Box 12b

1139: Andy Hardy Meets a Debutante

Box 12b

1141: Strike up the Band

Box 12b

1153: Little Nellie Kelly

Box 12b

1165: Ziegfeld Girl (1 song "Laugh, I Thought I'd Split My Side")

Box 30a

1182: Lady Be Good

Box 12b

1187: Step This Way (1 song "Where There's Music")

Box 12b

1204: Babes on Broadway

Box 12b

1205: Panama Hattie (with two copies of Broadway score)

Box 12b

1207: Kathleen ("Around the Corner")

Box 12b

1222: Rio Rita (1 dropped song "Poor Whippoorwill")

Box 12b

1223: Ship Ahoy (1 dropped song

Box 13a

1244: For Me and My Gal (Big Time)

Box 13a

1264: Presenting Lily Mars

Box 13a

1266: DuBarry was a Lady (with copy of Broadway score)

Box 13a

1267: Cabin in the Sky

Box 13b

1274: Thousands Cheer (2 songs with 2 copies of each: "I Dug a Ditch (in Wichita" and "The Joint is Really Jumpin")

Box 13b

1284: Best Foot Forward

Box 13b

1285: Girl Crazy (with copy of Broadway score)

Box 13b

1302: Meet the People (1 song "Too Bad, Too Sad)

Box 13b

1317: Meet Me in St. Louis

Box 14a

1325: Ziegfeld Follies

Box 14a

1333: Anchors Aweigh (1 song "I Begged Her")

Box 14a

1347: Yolanda and the Thief

Box 14a

1348: The Harvey Girls

Box 14a

1369: Till the Clouds Roll By

Box 14a

1386: Summer Holiday

Box 14b

1400: The Pirate

Box 14a, Box 30a

1404: Good News

Box 14a

1418: Easter Parade

Box 14a

1427: Words and Music

Box 14b, Box 30a

1432: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Box 15

1433: The Barkleys of Broadway

Box 15

1440: In the Good Old Summertime (1 song "Last Night When We Were Young")

Box 15, Box 30a

1450: Annie Get Your Gun

Box 15

1453: On the Town

Box 15

1477: Summer Stock (1 song "Get Happy")

Box 15

1489: Pagan Love Song

Box 15

1502: Royal Wedding

Box 15

1520: Show Boat

Box 15

1545: The Belle of New York

Box 15

1546: Singing in the Rain (drafts of "You Are My Lucky Star")

Box 15

1605: Invitation to the Dance

Box 15

1608: Give a Girl a Break (1 song "Applause, Applause" sections 1-2, whole song)

Box 15

1610: The Band Wagon

Box 15

1631: Torch Song (1 song "Follow Me")

Box 15

1645: Brigadoon

Box 15

1654: Deep in My Heart (folder 1)

Box 16

1654: Deep in My Heart (folder 2)

Box 30a

165: Deep in My Heart (additional items)

Box 16

1663: It's Always Fair Weather (1 song "Music is Better than Words")

Box 16

1707: Les Girls

Box 16

1718: Merry Andrew

Box 16

1723: Gigi

Box 16

1796: Jumbo (2 folders)

Box 16, Box 17

1815: The Unsinkable Molly Brown

Paramount film music

Box 16

Funny Face (2 folders)

Columbia film music

Box 16

Pepe (production no. parts 1-6)

Box 16

Warner Brothers film music

Box 16

A Star is Born ("Born in a Trunk" sequence")

20th Century Fox film music

Box 18a, Box 18b

Hello Dolly

Unproduced film scores

Box 17

Here Comes the Brides (Wives Ahoy!) (20th Century Fox)

Box 17

Huckleberry Finn (MGM)

Box 17

St. Louis Woman (MGM)

Box 17

Say It With Music (MGM)

Box 17

Who is Sylvia? (20th Century Fox)

Sheet Music by composer

Jerome Kern

Box 19a, volume 1-5, Box 19b, volume 6-8

"Works of Jerome Kern" (8 volumes of bound sheet music)

Bound scores of Kern's musicals

Box 19b

The Cat and the Fiddle (2 copies, one not bound)

Box 19b

Music in the Air

Box 19b

On Lady! Lady!!

Box 19b

Sally

Box 19b

Show Boat

Box 19b

The Stepping Stones

Box 20

Sheet music

Box 21, Box 30b

Cole Porter

Box 21

George Gershwin

Box 22

Richards Rodgers, and Hart, Hammerstein

Box 22

Irving Berlin

Box 23

Rodgers and Hart (4 bound volumes, MGM Studios)

Various composers

Box 23

Richard Addinsell

Box 23

Milton Ager

Box 23

Fred Ahlert

Box 23

Harry Akst

Box 23

Lew Alter

Box 23

LeRoy Anderson

Box 23

Harold Arlen (3 folders)

Box 23

David Baker

Box 23

Lionel Bart

Box 23

Sol Berkowitz

Box 23

Leonard Bernstein

Box 23

Marc Blitzstein

Box 23

Rube Bloom

Box 23

Jerry Bock

Box 23

Earl Brent

Box 23

Leslie Bricusse

Box 24

Joe Burke

Box 24

Hoagy Carmichael

Box 24

Michael Carr

Box 24

Saul Chaplin

Box 24

Moose Charlap

Box 24

Frank Churchill

Box 24

George Cohan

Box 24

Cy Colman

Box 24

Con Conrad

Box 24

Fred J. Coots

Box 24

Sam Coslew

Box 24

Noel Coward

Box 24

Matt Dennis

Box 24

Gene DePaul

Box 24

Peter DeRose

Box 24

DeSylva, Brown and Henderson

Box 24

Eldo Di Lazzaro

Box 24

Robert E. Dolan

Box 24

Walter Donaldson

Box 24

Robert E. Dolan

Box 24

Walter Donaldson

Box 24

Ervin Drake

Box 24

Vernon Duke

Box 24, Box 25

Roger Edens (published arrangements of his songs)

Box 25

Duke Ellington

Box 25

Bob Emmerich

Box 25

Sammy Fain

Box 25

Ted Fio Rito

Box 25

Fred Fisher

Box 25

Dave Franklin

Box 25

Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown (3 folders)

Box 25

Cliff Friend

Box 25

Charles Gaynor

Box 25

Lew Gensler

Box 25

Robert Goldman and Glenn Paxton, George Weiss

Box 25

Al Goodhart and Al Hoffman

Box 25

Mack Gordon

Box 25

Jay Gorney

Box 25

Morton Gould

Box 25

Johnny Green

Box 25

Jesse Greer

Box 25

Maria Grever

Box 25

Will Grosz

Box 25

Albert Hague

Box 25

James Hanley

Box 25

Leigh Harline

Box 25

Charles Henderson

Box 25

Victor Herbert

Box 25

Jerry Herman

Box 25

Edward Heyman

Box 25

Louis Hirsch

Box 25

Fred Hollander

Box 25

Herman Hupfield

Box 25

Kenneth Jacobson

Box 25

M.K. Jerome and Jack Scholl

Box 25

Isham Jones

Box 25

Gus Kahn

Box 25

John Kander and Fred Ebb

Box 25

Bronislaw Kaper

Box 25

Harold Karr

Box 25

Nick and Charles Kenny

Box 25

Burton Lane

Box 26

Vee Lawnhurst

Box 26

Jack Lawrence

Box 26

Morgan Lewis

Box 26

Ernesto Lecuona

Box 26

Richard Lewine

Box 26

Sidney Lippman

Box 26

Little Jack Little

Box 31

Jerry Livingstone

Box 26

Frank Loesser

Box 31

Carmen Lombardo and John Jacob Loeb

Box 26

Frederick Lowe

Box 26

Jimmy McHugh

Box 26

Rod McKuen

Box 31

Matt Malneck and Frank Signorelli

Box 31

Gerald Marks

Box 31

Johnny Marks

Box 26

Hugh Martin

Box 31

Murray Mencher

Box 26

Gian-Carlo Menotti

Box 31

Johnny Mercer

Box 26

George W. Meyer and Pete Wendling

Box 31

Joe Meyer

Box 31

Vic Mizzy

Box 31

James Monaco

Box 26

Marguerite Monnot

Box 26

James Mundy

Box 31

Richard Myers

Box 31

Ray Noble

Box 31

Ben Oakland

Box 31

Harry Owens

Box 31

Mitchell Parish

Box 26

Lee Pockriss

Box 31

Lew Pollack

Box 31

Teddy Powell and Walter Samuels

Box 31

Louis Prima

Box 31

Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin

Box 26

Harry Revel and Mack Gordon

Box 31

Allan Roberts, Jerome Brainin and Lew Sherwood

Box 31

Richard Rodgers

Box 26

Sigmund Romberg (2 folders)

Box 26

Harold Rome

Box 26

Jerry Ross

Box 27

William Roy

Box 31

Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar

Box 31

Benee Russell

Box 31

Victor Schertzinger

Box 27

Harvey Schmidt

Box 27

Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz

Box 27

Raymond Scott

Box 27

B. G. Shevelove

Box 27

Richard and Robert Sherman

Box 31

Abner Silver

Box 27

Robert A. Simon, Owen Murphy, and Russell Bennett

Box 31

Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake

Box 31

Stephen Sondheim

Box 31

Harold Spina

Box 31

Max Steiner

Box 31

Sam Stept

Box 31

Robert Stolz

Box 31

Oscar Straus

Box 31

Johan Strauss, Jr. and Sr.

Box 27

Charles Strouse

Box 27

Jule Styne

Box 31

Dana Suesse

Box 31

Henry Sullivan

Box 31

Kay Swift

Box 31

Harry Tierney

Box 31

Peter Tinturin

Box 31

Charlie Tobias

Box 27

Thomas (Fats) Waller

Box 27

James Van Heusen

Box 27

Albert and Harry Von Tilzer

Box 27

Harry Warren and Al Dubin

Box 31

Mabel Wayne

Box 27

Kurt Weill

Box 27

Richard A. Whiting

Box 27

Meredith Wilson

Box 31

Harry Woods

Box 27

Robert Wright, George Forrest, Eddie Ward, and Herbert Stothart

Box 31

Allie Wrubel

Box 27

Vincent Youmans

Box 27

Victor Young

Box 29

Miscellaneous composers (1 folder)

Various categories

Box 28

Irish songs

Box 28

College songs

Box 28

Latin-American songs

Box 28

Hawaiian songs

Box 28

Western songs

Box 28

Classical, operetta, popular sheet music with the name of James Melton (at MGM in the mid 1930s) on them

Song and music books

Box 28

The Popular Song Book (paperback)

Box 28

All-American Song Book (paperback)

Box 28

America Sings (paperback)

Box 28

Bottoms Up! (paperback)

Box 28

Children's Piano Pieces the Whole World Plays (paper book)

Box 29

Various songbooks

Miscellaneous music

Box 10

Destry (preliminary rehearsal score for produced musical)

Box 10

Fade Out, Fade In (folder of music for produced musical)

Box 17

Bob Merrill Score (possibly "New Girl In Town," Broadway musical, 1957)

Box 17

Puccini: "The Girl of the Golden West" (bound opera score)

Entertainer-specific works of Roger Edens

Scope and Contents

Special material written by Roger Edens for: Judy Garland (music and news clippings); Van Johnson; Ethel Merman.

Box 8a

Judy Garland

Box 8a

Van Johnson

Box 8b

Ethel Merman

Box 28

Binders listing popular songs of the day

Arrangement

Songs arranged in alphabetical order within each section

Box 28

1840-1890

Box 28

1890-1900

Box 28

1900-1910

Box 28

1910-1920

Box 28

1920-1930

Box 28

1930-1

Box 28

Miscellaneous music catalogs

Scope and Contents

Catalogs as well as one issue of ASCAP Journal (December 1937)

Certificates/plaques

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences certificates of nomination for award

Box 30b

Certificate of nomination for scoring of "Annie Get Your Gun" 1950

Box 30b

Certificate of nomination for scoring of "Babes in Arms" 1940

Box 30b

Certificate of nomination for scoring of "Strike up the Band" and for the song "Our Love Affair" 1941

Box 30b

Certificate of nomination for scoring of musical "For Me and My Gal" 1942

Box 30b

Certificate of nomination for song "Pass that Peace Pipe" from "Good News" 1947

Box 30b

Certificate of nomination for scoring of musical "Easter Parade" 1948

Box 30b

Certificate of nomination for scoring of musical "On the Town" 1949

Box 30b

ASCAP membership certificate 1941-07-17

Box 32, Box 33, Box 34, Box 35, Box 36, Box 37, Box 38, Box 39, Box 40, Box 41, Box 42, Box R2, Box R3, Box R4

Unprocessed materials