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Finding Aid for the Harry Crane Papers, ca. 1915-late 1990s (bulk 1940s-1980s)
203
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Description
Comedic writer Harry Crane started his career as a standup comic. During his long career Crane wrote for a number of renowned
entertainers, but is best remembered for developing the popular television creation,
The Honeymooners. The collection consists of script files, gag files, humor topical publications, and a small amount of awards, audio visual
material, books, business files, clippings, correspondence, memorabilia, and photographs related to Cranes' prolific career
writing for radio, television, and motion pictures as well as his long association with popular entertainers.
Background
Harry Kravitsky (later changed to Crane) was born in 1914 in Brooklyn, New York. He started his show business career playing
kiddy shows as a teenager, becoming a standup comedian by age 19. His radio writing career spanned the 1930s through to the
early 1950s working on a variety of programs such as Abbott and Costello, The Jack Caron Show, Blue Ribbon Town, The Danny Thomas Show, The Jack Carson Show, The Jimmy Durante Show, The Joan Davis Show, and Songs for Sale, among others. In the 1940s, he was recruited by MGM to write Hollywood films earning his first credit with Air Raid Wardens (1943). During his eight year association with MGM he continued writing for radio and adding to his screenwriting credits
with The Harvey Girls (1946), Lost in a Harem (1944), Two Sisters from Boston (1946), and Ziegfeld Follies (1946), among others. As a screen writer, Crane developed his skill for characterization and comedy construction that served
him throughout his career.
Extent
170 boxes (85 linear ft.); 4 Cartons (4 linear feet); and 4 flat boxes (ca. 3 linear feet)
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library,
Performing Arts Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of
the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC
Regents do not hold the copyright.
Availability
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.