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Finding Aid for the Ray Spencer papers, 1937-1984; bulk 1930s-1960s
296
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Title: Ray Spencer papers,
Date (inclusive): 1937-1984; bulk 1930s-1960s
Collection number: 296
Creator: Spencer, Ray
Extent: 6 boxes (3 linear ft.) and 1 flat box
Abstract: Ray Spencer was a screenwriter and produced the West Coast production of the controversial play of,
Deep are the Roots, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, CA (ca. 1947-1948). The bulk of the collection consists of materials related to the play.
Additionally, there is a small amount of script material, correspondence, contractual agreements, and a small number of story
synopses and newsletters associated with Paramount Pictures. In addition, there are a small number of letters and reader
reports related to his wife, Helen Spencer.
Language: Finding aid is written in English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
Performing Arts Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Performing
Arts Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library, Performing
Arts Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
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.
[Identification of item], Ray Spencer papers (Collection 296). Performing Arts Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
There is very little biographical information available about Ray Spencer. Much of the following
information was compiled from the collection. Ray Spencer may also be known as R. Edward Spencer
and may have written under the pseudonym of Bill Owen or Robert Owen. He was married to Helen
Spencer with whom he had one child, Greg. He was a graduate of the 1947 workshop at Yale, executive
director of
Meet the People, and a theatrical designer and screenwriter. He worked as a member of the
reading staff at Paramount Pictures in ca. early-1940s. In 1947, he obtained the West Coast production
rights for the play
Deep Are the Roots, written by Arnold d'Usseau and James Gow. He produced the
play in both Los Angeles and San Francisco in ca. 1947-1948. In the early 1950s, Spencer and his
family moved to Mexico where he continued to write. It is uncertain when he returned to the United
States. His motion picture credits include
Bonnie Lassie,
Star Bright,
Boogie Woogie, and
Crackup.
The collection consists of materials related to the career of writer and producer Ray Spencer. The bulk
of the collection is comprised of files related to the West Coast production of the controversial play,
Deep Are the Roots, produced by Spencer, ca. 1947-1948. Also included is small amount of script material and reader reports (not identified
with a studio), believed to be written by Spencer; a small collection of correspondence and contracts for projects in which
it appears Spencer was involved, and a research file about Plaintiffs Against the Blacklist. There are also a small number
of items related to Paramount Studios such as a script for
Your Son is My Brother, script synopses, reader reports, and newsletters titled New York Bulletin Stories. In addition, there are a small amount
of letters and readers reports written by Ray Spencer's wife, Helen Spencer. Notably absent from the collection are materials
related to films
Bonnie Lassie,
Star Bright,
Boogie Woogie, and
Crackup, for which Spencer is credited.
Arranged in the following series:
- Contracts
- Correspondence File
- Deep Are the Roots
- Paramount Pictures
- Writings by Ray Spencer
- Helen Spencer
- Plaintiffs vs. Blacklist
- Miscellaneous Files
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Spencer, Ray
Screenwriters--Archival resources.
Theatrical producers and directors --Archival resources.
Other Index Terms Related to this Collection
Spencer, Helen