Descriptive Summary
Biography
Scope and Content
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: William A. Drake Papers
Date (inclusive): ca. 1915-1946,
Date (bulk): (bulk 1930-1946)
Collection number: 289
Creator: Drake, William A., b. 1899
Extent: 7 boxes (3.25 linear ft.)
Abstract: William Drake was an assistant editor for
Vanity Fair magazine in New York and a screenwriter in Hollywood. The collection consists of a mixture of writings that appear to be
playscripts, screenplays, preliminary and suggested outlines for stage and screen projects, assorted stories, synopses, and
essays written, adapted, translated by or possibly submitted to Drake.
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.
Biography
William Drake was born in Dayton, OH, in 1899. He was an assistant editor for Vanity Fair magazine in New York. He later moved
to the West Coast where he worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood, CA. He worked on film projects such as
Grand Hotel (1932),
One More Spring (1935),
Stanley and Livingstone (1939),
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), and
The Three Musketeers (1939). Drake also wrote, adapted, or translated articles, stories, and plays. William Drake died of a heart attack on October
28, 1965 in Hollywood, CA.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of material related to the career of writer William Drake. The collection includes what appears to
be playscripts, screenplays, preliminary and suggested outlines for stage and screen projects, assorted stories, synopses,
and essays written, adapted, translated by or possibly submitted to Drake. For many of the writings it is not clear if they
were intended for motion pictures, stage, or publication; and/or if they were ultimately produced or published. In some cases,
it is not clear if the materials were written by or submitted to Drake. There are writings for projects such as
Brown Derby,
One More Spring,
Sherlock Holmes, and a project titled
Ready to Wear, adapted from the story by Claudia Cranston, which are all assumed to be for motion picture projects. The file titles were
assigned by the processor.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Drake, William A.,--b. 1899--Archives.
Screen writers--Archival resources.