Description
Jess Kimmel was a director and producer for radio, television and stage from the late 1930s to the early 1960s. The collection
consists of script material, occasional notes, production information and/or publicity and materials believed to be related
to Kimmel's service in the US Army during World War II.
Background
Jess Kimmel was born in March 3, 1915 in Brooklyn, NY. He graduated with a B.A. from New York University in 1937. Upon his
graduation he worked briefly as a stage actor and then turned to production and direction. During his career he worked on
several productions such
The Alchemist,
Cyrano de Bergerac,
The Merry Widow Revue and
The Shrike. He served in the US Army from 1940 to 1946. It is unclear what job he performed in the army, but material found in the collection
suggests he was involved in the Army Service Forces Special Service Division. In 1954, he became the director for Universal-International's
Talent Workshop, a program designed to expand the studio's talent development program. Around 1956 he made the transition
to television and was under contract to ABC, CBS, and NBC. His television credits include:
The Bob Hope Show,
Colgate Comedy Hour,
The Red Button's Show, and
Your Show of Shows, among others. He died May 1961 in New York.
Extent
10.5 linear ft.
(21 boxes)
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. 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
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.