Collection of scripts for
Our Miss Brooks, 1950-1956
Finding aid prepared by Processed by UCLA Library Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline
Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1575
(310) 825-4988
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
©2004 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Title: Collection of scripts for
Our Miss Brooks
Collection number: PASC 60
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
4.0 linear ft.
(9 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1950-1956
Abstract:
Our Miss Brooks started on radio in 1948 and was successfully transferred to television beginning in 1952 (it ran on both media, with largely
the same cast, for several months in 1952). The series ended in 1956. The program revolved around Connie Brooks, an English
teacher at Madison High School. Collection consists of radio and television scripts for the series.
Language of Materials: Materials are in English.
Physical Location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Collection of scripts for
Our Miss Brooks (Collection PASC 60). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
History
Beginning on radio in 1948,
Our Miss Brooks was successfully transferred to television beginning in 1952 (it ran on both media, with largely the same cast, for several
months in 1952). Between gentle wisecracks, Miss Brooks doted on nerdish student Walter Denton, and frequently locked horns
with crusty, cranky principal Mr. Conklin. Many of the program's episodes, however, revolved around Miss Brook's unrequited
desire for Philip Boynton, the school's biology teacher.
The program had enjoyed good ratings on radio and only enlarged its audience when it moved to TV. And while some professional
educators criticized the series, others celebrated Miss Brooks and Eve Arden's work: she got teaching job offers, fan letters
from educators, was made an honorary member of the National Education Association and, in 1952, was given an award from the
Alumni Association of the Teachers College of Connecticut for "humanizing the American Teacher." Said Arden of her on-screen
alter ego: "I tried to play Miss Brooks as a loving person who cared about the kids and kept trying to keep them out of trouble,
but kept getting herself in trouble."
Obviously, Miss Brooks encountered enough trouble to sustain the series for over 150 episodes, but, unlike many other female
comics on TV at that time, Miss Brooks' forte was not the wild antics that were the norm of Lucy or the lopsided logic that
was the domain of Gracie Allen. Instead, Miss Brooks humor was achieved by her own sharp, observing wit and by her centered
presence in the midst of a group of eccentric supporting players--dimwitted, squeaky-voiced student Walter, pompous Conklin,
and the others. Miss Brooks was always the source of the jokes, not the butt of them.
In 1955, ratings were beginning to wane, and the series was overhauled. Miss Brooks and Mr. Conklin were moved out of Madison
High to Mrs. Nestor's Private Elementary School. For a time there was no Mr. Boynton for whom Miss Brooks would pine, but
there was a muscle-bound PE teacher, Mr. Talbot, who longed for Miss Brooks. This was an important turnabout in the overall
premise of the show: now Miss Brooks was the pursued rather than the pursuer. (Mr. Boynton did turn up again in early 1956
just in time for the series to be canceled; in a film version of the series released by Warner Brothers in 1956, Miss Brooks
and Mr. Boynton finally did tie the knot and presumably lived happily ever after.) (From
The Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television http://www.museum.tv)
Scope and Content
Collection consists of radio and television scripts for the series
Our Miss Brooks. Includes radio scripts (April 1950-April 1956, numbers 82-336 with some gaps) and television scripts (February 1952-April
1955, numbers 1-100).
Related Material
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Radio scripts.
Television scripts.
Television writers--United States--Archival resources.
Box 1
- ESTIMATING SCRIPT ()
6/27/1955
Box 5
ANGELA'S WEDDING
(no date)
Box 6
AUCTION, THE ()
1/25/1955
Box 1
AUNT MATTIE BOYNTON ()
10/7/1952
Box 6
BASTED SNOWMAN, THE ()
4/19/1955
Box 5
BICYCLE THIEF, THE ()
4/6/1954
Box 1
BIG GAME, THE ()
10/21/1952
Box 6
BIG LEAP, THE ()
4/19/1955
Box 1
BIRTHDAY BAG ()
10/24/1952
Box 6
BLIND DATE, THE ()
2/28/1955
Box 5
BLOOD, SWEAT AND LAUGHS? ()
4/20/1954
Box 1
BLUE GOLDFISH, THE
(no date)
Box 4
BOBBSEY TWINS IN STIR, THE ()
11/24/1953
Box 3
BONES, SON OF CYRANO ()
5/5/1953
Box 4
BROOKS' NEW CAR ()
12/8/1953
Box 2
CAFETERIA STRIKE, THE ()
12/23/1952
Box 3
CAPISTRANO'S REVENGE ()
4/28/1953
Box 6
CHIEN CHAUD, LE ET LE MOUTON NOIR ()
2/15/1955
Box 1
CHRISTMAS SHOW ()
11/11/1952
Box 6
CITIZENS' LEAGUE, THE ()
11/23/1954
Box 3
CLAY CITY CHAPERONE ()
5/26/1953
Box 2
CONKLIN PLAYS DETECTIVE ()
3/24/1953
Box 2
CONKLIN'S LOVE NEST ()
1/16/1953
Box 2
CURE THAT HABIT ()
12/2/1952
Box 3
DAVIS READS TEA LEAVES ()
4/7/1953
Box 4
DO IT YOURSELF ()
12/1/1953
Box 4
DRY SCALP IS BETTER THAN NONE, A ()
1/26/1954
Box 1
EMBEZZLED DRESS, THE ()
10/17/1952
Box 4
ENGLISH TEST, THE ()
1/26/1954
Box 2
FISHER'S PAWN SHOP ()
1/30/1953
Box 5
FOUR LEAF CLOVER ()
11/9/1954
Box 6
GREAT BASEBALL SLIDE, THE ()
3/15/1955
Box 5
HAWKINS TRAVEL AGENCY, THE ()
3/9/1954
Box 4
HELLO MR. CHIPS ()
1/19/1954
Box 1
HOBBY SHOW, THE ()
10/28/1952
Box 4
HOBO JUNGLE, THE ()
12/29/1953
Box 2
HONEST BURGLAR, THE ()
1/23/1953
Box 4
HOSPITAL CAPER ()
11/3/1953
Box 1
HURRICANE, THE ()
11/4/1952
Box 5
JEWEL ROBBERY, THE ()
3/30/1954
Box 4
JOCKEY, THE ()
11/17/1953
Box 5
JUST REMEMBER THE RED RIVER VALLEY ()
3/16/1954
Box 5
LIFE CAN BE BONES ()
4/27/1954
Box 3
LITTLE VISITOR, THE ()
6/2/1953
Box 1
LIVING STATUES ()
11/7/1952
Box 1
LOADED CUSTODIAN, THE ()
10/10/1952
Box 2
LULU, THE PIN UP BOAT ()
2/6/1953
Box 2
MADAME BROOKS DUBARRY ()
2/20/1953
Box 1
MADISON COUNTRY CLUB, THE ()
10/31/1952
Box 2
MARINATED HEARING ()
2/27/1953
Box 5
MISERABLE CABALLERO, THE ()
3/2/1954
Box 2
MODEL TEACHER, THE ()
12/16/1952
Box 2
MONSIEUR LE BLANCHE ()
11/25/1952
Box 6
MR. FARGO'S WHISKERS ()
3/8/1955
Box 6
NOODNICK, DAUGHTER OF MEDIC ()
11/30/1954
Box 5
NOVELIST, THE ()
11/2/1954
Box 3
OH, 'DEM GOLDEN SLIPPERS. ()
10/20/1953
Box 5
OLD AGE PLAN ()
3/23/1954
Box 2
OLD MARBLEHEAD ()
12/9/1952
Box 4
PARLOR GAME, THE ()
1/12/1954
Box 2
PET SHOP, THE ()
11/18/1952
Box 3
PHONE BOOK FOLLIES ()
9/22/1953
Box 1
PLAY-ACTS MRS. BOYNTON FOR A DAY ()
11/14/1952
Box 4
POSTAGE DUE ()
11/10/1953
Box 3
PUBLIC PROPERTY ON PARADE
(no date)
Box 6
PUBLIC SPEAKER'S NIGHTMARE ()
12/21/1954
Box 6
RETURN OF RED SMITH ()
2/8/1955
Box 6
SAFARI O'TOOLE ()
12/14/1954
Box 4
SECOND HAND FIRST AID ()
2/9/1954
Box 5
SPACE, WHO NEEDS IT?
(no date)
Box 3
SPARE THE ROD ()
5/12/1953
Box 1
STOLEN AERIAL, THE
(no date)
Box 3
STOLEN WARDROBE, THE ()
4/14/1953
Box 6
STUFFED GOPHER, THE ()
12/7/1954
Box 2
SUSY PRENTISS ()
3/13/1953
Box 3
THANKSGIVING SHOW ()
9/29/1953
Box 6
THIS IS YOUR PAST ()
3/29/1955
Box 3
TRIAL BY JURY ()
5/19/1953
Box 6
TURNABOUT DAY ()
3/22/1955
Box 5
TWO-WAY STRETCH SNODGRASS ()
5/4/1954
Box 5
VAN GOGH, MAN, GOGH
(no date)
Box 6
WEIGHING MACHINE, THE ()
1/11/1955
Box 4
WILD GOOSE, THE ()
1/5/1954
Box 2
YODAR KRITCH AWARD THE ()
2/13/1953
