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Finding Aid for the Albert Lewin papers, 1938-1991
314
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Title: Albert Lewin papers
Date (inclusive): 1938-1991
Collection number: 314
Creator: Lewin, Albert E.
Extent: 53 boxes (26.5 linear feet)7 shoe boxes (3 linear ft.)
Abstract: Albert E. Lewin was a comedy writer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1990s. His numerous credits include a mixture
of productions from radio, television, motion pictures, and stage. The collection consists of script and production files
as well as small amount of business files, correspondence, sound recordings and printed material related to his career.
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.
Audio materials in this collection are restricted and require advance notice for use.
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], Albert Lewin papers (Collection 314). Performing Arts Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
Albert E. Lewin was born on July 29, 1916 in New York City, New York. Lewin attended the Art Institute of Chicago and Los
Angeles Valley College. He developed an early interest in comedy writing working as a cartoonist and comic artist for Colliers,
Satevepost, and other magazines. He began writing for radio in 1938, writing jokes for
Billy House's Wrigley Laughliner on the Columbia network. He contributed to radio programs working with a variety of talent including Don Ameche, Edgar Bergen
and Charlie McCarthy, Bing Crosby, Victor Borge, Tommy Riggs, Judy Canova, Ransom Sherman, Charles Ruggles, Carmen Miranda,
Greer Garson, and Martha Raye among others. During World War II, Lewin served in the military and fought in France and Germany
for five and a half months. He then served with the American Forces Network of the Armed Forces Radio Service where he wrote
and directed programs with Mickey Rooney, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. Following the war he continued working in radio contributing
to shows such as
The Eddie Cantor Show,
The Chase and Sanborn Program,
Scattergood Baines, and
The Tommy Riggs Show, among others.
He had a prolific writing career for television including credits for the series
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre,
The Brady Bunch,
Diff'rent Strokes,
Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre,
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir,
The Good Guys,
My Favorite Martian, and
The Odd Couple, among others. Additionally, he was involved in made for TV movie productions including
Coffee, Tea, or Me. His motion picture credits include
Eight on the Lam,
Alice in Wonderland,
Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz,
I Will, I Will...For Now, and
Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!, among others. Lewin also co-wrote two books including
The Glass Bed and two plays including
The Gift Horse. He often collaborated with Norman Panama and Burt Styler on writing projects. Albert E. Lewin died of congestive heart
failure in Los Angeles, CA, on April 23, 1996, he was 79.
The collection consists of materials documenting the career of comedy writer, Albert E. Lewin. Included in the collection
are writings for radio, television, motion pictures, and stage projects as well as a book project in which Lewin was involved.
Additionally, there is a small amount of business files, correspondence, sound recordings, printed material, and memorabilia
from the 63rd Infantry Division, Lewin's former Army unit. The radio related writings include a mixture of complete and
partial scripts, sketches, segments, and ideas for radio programs, such as the
Armed Forces Radio Service productions featuring Bing Crosby and Edgar Bergen,
The Chase and Sanborn Program,
Play Broadcast,
Scattergood Baines, and
The Tommy Riggs Show, among others. The writings for motion picture projects include scripts along with a small quantity of production information
for produced and unproduced film projects such as
Alice in Wonderland, and
I Will, I Will...For Now, among others. Of particular note are writings documenting Lewin's association with Bob Hope, including
Boy, Did I Get a Wrong Number!,
Eight on the Lam, and
I'll Take Sweden. The book project writings contain files for
The Glass Bed, a novel that was adapted from an unproduced motion picture screenplay by Lewin and Norman Panama titled
Hollywood and Vine.
The television writings include a mixture of complete and partial scripts, notes, story ideas, monologues, outlines, treatments,
and occasional production information for television features and episodic series such as
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre,
The Brady Bunch,
Diff'rent Strokes,
The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre,
Facts of Life,
The Ghost an Mrs. Muir, and
My Favorite Martian, among others. The stage projects' writings include a mixture of complete and partial play scripts, notes, and ideas for
The Gift Horse and
Trashman. Additionally, there is a small portion of unidentified writings believed related to motion picture, radio, television, or
other projects for which the production status and Lewin's involvement are unknown and a gag file containing handwritten
jokes or one-liners compiled and possibly written by Lewin.
Also included in the collection is a very small amount of fragmentary records documenting business dealings related to Lewin's
career as well as small quantity of correspondence. There are a small number of
home recorded cassette tapes and audio reels of meetings and/or phone conversations created by Lewin and related to a various
projects in which he was involved. There are also press clippings mentioning Lewin or the projects he was involved. Additionally,
the collection contains a small number of items relating to Lewin's service in the 63rd Infantry Division. Along with Lewin's
papers are a holograph manuscript of a publication titled
Little Billy Boat and a press clipping related to his wife, Esther Lewin.
Arranged in the following series:
- Radio projects
- Motion picture projects
- Television projects
- Stage productions
- Gag files
- Book projects
- Unidentified projects
- Business files
- Correspondence
- Printed materials
- Sound recordings
- 63rd Infantry Division service
- Esther Lewin papers
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Lewin, Albert E. -- (Albert Elmar) -- Archives.
Television comedy writers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources.
Radio comedy writers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources.
Television scripts.
Radio scripts.