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Finding Aid for the William Wolf Melnitz papers, ca. 1920-1989
516  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
  • Restrictions on Access
  • Preferred Citation
  • Biography
  • Scope and Content
  • Related Oral History
  • UCLA Catalog Record ID

  • Title: William Wolf Melnitz papers
    Collection number: 516
    Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 17 linear ft. (1 document box. 11 cartons)
    Date: ca. 1920-1989
    Abstract: William Wolf Melnitz (1900-1989) was a theater director in Europe (1923-1939), a professor in the Theater Arts Department at UCLA (1947-60), author, and the first Dean of the College of Fine Arts at UCLA (1961-67). In 1967/68 he became a Professor of Communications and Director of Performing Arts in the Annenberg School at the University of Pennsylvania and later, a Professor of Theater and Director of the Max Reinhardt Archive at SUNY Binghamton (1969 to 1973). The collection consists of Melnitz's correspondence, research notes, drafts, books and theater reviews, education and employment documents, photos, playbills, production notes, course material, lectures, materials about Max Reinhardt and other material relating to Melnitz's career.
    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.
    Creator: Melnitz, William W.

    Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

    Property rights to the physical object belong to UCLA Library 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.

    Restrictions on Access

    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.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], William Wolf Melnitz Papers (Collection 516). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

    Biography

    William Wolf Melnitz was born in Cologne, Germany on April 14, 1900; he studied Theater Arts at the universities of Cologne and Berlin (1920-23); was director in various German theaters (Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Frankfurt/Main, Kassel, Münster) from ca. 1923 to 1935; then became director in Vienna, Austria (1935-38) and later, director in St. Gallen, Switzerland (1938-39). He emigrated to New York City and married Ruth Alice Beyer Nathanson in 1939, then moved to Los Angeles to work with Max Reinhardt (1941). He started at UCLA as a teaching assistant and lecturer in the Department of Germanic Languages (1942-ca. 1947), then received his MA (1943) and Ph.D. (1947) in German from UCLA. He became instructor, professor and Chair of new Theater Arts Department at UCLA, where he taught courses in theater history, German Expressionism, Brecht, Reinhardt; worked with Kenneth Macgowan to add Film to the Department (1947-61); during this period, he co-authored two plays with Kenneth Macgowan, The living stage (1956) and Golden ages of the theater (1959). He was Acting Dean of the new College of Fine Arts at UCLA in 1960/61 and started the Theatre Group with John Houseman around 1960 as well. From 1961 to 1967 he was the first Dean of the College of Fine Arts, UCLA, which was expanded to include the Dance Department; in 1967/68 he was Professor of Communications and Director of Performing Arts, The Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania; was Professor Emeritus of UCLA in 1968/69 and was Professor of Theater and Director of the Max Reinhardt Archive at SUNY Binghamton from 1969 to 1973. Melnitz died on January 12, 1989.

    Scope and Content

    Collection consists of correspondence, research notes, drafts, books and theater reviews, education and employment documents, photos, playbills, production notes, course material, lectures, materials about Max Reinhardt and other material relating to Melnitz' career as theater director, student, professor, author and university administrator.
    Portions of the collection are in German.

    Related Oral History

    The following oral history is available through the UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research:
    • Scene Change, Role Change [oral history transcript] / William W. Melnitz, interviewee. UCLA Oral History Department interview, 1976. Available at Library Special Collections, UCLA.
    • Interview of William W. Melnitz 

    UCLA Catalog Record ID

    UCLA Catalog Record ID: 4434394 

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Melnitz, William W.--Archives.
    Reinhardt, Max, 1873-1943.
    University of California, Los Angeles--Dept. of Theater Arts--Faculty--Archival resources.
    College administrators--California--Los Angeles--Archival resources.
    Theatrical producers and directors--Archival resources.