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Guide to the Dan Totheroh papers, 1925-1975
BANC MSS 76/14 c
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Table of contents
Collection Title: Dan Totheroh papers,
Date (inclusive): 1925-1975
Collection Number: BANC MSS 76/14 c
Creator:
Totheroh, Dan
Extent:
Number of containers: 2 boxes, 3 cartons, 17 v., 1 package and 1 oversize folder
Repository: The
Bancroft Library.
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Abstract: Letters written to him; copies and drafts of a few by him; mss. of some of his plays and other writings; biographical information;
programs, publicity material and announcements for plays; contracts; copyrights; royalty statements: scrapbooks; clippings,
etc.
Languages Represented:
English
Collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts
must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft
Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which
must also be obtained by the reader.
[Identification of item], Dan Totheroh papers, BANC MSS 76/14 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
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Photographs transferred to the Bancroft Pictorial Collections
Identifier/Call Number: (BANC PIC 1976.053--PIC and BANC PIC 1977.031)
Dan Totheroh -actor, playwright, director and novelist -was intimately connected with the theater during his entire lifetime.
Born in Oakland in 1894, he wrote his first play in high school and went from there directly onto the professional stage,
acting with Nance O'Neil in stock at the San Francisco Alcazar Theatre. He also began writing vaudeville sketches, toured
the Pantages and Orpheum vaudeville circuits and eventually made his way to New York. After service in World War I, he returned
to the Bay Area, devoted himself to the little theater movement and also took part in productions at the Greek Theatre on
the University of California campus.
In 1922 his play
Wild Birds, having won a prize competition sponsored by the University, was performed at Wheeler Hall on campus under the direction of
Irving Pichel. After a successful run, the production was moved to San Francisco and then to New York, where it met great
critical acclaim, and was chosen as one of the ten best plays of the year in 1925. In succeeding years he wrote steadily,
producing many plays, several novels, including
Deep Valley and
Wild Orchard, and stories for children.
Of his twenty plays, six were produced on Broadway -
Wild Birds,
Live Life Again,
Distant Drums,
Moor Born,
Mother Lode and
Searching for the Sun. Invited to Hollywood to try his hand at script writing, he had a successful career as a scenario writer also, with several
films to his credit, including "The Devil and Daniel Webster" and "The Count of Monte Cristo."
Dividing his time between New York and California, he maintained his interest in the little theater movement and was associated
with the Ramona Pageant, the Pilgrimage Play and other southern California festivals, and, in the northern part of the state,
with the mountain plays staged on Mount Tamalpais, the Cove Players at Tiburon, and the Wharf Theatre at Monterey. Professionally
active to the end, Mr. Totheroh died in December 1976.
He gave this collection of papers to The Bancroft Library in July 1975. It includes correspondence; MSS of some of his plays
and other writings; biographical information; programs, publicity material and announcements for plays; contracts; copyrights;
royalty statements; scrapbooks and clippings. Mr. Totheroh did not systematically save his papers and gave away a great deal
during his lifetime, so the collection is an incomplete documentation of his long, productive career.
The papers are described in greater detail in the Key to Arrangement which follows. Most of the photographs have been removed
from the collection.