Guide to the Frederick Schiller Faust Papers
Processed by John Hawk; completed by Mary Morganti
The Bancroft Library
© 1996
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
bancref@library.berkeley.edu
Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: Frederick Schiller Faust Papers
Creator:
Faust, Frederick Schiller, 1892-1944
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS C-H 69
Physical Description:
5.85 linear feet
(5 boxes and 3 cartons)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1910-1992
Date (bulk): 1911-1944
Abstract: Consists of Frederick Schiller Faust's personal and family correspondence, and working papers, spanning his career from the
1910s to his death in 1944, as well as posthumous reviews, articles, and biogrphical studies. The bulk of the collection concerns
Faust's writings, and includes prose, poetry, and screenplays, along with notes and notebooks. Includes biographical material
gathered and written by Robert Olney Easton, Faust's son-in-law, as well as correspondence between John Schoolcraft, Leonard
Bacon, and Easton, 1944-1975. Included among letters of condolence to Faust's wife Dorothy are reminiscences of Faust by Carl
Brandt, Cass Canfield, Walter Morris Hart, and Grace Flandreau. Also includes Schoolcraft's typescript, The Fabulous Faust
: His Life and Letters, and annotated mockups of The Fabulous Faust Fan-Zine, edited by Darrell C. Richardson. Also includes
a small group of papers of Dorothy Faust, containing family letters and correspondence with publishers.
Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language of Material: English .
Access
Collection open for research.
Acquisition Information
The Frederick Schiller Faust papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Dorothy Faust in 1955, with additions by Faust's
son-in-law, Robert Easton in 1970, 1972, 1988, and 1993.
Biography
FAUST, FREDERICK SCHILLER (May 29, 1892-May 12, 1944), poet and popular author, better known as "Max Brand," was born in Seattle,
Washington, the second child of Gilbert Leander Faust and his third wife, Elizabeth Uriel, of (respectively) German and Irish
background. Faust's father was a lawyer, land speculator, bank president, and lumber-mill owner in Seattle and in California.
Faust's mother died when he was eight; his father died five years later. On his own at thirteen, Faust lived and worked on
a succession of farms and ranches in central California and attended nineteen different public schools. In 1911, after graduating
from Modesto (Calif.) High School, Faust entered the University of California. Although his major was social science, he was
active as the editor of the
Pelican, a campus humor magazine; he also served on the staff of the
Occident, and the 1915 yearbook. Faust left the University during his senior year. Over the next two years he worked on a Honolulu
newspaper, served short terms in the Canadian and American armies, contracted influenza -which left him with a weak heart
-and tried to make a living by writing. On May 29, 1917 he married Dorothy Shillig. They had three children: Jane, John Frederick,
and Judith Anne. Faust sold his first stories to
All-Story Weekly, and
Argosy, magazines in 1917 under the pseudonym "Max Brand." Two years later his first novel,
The Untamed, launched him upon the career which eventually earned him the title "The King of the Pulp Writers." His novels and stories
were so successful that he purchased the Villa Negli Ulivi in Florence, where he lived from 1926 to 1938. He then became a
writer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Brothers studios, adapting his own works for motion picture production (most notably
the
Dr. Kildare series) and working on scenarios for other movies. In 1944 he became a war correspondent for
Harper's. That May, at the age of fifty-one, he was killed in action in the assault on Santa Maria Infante, Italy. Faust was one of
the most prolific American writers. It has been estimated that he published more than 30,000,000 words during his lifetime,
the equivalent of at least 400 full-length books; and he reportedly left 15 additional novels in manuscript form. He wrote
both prose and poetry. His work covered many genres: westerns, historical romances, spy thrillers, mysteries, and poetry.
Though best known as "Max Brand," Faust signed at least eighteen pen-names to his writing, including "George Challis," "Evan
Evans," "George Owen Baxter," "David Manning," "Peter Henry Morland," "Frederick Frost," and "Walter C. Butler."(excerpted
from
Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement Three 1941-1945 New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973; p. 264)
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Frederick Schiller Faust Papers, BANC MSS C-H 69, The Bancroft Library, University of California,
Berkeley.
Scope and Content
The Frederick Schiller Faust Papers consist of Faust's personal and working papers, spanning his career from the 1910s to
his death in 1944, as well as posthumous reviews, articles, and biographical studies which were gathered by his family as
late as 1992.
The bulk of the collection concerns Faust's writings, and includes prose, poetry, and screenplays by Faust. While much of
the prose is in the form of photocopies of published works, Faust's poems present a fuller representation of his unpublished
works, and many are in draft form. His writings are supplemented extensively by notes and notebooks, which provide insight
to Faust's plots, story sketches, and dialogue. In addition to John Schoolcraft's work on Faust's life, are collected reviews,
articles, and fanzines, along with biographical material gathered and written by Robert Olney Easton.
Faust's personal and family papers includes an extensive group of letters written to his wife, Dorothy, providing insight
to Faust's personality, thoughts, and family life. Among the family's personal papers are several reminiscences and letters
of condolence and Faust's military service records, wedding and obituary documents. Finally, a small group of personal papers
of Dorothy Faust consists of family letters, correspondence with publishers, and a personal miscellany.
Materials Cataloged Separately
- Printed materials have been transferred to the book collection of The Bancroft Library.
- Photographs have been transferred to Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library.
Publication Rights
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction
of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions,
privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond
that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies
Series 1: Personal Correspondence,
1915-1944
Physical Description: Box 1, folders 1-13
Scope and Contents
Contains primarily outgoing correspondence, with some incoming correspondence interfiled.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically, and then chronologically.
box 1, folder 1
Miscellaneous, A-Z, including
1916-1940
box 1, folder 2
Davis, Robert H. (Robert Hobart), 1869-1942
1917
box 1, folder 6
Greely, Florence
1932-1935
box 1, folder 7
Hart, Walter Morris, 1872-
1931-1941
box 1, folder 8
McLean, Pinckney
1939-1944
box 1, folder 10
Norton, Daniel Silas, 1908-1951
1934-1940
box 1, folder 12
Saxton, Gene, and Canfield, Cass, 1897-
1940
box 1, folder 13
Tillson, Adele Downey
1924
Series 2: Family Correspondence
1918-1944
Physical Description: Box 1, folders 14-21; Boxes 2-3
Scope and Contents
Letters sent consist of those written by Faust to his wife, Dorothy. Letters received are from Faust's son-in-law, Robert
Olney Easton.
Arrangement
Divided into two sub-series: letters sent and letters received.
box 1, folder 14-21
Letters to Dorothy
1918-1919
box 2, folder 5-16
Letters to Dorothy
1928-1933
box 2, folder 17-21
Letters to Dorothy
1936-1937
box 3, folder 1-6
Letters to Dorothy
1938-1939
box 3, folder 13
Letters to Dorothy
approximately 1918-1930
Physical Description: [typed transcripts]
box 3, folder 14
Letters to John Faust
1933-1941
box 3, folder 15-16
Letters to Jane Faust and Robert Easton
1939-1943
Letters Received,
1941-1942
box 3, folder 17
Letters from Robert Olney Easton
1941-1942
Series 3: Writings,
approximately 1910-1974
Physical Description: Carton 1; Carton 2, folders 1-16
Scope and Contents
Contains copies of published materials as well as materials in typescript or draft form.
Arrangement
Divided into three sub-series: Prose, Poetry, and Plays and Screenplays; arranged alphabetically by title.
carton 1, folder 1
After April
June 10, 1944
Physical Description: title: Saturday Evening Post
carton 1, folder 2
Casanova
Undated
Physical Description: (sketch for film studio)
carton 1, folder 3
The Collector
Undated
Physical Description: (typescript of article)
carton 1, folder 4
Explaining Margot
December 1933
Physical Description: title: Corner Magazine
carton 1, folder 5
The Fate of Llewellyn Cadmon
June 1911
Physical Description: (photocopy)
carton 1, folder 6
I am the Emperor
June 1911
Physical Description: (photocopy)
carton 1, folder 7
John Ovington
July 1974
General
(published in
Argosy )
carton 1, folder 8
The King is Dead
1910
Physical Description: (photocopy of typescript)
carton 1, folder 9
The King is Dead
1910
Physical Description: (photocopy of published form)
carton 1, folder 10-11
Some Doubted
Undated
Physical Description: (typescript)
carton 1, folder 12-13
The Squadron
approximately 1943-1944
Physical Description: (typescript)
carton 1, folder 14
We Are Going Home
1940
Physical Description: (photocopy from 25th Reunion, Class of 1915, University of California)
carton 1, folder 15
Wycherly (Civil War)
Undated
Physical Description: (typescript)
carton 1, folder 18
Dionysus in Hades
1933
Physical Description: (mock-up and reviews)
carton 1, folder 23
Tristan and Iseult
Undated
Physical Description: (typescript)
carton 1, folder 24
The Wonderful Maid
1916
General
(published in
The Bang )
carton 1, folder 25-26
Miscellaneous poems, A-Z
Undated
carton 2, folder 1-3
Drafts of poems
Undated
Physical Description: (untitled)
carton 2, folder 13
Poems published in
The Occident
approximately 1916
Physical Description: [copyprints]
carton 2, folder 14
The Conspirators
June 7, 1943
Physical Description: (screenplay)
carton 2, folder 15
The Prophet
Undated
Physical Description: (typescript)
carton 2, folder 16
Rimini
Undated
Physical Description: (typescript)
Series 4: Notes and Notebooks,
1934-1944 & Undated
Physical Description: Carton 2, folders 17-26; Carton 3, folders 1-4; Box 4
Scope and Contents
Working notes relating to various topics and projects. Several notebooks contain dialogue and vocabulary notes, with typed
notecards and small pocket notebooks in Box 4.
carton 1, folder 17
Notes on
The Tempest
May 1942
carton 1, folder 18
War notes
approximately 1942-1944
carton 1, folder 19-21
Notes - miscellany
Undated
carton 1, folder 22
Notebook: dialogue
Undated
carton 1, folder 23
Notebook:
Early California,
Dogs, and
The Lost San Saba Mines
Undated
carton 1, folder 24
Notebook:
Gypsies,
Hoboes, and
Montana
Undated
carton 1, folder 25
Notebook:
Silk,
Woolen and Worsted Glossary,
Weaves,
Lace and Embroidery, and
Printing
Undated
carton 1, folder 26
Notebook: [story sketches]
Undated
Series 5: Biographical Material,
1915-1992
Physical Description: Carton 3, folders 5-27
Scope and Contents
Contains bibliographies, articles and reviews, fanzines, and biographies, as well as correspondence, notes, and reminiscences
collected by Faust's biographers, John Schoolcraft and Robert Olney Easton.
carton 3, folder 5
Bibliographies
approximately 1948
carton 3, folder 6
Collected Reviews
1919-1992
carton 3, folder 7-8
Magazine articles and reviews
1915-1987
carton 3, folder 9-12
The Fabulous Faust fanzines
1948-1951
Physical Description: (annotated mockups)
General
(Vol. 1, Nos. 1-3 ; Vol. 2, No. 1)
carton 3, folder 13-16
The Fabulous Faust: His Life and Letters by John Schoolcraft
approximately 1955
Physical Description: (typescript)
carton 3, folder 17
Robert Olney Easton,
Unforgettable 'Max Brand'
1982-1985
carton 3, folder 18
Letters sent to John Schoolcraft and Leonard Bacon, including
1916-1950
carton 3, folder 19
Correspondence between John Schoolcraft and Leonard Bacon
1944-1951
carton 3, folder 20
Correspondence between John Schoolcraft and Robert Easton
1944-1975
carton 3, folder 21
Letters sent to Robert Easton, including
1944-1975
carton 3, folder 22
Reminiscences sent to John Schoolcraft and Leonard Bacon, including
approximately 1944-1951
carton 3, folder 23
Reminiscences, miscellaneous, including
1944-1949
carton 3, folder 24
Reviews of Robert Olney Easton's
Max Brand, The Big "Westerner"
1970
carton 3, folder 25
Max Brand stories made into film
1918-1959
carton 3, folder 26
Magazine articles, clippings re television shows
1963-1977
carton 3, folder 27
Robert Olney Easton's notes for
Max Brand
1965-1968
Series 6: Personal and Family Papers,
1915-1992
Physical Description: Box 5
Scope and Contents
Letters of condolence and reminiscences sent to Dorothy Faust and other family members. Also contains a small group of Faust's
personal papers, including a diary, letters of introduction, and military, wedding, and obituary documents. Personal papers
of Dorothy Faust, 1932-1952, include family letters to George Winthrop "Dixie" Fish, correspondence with Faust's publishers,
and a personal miscellany.
box 5, folder 1
Reminiscences and letters of condolence to Dorothy, including
1944-1949
box 5, folder 2
Reminiscences and letters of condolence to family members, including
1944-1992
George Winthrop "Dixie" Fish
box 5, folder 4
Military service records
1915-1916
box 5, folder 5
Wedding announcement and marriage license
1917
box 5, folder 6
Letters of introduction, including
1944
Henry M. Snevily, North American Newspaper Alliance
Robert A. Lovett [to Cass Canfield]
box 5, folder 7
Biographical miscellany
1918-1944
box 5, folder 9-13
Letters to George Winthrop "Dixie" Fish from John, Jane, and Dorothy
1932-1945
box 5, folder 14
Dorothy Faust correspondence with publishers
1944-1952
box 5, folder 15
The Cruise of the "Afros" in the Southern Aegean, April-May 1931 by Dino Spranger, with letter of transmittal to Dorothy Faust
1951
box 5, folder 16
Dorothy Faust personal miscellany
approximately 1940