Frank Telford Papers, ca. 1938-ca. 1984

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Telford, Frank
Abstract:
Frank Telford was best known as radio and television writer, producer, and director. The collection consists mostly of scripts for a variety of radio and television projects and as well as a small number of film related projects in which he was involved.
Extent:
10 boxes (4.75 linear ft) 1 flat box
Language:
Collection materials in English
Preferred citation:

Frank Telford Papers(Collection 303). Performing Arts Special Collections, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of materials related to the career of radio and television writer, producer, and director Frank Telford. The collection includes script material and concepts, a small amount of printed materials, a small number of photographs, and a small amount of what appears to be writings by others that were submitted to Telford. The script materials and concepts document Telford's involvement in radio, television, and motion pictures. The radio projects include scripts for You Can't Do Business With Hitler (ca. 1940s) and the Molle Mystery Theatre (1947-48). The television materials include scripts from programs including, Chips (1979-81), Hawaii Five-O (1979), Ironside (1970-71), Mannix (1969-74), Police Woman (1975-1977), and the Dumont television network series The Stranger (1954-55), among others. Additionally there are concepts (outlines) for projects that may have been unproduced. The motion picture projects include a small number of concept outlines and scripts for what appears to be unproduced as well as produced projects including, Hello Down There and Project Saucer (believed to have been released as Bamboo Saucer). The printed material includes press clippings related to Telford and/or projects with which he was involved. There are also a small number of unidentified photographs that appear to be related to television or radio projects; a very small amount of correspondence; and Telford's proposal for a book of cartoons satirizing politics. Also included are a small amount of writings by others which appear to have been submitted to Telford including a book manuscript titled, The Eye In The Emerald believed to have been written by John Telford.

Biographical / historical:

Frank Telford was born on February 2, 1915. He earned a BA in speech at Wayne University and produced a radio adaptation of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities to earn an MA (1938). He got his start in entertainment during WWII as a writer/combat correspondent for NBC and Life Magazine. In 1941, Telford received a grant from the government to produce the weekly radio program You Can't Do Business With Hitler. Through the 1940s Telford was active in writing, producing, and directing numerous radio programs including Crime Acts, Mollie Mystery Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse, and The Whistler.

Telford moved to television in 1954 as director of The Stranger, a weekly program that aired on the Dumont Television Network. In 1959, he produced the television series The Virginians, and The Wide Country. Additionally, he worked for NBC on the television series The Outlaws and The Americans, for which he won a Golden Mike Award in 1961. In 1968, Telford made the transition to motion pictures, writing and producing the film The Bamboo Saucer and later co-authoring the screenplay for Hello Down There (1969).

The 1970s and 1980s proved to be Telford's most prolific period of writing for television. During this time Telford wrote scripts for a number of popular television series including Chips, Gemini Man, Hawaii Five-O, Ironside, Mannix, Murphy Brown, Police Woman, and The Young Rebels. He also served as the executive story editor for Joe Forrester and Wonder Woman. Telford died of cancer in Los Angeles, CA on May 19, 1987.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into the following series:

  • Series 1. Book Project
  • Series 2. Correspondence
  • Series 3. Motion Picture Projects
  • Series 4. Photographs
  • Series 5. Printed Materials
  • Series 6. Radio Projects
  • Series 7. Stage Projects
  • Series 8. Television Projects
  • Series 9. Writings Submitted to Telford

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

Frank Telford Papers(Collection 303). Performing Arts Special Collections, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
Website