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Mark Solomon Papers
WGF-MS-131  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Biography/Administrative History
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Mark Solomon Papers
    Dates: 1964-2015
    Collection Number: WGF-MS-131
    Creator/Collector: Solomon, Mark, 1947-2019
    Extent: 10 linear feet, 9 boxes
    Repository: Writers Guild Foundation Archive
    Los Angeles, California 90048
    Abstract: The Mark Solomon Papers consist of produced and unproduced scripts, sketches, plays, musicals, production materials, newspaper clippings, and music relating to the career of screenwriter and composer Mark Solomon. The bulk of this collection consists of scripts and related materials for television sitcoms including Alice, Grace Under Fire, and Newhart, along with other television programs like Diagnosis Murder, TV movie Spinning Out of Control, unproduced projects and pilots like Ruth Harper, and original music compositions.
    Language of Material: English

    Access

    Available by appointment only.

    Publication Rights

    The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item]. Mark Solomon Papers. Collection Number: WGF-MS-131. Writers Guild Foundation Archive

    Acquisition Information

    Donated by the family of Mark Solomon on 3/28/2022.

    Biography/Administrative History

    Mark Solomon was born on November 1, 1947 in Hartford, Connecticut. While pursuing a Fine Arts degree from the University of Connecticut in the late 1960s, he met writing partner Mark Egan. They moved to Los Angeles together, writing, composing, and performing in plays, musicals, and live comedy revues. Their first big break came in 1974 when comedian Ruth Buzzi bought a sketch called “The Autograph” from their show Wazzat?. Solomon and Egan continued to write sketches for Buzzi and spec scripts for new sitcoms of the time. In 1979, CBS asked them to write a Christmas episode for the sitcom Alice. Solomon and Egan spent the next 6 years writing and producing for Alice. During this time Mark Solomon also met dancer and artist Cary Snur, whom he married in 1982. After Alice ended in 1985, Solomon and Egan worked on unaired pilots like Ruth Harper, and short-lived series like Eisenhower & Lutz. Their next major project was in 1988, when they were brought on as the executive producers and head writers of seasons seven and eight of Newhart. Together with Bob Bendetson, they wrote the series finale episode, “The Last Newhart.” The twist ending received widespread critical and audience acclaim, earning Solomon, Egan, and Bendetson a 1990 Emmy nomination in Outstanding Comedy Writing. Solomon and Egan received a CBS pilot deal for Ruth Harper, which never aired. In 1991, they were also asked by CBS to write the Bob Newhart 19th Anniversary Special. In the mid-90s Mark Egan moved back to Connecticut, leaving Solomon to work as a solo writer. He wrote episodes for Temporarily Yours and Hollywood Off-Ramp, co-executive produced and wrote for season five of Grace Under Fire. He started exploring formats outside of the half-hour sitcom. writing episodes and composing music for seasons seven and eight of Diagnosis Murder. In 2001, he wrote the TV movie Spinning Out of Control for E! Network, which featured Kathie Lee Gifford and Howie Mandel in lead roles. Mark and Cary Solomon retired and moved to Ojai, California, where they remained active and artistic participants in the community. Mark continued to compose music, including the “P.D. Song,” which addressed his own struggles with Parkinson’s Disease. Mark Solomon died on November 6, 2019, at the age of 72.

    Scope and Content of Collection

    The Mark Solomon Papers, 1968-2015, spans the length of Solomon’s professional career and creative output, and is organized into four series. Series I: Produced Projects, 1979-2001 includes scripts from Solomon’s long career as a television writer, along with one TV movie and television special. There are multiple drafts of the scripts; many include handwritten notes. The series also contains production documents, correspondence, photographs, bound scripts, and related newspaper clippings. The scripts by writing partners Mark Egan & Mark Solomon include House Calls, Alice, The Popcorn Kid, Eisenhower & Lutz, Newhart (including scripts of and materials relating to “The Last Newhart”), and Bob Newhart’s 19th Anniversary Special (AKA The Bob Newhart Show: The 19th Anniversary Special AKA the Bob Newhart Show 20th Anniversary Special.) Scripts solely written by Solomon include Temporarily Yours, Grace Under Fire, Hollywood Off-Ramp, Diagnosis Murder, and Spinning Out of Control. This series also contains two notable artifacts: A framed pencil drawing of lobby of the inn on Newhart and a pressed vinyl album with the theme song, given to cast and crew [in original plastic wrap]. Series II: Unproduced Projects, approximately 1964-2007 includes film and television scripts, along with related production documents and correspondence. Unproduced projects by Egan & Solomon include multiple drafts of the pilots Ruth Harper and Girl’s Best Friend; episodes of Alice; spec scripts for Taxi; and revisions for the film The Foreigner. Materials from after Egan’s retirement and Solomon’s solo career include the Jingles and Belz pilot; spec scripts for Mad About You, King of the Hill, and other shows; multiple drafts for the film Dented; the unproduced tv series Hampton Court, and the films The Handy Man and Shangri-La. Series III: Other Projects contains all creative projects that were not scripts for film and television. The series includes playbooks, programs, lyrics and music sheets, contract and payment info, newspaper reviews and advertisements for live shows, and comedy and picture books. The bulk of these materials predate Mark Solomon’s professional screenwriting career. They include: the musicals Faith, The Birds of J. Scott, Nicky and Frill, and Three Chinese Folk Tales; the short play Watch It! Sammy Blum is Bleeding; notebooks with story ideas and loose-leaf papers with song lyrics; post-retirement co-authored projects, including the book Deep Bob and Shallow Mark; and two comedy revues, Whazzat? (1974) and The Glass Banana Hour, the former of which contained the sketch “The Autograph.” Photographs and music of various stage performances can be found in Series IV. Series IV: Audio and Visual, approximately 1971-2015 is made up of 98 cassettes and 35 CDs, the bulk of which contain Mark Solomon’s music compositions for screen, stage, and other unrelated work. The series includes: live music and comedy performances by Mark Solomon; meeting minutes with Howie Mandel; one rough cut of a documentary on Ojai Mardi Gras; Solomon’s interview and performance of “The PD Song” on podcast PDTalk Live; and photographs and live readings of two of Solomon’s post-retirement stage projects and creative endeavors, Three Chinese Folk Tales and Deep Bob and Shallow Mark. Music written for screen includes songs from television shows Alice, Newhart, Diagnosis Murder, and Ruth Harper. Songs include "Ruth Harper Theme," "(Baby) Talk to Me," "I Don't Want to Cry," "Cross that Bridge," "I Was a Jerk," "Two Tootsies From Tucson," "Ramona From Arizona," "I'll Be Sticking Next To You," "Apples, Apples, Apples," “Swan Song,” and "Seein' Double." Lyrics and sheet music can be found in Series I and II.

    Indexing Terms

    Egan, Mark
    Television Scripts
    Audiocassettes
    Sheet music
    Lyrics
    Alice (Television program : 1976-1985)
    Television comedy writers
    Television Writers