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Louis Frizzell Jr. Collection
2008.81  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
Louis (Lou) Frizzell Jr. was a drama teacher at Manzanar during WWII, and later a character actor in Hollywood. The collection documents Frizzell's time as a teacher at Manzanar. This collection contains photo albums, a 1943-1944 yearbook, photographs, correspondence, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, and a play script.
Background
Louis Frizzell Jr. was born June 10, 1920 in Missouri. He volunteered to teach at Manzanar War Relocation Center after his graduation from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1942, and remained there until the Manzanar's closure in 1945. As musical director, Frizzell helped the students of Manzanar High School stage plays, including a play of his own composition entitled 'Loud and Clear'. Bruce Kaji and Archie Miyatake were among the students who remembered Frizzell fondly. Frizzell is the subject of the short film 'The Music Man of Manzanar', released in 2005 by Brian Tadashi Maeda. Frizzell pursued an acting career after leaving Manzanar, and portrayed himself in the film adaptation of 'Farewell to Manzanar'. He passed away on June 17, 1979, in Los Angeles.
Extent
1 linear foot (1 box)
Restrictions
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Collections Management and Access Unit at the Japanese American National Museum (collections@janm.org).
Availability
By appointment only. Please contact the Collections Management and Access Unit (collections@janm.org). Advanced notice is required.