Finding Aid for the Spade Cooley papers, 1940-1970

Series 1: Photographs. 1900-1970.

Scope and Content

This series consists of personal and professional photographs, both in black and white and color. The personal photographs depict Cooley and his family, as well as various properties and vacations. The professional photographs include images of Cooley with other individuals; images of guest artists performing with his band and on his television show; and professional portraits of Cooley himself. There is one box of oversized photographs.

Box 1, Folder 1

Personal (1 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 1, Folder 2

Personal (2 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 1, Folder 3

Personal: Albums, Demolition, Family. 1910-1970.

Box 1, Folder 4

Professional: Cooley and Others (1 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 1, Folder 5

Professional: Cooley and Others (2 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 1, Folder 6

Professional: Guest Artists (1 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 1, Folder 7

Professional: Guest Artists (2 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 1, Folder 8

Professional: Portraits (1 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 1, Folder 9

Professional: Portraits (2 of 2). 1940-1960.

Box 24

Oversize Photographs: Personal, Professional. 1948-1061.

Series 2: Career Materials. 1930-1970.

Scope and Content

This series comprises a range of materials from Cooley’s career in film, music, radio, and television: agreements and contracts; audio recordings in various formats; business correspondence; joke, lyric, and song sheets; personnel and production documents; publicity and promotional materials; and a variety of scripts and script fragments from film, radio, and television projects.

Organization and Arrangement

Creative documents relating to Cooley’s career in film, radio, and television are arranged alphabetically by subject at the beginning of the series, followed by administrative documents, also arranged alphabetically.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Formats include 3 ¼” reel, 5" reel, 7" reel (1/4" tape), 8-track audio cartridge, grooved discs.

Box 2, Folder 1

Jokes. 1948-1959.

Box 2, Folder 2

Lyric Sheets. 1940-1960.

Box 2, Folder 3

Production Documents. 1948-1959.

Box 2, Folder 4

Scripts: Film: "Go West". 1930-1970.

Box 2, Folder 5

Scripts: Film: "Outlaws of the Rockies". 1945.

Box 2, Folder 6

Scripts: Radio. 1940-1959.

Box 2, Folder 7

Scripts: Television: "Hoffman Hayride". 1948-1959.

Box 2, Folder 8

Scripts: Television: Lotta Chatter (1 of 4). 1948-1959.

Box 2, Folder 9

Scripts: Television: Lotta Chatter (2 of 4). 1948-1959.

Box 2, Folder 10

Scripts: Television: Lotta Chatter (3 of 4). 1948-1959.

Box 2, Folder 11

Scripts: Television: Lotta Chatter (4 of 4). 1948-1959.

Box 2, Folder 12

Scripts: Television: Other Shows. 1947-1951.

Box 2, Folder 13

Scripts: Television: "Spade Cooley Show" 1-2. 1951.

Box 2, Folder 14

Scripts: Television: "Spade Cooley Show" 3-4. 1951.

Box 3, Folder 1

Scripts: Television: "Spade Cooley Show" 5-6. 1951.

Box 3, Folder 2

Scripts: Television: "Spade Cooley Show" 7-8. 1951.

Box 3, Folder 3

Scripts: Television: "Spade Cooley Show" 9-10. 1951.

Box 3, Folder 4

Script Fragments (1 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 3, Folder 5

Script Fragments (2 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 3, Folder 6

Script Fragments (3 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 3, Folder 7

Script Fragments (4 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 3, Folder 8

Script Fragments (5 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 3, Folder 9

Song Lists (1 of 4). 1942-1944.

Box 3, Folder 10

Song Lists (2 of 4). 1945-1946.

Box 3, Folder 11

Song Lists (3 of 4). 1945-1946.

Box 3, Folder 12

Song Lists (4 of 4). 1955-1957.

Box 4, Folder 1

Agreements, Contracts, Royalties. 1953-1961.

Box 4, Folder 2

Business Correspondence. 1953-1962.

Box 4, Folder 3

Personnel Documents. 1955-1956.

Box 4, Folder 4

Publicity, Promotions. 1940-1960.

Box 25

8-Track Audio Cartridge (1), Grooved Discs - 7" diameter (52), 1/4" Open Reel Audio Tape - 3 1/4" diameter (1), 1/4" Open Reel Audio Tape - 5" diameter (3), 1/4" Open Reel Audio Tape - 7" diameter (15). 1930-1970.

Series 3: Personal Materials. 1910-1970.

Scope and Content

This series consists of all documents not directly connected to Cooley’s entertainment career. This includes business and financial documents from his “Water Wonderland” park project, as well as financial documents and records of a more personal nature, and documents relating to the estate of his second wife, Ella May Cooley. There is also assorted personal memorabilia such as a scrapbook, materials from his son, and awards and other honors, including a key to the City of Santa Monica. There is also correspondence Cooley received while in prison.

Box 4, Folder 5

Business Documents (1 of 3). 1961-1967.

Box 4, Folder 6

Business Documents (2 of 3). 1967.

Box 4, Folder 7

Business Documents (3 of 3). 1967-1969.

Box 4, Folder 8

Financial Documents. 1940-1969.

Box 5, Folder 1

Correspondence (1 of 6). 1955-1961.

Box 5, Folder 2

Correspondence (2 of 6). 1961.

Box 5, Folder 3

Correspondence (3 of 6). 1961-1963.

Box 5, Folder 4

Correspondence (4 of 6). 1961-1963.

Box 5, Folder 5

Correspondence (5 of 6). 1961-1963.

Box 5, Folder 6

Correspondence (6 of 6). 1961-1963.

Box 5, Folder 7

Estate of Ella May Cooley. 1963.

Box 5, Folder 8

Memorabilia (1 of 2). 1910-1970.

Box 5, Folder 9

Memorabilia (2 of 2). 1910-1970.

Box 26

Awards (2), Certificates (2). 1951-1954.

Box 27

Awards (4). 1950-1958.

Box 28

Awards (4), Badges (5), Key to the City of Santa Monica (1), Toy gun (1). 1949-1955.

Box 29

Flintridge Country Club Scrapbook, Violin Method Book. 1910-1970.

Series 4: Newspaper Clippings. 1948-1962.

Scope and Content

This series mainly consists of newspaper clippings from the summer of 1961, following Cooley’s murder trial. Most of these clippings were collected and labeled by Allen’s Press Clipping Bureau, but there are several folders of clippings of unknown origin, and a folder of clippings from prior to 1961.

Box 5, Folder 10

Miscellaneous. 1948-1960.

Box 6, Folder 1

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 6, Folder 2

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 6, Folder 3

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 6, Folder 4

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 6, Folder 5

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 6, Folder 6

Murder Trial. 1961-1962.

Box 7, Folder 1

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 7, Folder 2

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 7, Folder 3

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 7, Folder 4

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 7, Folder 5

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 7, Folder 6

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 8, Folder 1

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 8, Folder 2

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 8, Folder 3

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 8, Folder 4

Murder Trial. 1961.

Box 8, Folder 5

Murder Trial. 1961.

Series 5: Sheet Music. 1910-1970.

Scope and Content

This series consists of sheet music and handwritten manuscripts from the folders of several musicians from Cooley’s band (Bob, El & Lee, Gus, Joe, Lon, Muddy, Paul, and Wally) as well as Cooley’s own printed and handwritten musical documents, giving an interesting, if incomplete, look at how Cooley created and rehearsed music with his band.

Organization and Arrangement

Cooley’s handwritten musical documents (manuscripts and orchestrations, as well as an index of the some nine hundred odd songs contained in his musicians’ folders) and several folders of unsorted parts are grouped at the beginning of the series, and the rest of the music is arranged alphabetically by musician’s first name or nickname. The folders labeled "El" and "Lee" (the trumpet parts) were received in the same box. It was unclear whose music was whose, so they have been foldered together.

Box 9, Folder 1

Index. 1948-1959.

Box 9, Folder 2

Manuscripts (1 of 6). 1935-1960.

Box 9, Folder 3

Manuscripts (2 of 6). 1935-1960.

Box 9, Folder 4

Manuscripts (3 of 6). 1935-1960.

Box 9, Folder 5

Manuscripts (4 of 6). 1935-1960.

Box 9, Folder 6

Manuscripts (5 of 6). 1935-1960.

Box 9, Folder 7

Manuscripts (6 of 6). 1935-1960.

Box 9, Folder 8

Music Clearance Binder. 1930-1960.

Box 9, Folder 9

Orchestrations. 1958-1959.

Box 9, Folder 10

Vocal Scores (1 of 2). 1910-1960.

Box 9, Folder 11

Vocal Scores (2 of 2). 1910-1960.

Box 10, Folder 1

"Bob" Saxophone (1 of 2). 1948-1959.

Box 10, Folder 2

"Bob" Saxophone (2 of 2). 1948-1959.

Box 10, Folder 3

Unsorted (1 of 4). 1910-1970.

Box 10, Folder 4

Unsorted (2 of 4). 1910-1970.

Box 10, Folder 5

Unsorted (3 of 4). 1910-1970.

Box 10, Folder 6

Unsorted (4 of 4). 1910-1970.

Box 10, Folder 7

Unsorted: Reed Parts (1 of 3). 1948-1959.

Box 10, Folder 8

Unsorted: Reed Parts (2 of 3). 1948-1959.

Box 10, Folder 9

Unsorted: Reed Parts (3 of 3). 1948-1959.

Box 11, Folder 1

"Bob" Saxophone (1 of 2). 1948-1959.

Box 11, Folder 2

"Bob" Saxophone (2 of 2). 1948-1959.

Box 11, Folder 3

"El and Lee" Trumpet (1 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 11, Folder 4

"El and Lee" Trumpet (2 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 11, Folder 5

"El and Lee" Trumpet (3 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 11, Folder 6

"El and Lee" Trumpet (4 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 11, Folder 7

"El and Lee" Trumpet (5 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 1

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 2

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 3

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 4

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 5

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 6

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 7

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 8

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 12, Folder 9

"El and Lee" Trumpet. 1948-1959.

Box 13, Folder 1

"El and Lee" Trumpet (1 of 2). 1948-1959.

Box 13, Folder 2

"El and Lee" Trumpet (2 of 2). 1948-1959.

Box 13, Folder 3

"Gus" Saxophone (1 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 13, Folder 4

"Gus" Saxophone (2 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 13, Folder 5

"Gus" Saxophone (3 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 13, Folder 6

"Gus" Saxophone (4 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 13, Folder 7

"Gus" Saxophone (5 of 5). 1948-1959.

Box 14, Folder 1