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Perkins (Kenneth) Papers
BANC MSS 2015/209
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Contributing Institution:
The Bancroft Library
Title: Kenneth Perkins papers
Creator:
Perkins, Kenneth, 1890-1951
Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 2015/209
Physical Description:
11 linear feet
(3 cartons, 11 boxes, 14 oversize boxes, 2 cardfile boxes)
Date (inclusive): approximately 1913-1959
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Language of Material:
English
.
Collection is open to researchers.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Kenneth Taylor Perkins papers were gifted to The Bancroft Library by Janet Gail Gauss and Lise Ann Thomas in August 2015.
Additions to the papers were gifted to The Bancroft Library by Janet Gail Gauss in 2022.
Kenneth Taylor Perkins was born on May 16, 1890 in Kodaikanal, India, the son of American missionaries. After his mother's
death in 1897, his father remarried and sent him and his brother to live in San Francisco with their grandparents. He attended
the University of California as part of the Class of 1914, where he wrote plays for student productions and earned a degree
in English literature. While at Berkeley, Perkins became acquainted with future authors Frederick Schiller Faust (Max Brand),
Sidney Howard, and Aubrey Drury. After earning a Master's degree in 1915, he became an English instructor at Pomona College
at Claremont, California. During World War I, Perkins served with the US Army as a 2nd lieutenant in the field artillery.
After the war, encouraged by Faust, Perkins began publishing stories and novels. Some of these works were mysteries and some
-- those written under the pseudonym J.O. Quinliven -- were horror; most, however, were westerns. Several of Perkins' stories
and novels were adapted for stage and film. His novel "Ride Him, Cowboy" (1923) was filmed twice, the second time (1932) with
John Wayne in the lead role. Two of his plays, "Creoles" (1927) and "Dance With Your Gods" (1934) were produced on Broadway.
Perkins also contributed scripts for radio and television, including episodes of "The Range Rider," "The Gene Autry Show,"
"Zane Grey Theater," and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." In the 1940s, he wrote numerous episodes of the "Hawk Larabee" radio
drama. Over his career, Perkins submitted scores of short stories (mostly westerns) for publication in magazines and newspapers.
In addition to the Quinliven pseudonym, Perkins published under the pen names Randolph Hale, King Phillips, Kim Knight, and
Charles Dustin. Perkins died in Los Angeles on June 7, 1951.
Kenneth Taylor Perkins papers, BANC MSS 2015/209, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Processed at Level 5 by Randal Brandt and Sterling Kinnell in 2022-2023. Collections processed at Level 5 are arranged and
described to the folder and/or item level.
Collection includes: manuscript drafts of novels, stories, radio and television scripts, plays, and screenplays; plot outlines,
summaries, and synopses; published versions of stories (most in the form of tear sheets extracted from magazines, many of
them pulps); research notes; a small amount of correspondence, personal materials (including some material from Perkins' student
days at the University of California), newspaper clippings, and ephemera.
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
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Perkins, Kenneth, 1890-1951
Authors, American -- 20th century
Western fiction
Detective and mystery fiction.
Action and adventure fiction
Short stories
Manuscripts for publication
Tear sheets
Pulps (documents)
Screenplays
Scripts (documents)
Radio scripts
Radio plays
Television scripts
Book jackets
Film stills