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Levant (Oscar) papers
2272  
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Table of contents What's This?

 

Correspondence

 

Personal correspondence

Scope and Contents

The personal correspondence chiefly consists of brief notes of congratulations, thanks, telegrams, and Christmas cards from well-known individuals.
Box 1

Correspondents, A-P

Box 2, Folder 1-6

Correspondents R-Z

Box 2, Folder 7

Miscellaneous correspondence

Box 2, Folder 8

Correspondence re: "Memoirs of an Amnesiac" 1965

Box 2, Folder 9

Correspondence re: "The Unimportance of Being Oscar" 1968

Box 2, Folder 10-11

Condolences after Levant's death 1972

Box 2, Folder 12-17

Business correspondence and papers

Box 2, Folder 12

American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers 1944-1969

Box 3, Folder 13

Film work (MGM, 20th Century Fox) 1950-1954

Box 3, Folder 14

Land purchase, rental agreement, house purchase documents 1944-1949

Box 3, Folder 15

Television shows 1955-1965

Box 3, Folder 16

Columbia Records 1945-1967

Box 3, Folder 17

Miscellaneous business correspondence 1939-1971

 

Photographs

Scope and Contents

These files contain photographs related to Levant's personal life and family and friends, films (including production stills), and publicity photographs. There is also a caricature of Levant by Glaser (Box 3, Folder 11).
Box 3

Photographs

Box 18, Folder 1, Box 19, Folder 2

Oversize photographs and caricatures

Box 19

Framed autographed photograph of Harry S. Truman

Box 19

Rolled "Rhapsody in Blue" caricature with signatures

 

Television scripts

Box 4, Folder 5

The Oscar Levant Show script 1958-03-02

Box 4, Folder 6

The Joey Bishop Show script 1964-08-17

 

Personal items and ephemera

Box 4, Folder 1-3

Awards and citations

Box 4, Folder 4

ID cards, passport, selective service, etc.

Box 4, Folder 13

Various programs and ephemera

Box 7

Realia

Scope and Contents

Contains monogrammed pen holder, tissue box, lighter, luggage tag, wallet, cigarette case, and published Newsweek Autograph book, as well as a Stratoliner coin, a U.S. Treasury Award coin, and an "All the Way with Adlai" campaign pin.
 

Press

Box 4, Folder 7

Press materials on Oscar Levant

Box 4, Folder 8-12

Magazines 1939-1978

Box 18, Folder 2

Magazines (oversize) 1940-1965

 

Music

 

Sheet music

Box 5, Folder 1

After the Clouds Roll By from Half Marriage (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 1

All Dressed Up and No Place to Go 1936

Box 5, Folder 1

All My Life from Leathernecking (RKO) 1930

Box 5, Folder 1

Aram Khachaturian/Sabre Dance (Transcribed for Piano by Oscar Levant) from "Gayne Ballet" 1948

Box 5, Folder 1

Asleep or Awake 1939

Box 5, Folder 1

Babykins from Ripples (Stage show) 1930

Box 5, Folder 1

Blame it on my Youth 1934

Box 5, Folder 1

Broken Up Tune from Street Girl (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 1

Careless Kisses (Ditto) from Leathernecking (RKO) [1930]

Box 5, Folder 2

Don't Go To Sleep 1932

Box 5, Folder 2

Don't Mention Love to Me (photocopy) from In Person (RKO) 1935

Box 5, Folder 2

A Fool and His Honey are Soon Parted 1939

Box 5, Folder 2

Gay Love from The Delightful Rogue (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 2

Got a New Lease on Life (photocopy) from In Person (RKO) [1935]

Box 5, Folder 2

How Much Do You Mean To Me? 1938

Box 5, Folder 2

If You Want the Rainbow (You Must have the Rain) from My Man (WB) 1928

Box 5, Folder 2

I'm a little Bit Fonder of You from Ripples (Stage show) 1930

Box 5, Folder 2

In Other Words I'm in Love from Black Sheep (Fox) 1935

Box 5, Folder 2

Is It Love from Ripples (Stage show) 1930

Box 5, Folder 2

Just a Little Way Away From Home 1928

Box 5, Folder 2

Keep Sweeping the Cobwebs off the Moon 1927

Box 5, Folder 2

Lady, Play Your Mandolin 1930

Box 5, Folder 2

Last Night a Miracle Happened 1939

Box 5, Folder 2

Lazy Weather 1936

Box 5, Folder 2

Little Pal of the Alley 1938

Box 5, Folder 2

Lovable and Sweet from Street Girl (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 3

Made For Each Other from Made For Each Other 1939

Box 5, Folder 3

Mighty Nice and So Particular (Ditto) from Leathernecking (RKO) [1930]

Box 5, Folder 3

Mirrors Don't Tell Lies 1938

Box 5, Folder 3

My Dream Memory from Street Girl (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 3

Night Winds from Love Comes Along (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 3

Out of Sight, Out of Mind (photocopy) from In Person (RKO) [1935]

Box 5, Folder 3

Pretty Little Words 1932

Box 5, Folder 3

Say It 1931

Box 5, Folder 3

Shake It Off And Smile from Leathernecking (RKO) 1930

Box 5, Folder 3

Someone from Jazz Heaven (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 3

Sonatina (2 copies) 1932-1934

Box 5, Folder 3

Steamboat 'Round the Bend (mimeo) from Steamboat Round the Bend (Fox) 1935

Box 5, Folder 4

Talk With Your Heel and Toe from Ripples (Stage show) 1930

Box 5, Folder 4

Tanned Legs from Tanned Legs (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 4

That's How Virginia Began 1936

Box 5, Folder 4

Then Came the Rain 1939

Box 5, Folder 4

There's an Eden in Sweden 1935

Box 5, Folder 4

There's Nothing Wrong In A Kiss from Ripples (Stage show) 1930

Box 5, Folder 4

To Me She's Marvelous from Half Marriage (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 4

Until Love Comes Along from Love Comes Along (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 4

Until Today 1936

Box 5, Folder 5

Wacky Dust 1938

Box 5, Folder 5

Wash Yo' Hands from Steamboat Round the Bend (Fox) 1935

Box 5, Folder 5

We've Got the Moon and Sixpence from Out of the Bottle (English stage show) 1932

Box 5, Folder 5

With You-With Me from Tanned Legs (RKO) 1929

Box 5, Folder 5

You Are My Ideal 1933

Box 5, Folder 5

You Gotta Do Better Than That 1939

Box 5, Folder 5

You Had An Ev'ning to Spare 1938

Box 5, Folder 5

You Wrote Your Name in my Heart 1935

Box 5, Folder 5

You're Responsible from Tanned Legs (RKO) 1939

Box 5, Folder 6

George Gerswhin's Rhapsody in Blue 1924

Scope and Contents

Includes two manuscript works: "Isn't This a Lovely Day" and "'S Wonderful" and three published works: "George Gershwin's Concerto in F for piano and orchestra" (1927), "George Gershwin's Two Waltzes in C piano solo" (1971), and "I Got Rhythm" variations (1934).
Box 5, Folder 7

Hi Ho! By George and Ira Gershwin 1967

Box 5, Folder 8

George Gershwin Music

Box 5, Folder 9

Rhythmodics by Joseph Kahn 1944

Box 5, Folder 10

Virgil Thomson Album One and Album Two 1948-1949

 

Music books

Box 5, Folder 11-13

Beethoven, Ravel, and Trapp music books

 

Original music

Box 18, Folder 3-7

Early exercises and study

Box 8

Unidentified/miscellaneous music

Box 10

Film music

Scope and Contents

Includes music for "Nothing Sacred," "Charlie Chan at the opera," "Romance on the High Seas," "Fellow Americans," and early RKO songs and manuscripts.
Box 9, Box 19, Folder 1

Radio show song arrangements

Scope and Contents

Box 9 includes an incomplete radio script for music played (1940), orchestrations for "Fascinating Rhythm" and "I Didn't Know What Time it Was," and some other miscellaneous pieces. Box 19 (Folder 2) holds oversize files consisting of orchestrations for "All the Things You Are Mine" and "Bojangles in Harlem."
Box 12

George Gershwin music

Box 19

The Age of Anxiety Symphony No. 2 by Leonard Bernstein

Box 11

The American Way (Broadway show)

Box 17

Caprice

Box 16

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra

Box 9

Fuge in C Major

Box 11

Goody Goodbye (parts)

Box 13

"I've Got Rhythm" variations and march

Box 10

A Man Has Come Into My Life

Box 17

Nocturne

Box 12

Overture 1912

Box 13

Peter Roleum and his cousins

Box 9

Prelude

Box 10

Sinfonietta

 

Suite

Box 15

Orchestration

Box 15

Pencil sketches

Box 15

Movement I (March) parts

Box 14

Movement II (Dirge) and Movement III (Dance in the Form of a Rondo) parts

 

Books

Box 18, volume 1

"A Smattering of Ignorance" by Oscar Levant 1940

Box 18, volume 2

"I Kid You Not" by Jack Paar 1960

Box 18, volume 3

"The Memoirs of an Amnesiac" by Oscar Levant 1965

Box 18, volume 4

"The Unimportance of Being Oscar" by Oscar Levant 1968

 

Audiovisual materials

 

Films

Box 6

"Information Please" (short, RKO) 1940-11

Physical Description: 1 film : 16mm.

Conditions Governing Access

UNAVAILABLE. Film unavailable until it has been reformatted.
Box 6

"The Oscar Levant Show" (KCOP, TV) 1958-05-06

Physical Description: 1 film : 16mm.
Physical Description: 1 videocassette (VHS).VHS copy of 16mm film.

Conditions Governing Access

UNAVAILABLE. Film unavailable until it has been reformatted.
 

Sound recording

Box 5, Folder 14

Recording identified as Oscar Levant and Al Jolsen on the radio (78 rpm record)

 

Addenda

Box 20

Photocopies and reproductions

Scope and Contents

Photocopies and reproductions chiefly of Oscar Levant music added to the collection by USC staff. Includes a cassette tape recording of the Concordia Chamber Symphony playing Levant's Caprice (June 10, 1988).