The Michael Barrie Papers, 1960-2015, consists of monologue jokes, scripts, screenplays, and production material for late night and variety television shows, awards shows, and movies. Most of the material was written by Michael Barrie with his writing partner, Jim Mulholland. The bulk of the collection consists of opening monologue jokes for two television shows: Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Show with David Letterman.

Writer Michael Barrie was born on January 15, 1946 in the Bronx, New York, and is a graduate of New York University. He began his career in comedy in 1968, selling jokes to Joan Rivers for 7 dollars apiece. That year, he also began writing on the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1970, he teamed up with another Tonight Show writer, Jim Mulholland, and the two worked together for the next 45 years. Barrie worked on the Tonight Show from 1968 to 1972 and again from 1978 until its end in 1992. Barrie and Mulholland went on to write for the Late Show with David Letterman from 1994 until its end in 2015. Between 1972 and 1978, Barrie and Mulholland worked on a number of other TV and film projects and Barrie relocated to Los Angeles in 1977. In 1973-74 they wrote for a season on the Dean Martin Comedy Hour, featuring the comedy roasts of celebrities. In 1976 they wrote for a season on the Cher Show, a weekly variety show. In 1977 they were story editors for a season on Welcome Back, Kotter. They also wrote an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The pair wrote the feature films Bad Boys (1995), Oscar (1991) and Amazon Women on the Moon (1987). Their 1986 Showtime movie, The Ratings Game, directed by and starring Danny Devito, received a Writers Guild Award. His credits also include Academy and Emmy Awards telecasts. Michael Barrie's work on the Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson earned him 20 Emmy nominations and 6 WGA Award nominations. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Frederica Duke and is the father of Max and Emma Barrie and stepfather to Oliver, Augustine (actress Augie Duke) and Barnaby Kupper.

13 linear feet, 13 boxes

The responsibility to secure copyright and publication permission rests with the patron.

Available by appointment only. Please contact the Writers Guild Foundation Archive, www.wgfoundation.org.