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Burns and Allen scripts and recordings collection
2024
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Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
Title: Burns and Allen scripts and recordings collection
Creator:
Burns & Allen (Comedy team)
Creator:
Allen, Gracie, 1902-1964
Creator:
Burns, George, 1896-1996
Identifier/Call Number: 2024
Physical Description:
109.75 Linear Feet
84 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1939-1959
Abstract: This collection contains papers and recordings reflecting the work of radio and television personalities and actors George
Burns (1896-1996) and Gracie Allen (1902-1964) from 1931-1959. Collection consists of scrapbooks, clippings, publicity, photographs,
publications, audio recordings, 16mm films of the Burns and Allen show, radio scripts, television scripts for The Burns and
Allen Show, as well as miscellaneous scripts from stage, radio, and television shows featuring Burns and Allen.
Language of Material:
English.
George Burns (1896-1996) and Gracie Allen (1895-1964) were a husband and wife comedy team who began their performing career
in Vaudeville, then transitioned to film and radio productions, and eventually had their own television sitcom,
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950-1958).
Burns, known for his philanthropy, made numerous contributions to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The hospital
is located at the intersection of George Burns Road, dedicated in 1986, and Gracie Allen Drive, dedicated in 1995. The George
Burns–Gracie Allen Chair in Cardiology was established in 1989. The Burns and Allen Research Institute was dedicated in 1996.
Allen has an award named after her: The Gracie Award, presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM). AWM celebrates
and honors programming created for women, by women, and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contributions
in media.
This collection is currently unavailable for access.
This collection contains papers reflecting the work of radio and television personalities and actors George Burns (1896-1996)
and Gracie Allen (1902-1964) from 1931-1959. Collection consists of 82 volumes of radio scripts (1932-1950); 57 volumes of
television scripts (1950-1958) for The Burns and Allen Show, as well as miscellaneous scripts from stage, radio, and television
shows featuring Burns and Allen; 12 scrapbooks and 11 boxes of clippings, publicity, photographs, magazine articles, and cartoons
of "Gracie Allen: I Always Say," which appeared in the New York Evening Journal (1936-1937); approximately 600 disc recordings;
approximately 220 16mm films of The Burns and Allen Show donated by the couple's son, Ronnie Burns.
This collection is currently unavailable for access.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library
at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift, May 29, 1968. AV recordings donated by Ronnie Burns, George Burns and Gracie Allen's son.
[Box/folder no. or item name], Burns and Allen scripts and recordings collection, Collection no. 2024, Cinematic Arts Library,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California.
This collection is unprocessed.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (Television program) Burns and Allen show Damsel in distress (Motion picture)Motion pictures -- Archival resources
Radio programs -- Archival resources
Scripts
Scrapbooks
Sound recordings
Television actors and actresses -- Archival resources
Women comedians
Burns & Allen (Comedy team) -- Archives
Allen, Gracie, 1902-1964
Burns, George, 1896-1996