Finding aid for the Burns and Allen scripts and recordings collection 2024
Marissa Chavez & Sarah Jardini for History Associates Incorporated
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
2022 February
Doheny Memorial Library G4
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0185
ctlibarc@usc.edu
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
Box 1, Box 2, Box 3, Box 4, Box 5, Box 6, Box 7, Box 8, Box 9, Box 10, Box 11, Box 12, Box 13, Box 14, Box 15, Box 16, Box 17, Box 18, Box 19, Box 20, Box 21, Box 22, Box 23, Box 24A, Box 25, Box 26, Box 27, Box 28, Box 29, Box 30, Box 31, Box 32, Box 33, Box 34, Box 35, Box 36, Box 37, Box 38, Box 39, Box 40, Box 41, Box 42, Box 43, Box 44, Box 45, Box 46, Box 47, Box 48A, Box 49, Box 50, Box 51, Box 52, Box 53, Box 24B, Box 48B, Box R1, Box R2, Box R3, Box R4, Box R5, Box R6, Box R7, Box R8, Box R9, Box R10, Box R11, Box R12, Box R13, Box R14, Box R15, Box R16, Box R17, Box R18, Box R19, Box R20, Box R21, Box R22, Box R23, Box R24, Box R25, Box R26, Box R27, Box R28, Box R29