Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Solomon, Mark, 1947-2019 and Tilley, Amy F.
- Abstract:
- Collection of Mark Solomon papers consist of videotapes, audio cassettes, scripts, photographs, and some promotional materials related to the career of screenwriter and composer Mark Solomon. The bulk of this collection consists of video cassettes and related materials for television sitcoms including Alice, Grace Under Fire, Newhart, Diagnosis Murder, TV movie Spinning Out of Control, and unproduced projects and pilots like Ruth Harper.
- Extent:
- 8.42 Linear Feet (1 carton, 1 half doc box, 188 video cassettes, 22 audio cassettes, 1 audio CD, and one computer disk)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of Item], Mark Solomon papers, FMST Mss 13. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection consists mostly of VHS video cassettes from Mark Solomon's television productions. However, there are also scripts, audio cassettes, photographs, and some promotional materials related to his career as screenwriter and producer. Television sitcoms include Alice, Grace Under Fire, Newhart, Diagnosis Murder, TV movie Spinning Out of Control, and unproduced projects and pilots like Ruth Harper.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Mark Solomon (November 1, 1947 - November 6, 2019) was a television producer and script writer for many productions such as Newhart, Alice, Diagnosis Murder, and Grace Under Fire. He teamed up with Mark Egan beginning in the 1960s to write and produce comedic plays and television.
Solomon was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut and attended the University of Connecticut where he met is writing partner Mark Egan. He moved to Los Angeles in 1971 when he and Mark Egan formed their own improvisational comedy troupe.
Solomon and Egan turned to television in 1978 and wrote scripts for House Calls and Alice. They were staff writers for the first two years of Alice and then became producers for the show for its last three years. They joined MTM (Mary Tyler Moore) Enterprises in 1985 where they wrote numerous pilots including Ruth Harper for CBS and Man's Best Friend for ABC. Solomon and Egan worked as creative consultants on The Popcorn Kid for CBS and acted as Supervising Producers on the same network's Eisenhower & Lutz, created by Allan Burns. They also executive produced the television series, Newhart. In 1990, Solomon and Egan won an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Writing for The Last Newhart.
In 1982, Solomon married a dancer and artist, Cary Snur. When Mark and Cary retired in the early 2000s, they moved to Ojai, California where they remained active and artistic participants in the community. He continued to compose music, including the "P.D. Song," which addressed his own struggles with Parkinson's Disease. Solomon died at the age of 72 on November 6, 2019.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Amy Tilley, 2022.
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is arranged by series titles in alphabetical order. Each series may contain a sub-series for moving images, audio, scripts, and/or additional materials.
- Series 1, Alice
- Series 2, Brett
- Series 3, Denny Dent
- Series 4, Diagnosis Murders
- Series 5, Eisenhower & Lutz
- Series 6, Girl's Best Friend
- Series 7, Grace Under Fire
- Series 8, Hollywood Off-Ramp
- Series 9, Joe Penny
- Series 10, Man's Best Friend
- Series 11, The Mark and Mark Show
- Series 12, Newhart
- Series 13, Ruth Harper
- Series 14, Spinning Out of Control
- Series 15, Temporarily Yours
- Series 16, Single Shows and Unaired Pilots
- Series 17, Additional Materials
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research. Audiovisual materials must be reformatted for access.
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights to the collection and physical objects belong to the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at the UCSB Library. All applicable literary rights, including copyright to the collection and physical objects, are protected under Chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code and may be retained by the creator and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.
All requests to reproduce, quote from, or otherwise reuse collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB at special@library.ucsb.edu. Consent is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or their assignees for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of Item], Mark Solomon papers, FMST Mss 13. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
- Location of this collection:
-
UC Santa Barbara LibrarySanta Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
- Contact:
- (805) 893-3062