This collection consists of playbills from the 1940s to the 1990s, collected by Burton, Arthur, and Albert Lewis. It also includes the autobiography of Arthur Lewis.

The Lewis family consists of father Albert Lewis (1884-1978), eldest son Arthur Lewis (1916-2006), and younger son Burton Lewis (1918-2002). While Burton Lewis has just one Broadway acting and stage-managing credit for the play "Off to Buffalo," Albert and Arthur Lewis had long careers in entertainment. Albert Lewis started off as a partner of Max Gordon (1892-1978), creating single act plays for vaudeville. In 1925, Albert Lewis produced and directed the original Broadway production of "The Jazz Singer," which later became the talking picture "The Jazz Singer" (1927). In 1942, Albert Lewis and George Balanchine co-produced and co-directed "Cabin in the Sky," a Broadway musical with an all-black cast, that later became a film. He produced films like "Torch Singer" (1933), "Cabin in the Sky" (1943), and "Ready for Love" (1934). He also co-wrote films with his son, Arthur Lewis including "Oh You Beautiful Doll" (1949) and "Golden Girl" (1951). Together they also produced the Broadway musical "Three Wishes for Jamie" (1952). Arthur Lewis produced theater works including the plays "Guys and Dolls" (1953), The Boy Friend" (1954), "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (1963), Little Me" (1964), "Funny Girl" (1966), The Odd Couple" (1966), and "A Thousand Clowns" (1964). He produced films "Baxter" (1972) and "The Killer Elite" (1975). He also produced three television series, "Brenner" (1959), "The Asphalt Jungle" (1961), and "The Nurses" (1962), and the television film version of "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1980). Arthur Lewis is a University of Southern California alumni.

6.75 Linear Feet 6 boxes

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