Danny Daniels papers, 1925-2004, bulk 1947-2004

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Summary

Creators:
Daniels, Danny
Abstract:
Danny Daniels was a tap dancer, choreographer, and entrepreneur. The collection consists primarily of material from his long career on stage and in film and television. There are also records from his eponymous dance school, as well as other business ventures. There is a small amount of personal material, including his collection of theater programs spanning five decades.
Extent:
36.2 Linear Feet (61 boxes, 3 cartons, 2 shoe boxes, 16 flat boxes, 2 oversize flat boxes)
Language:
Materials are primarily in English, with a very small portion in French and Italian.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Danny Daniels papers (Collection 1925). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

The Danny Daniels papers consist primarily of documents relating to Daniels' long career as a performer and choreographer. There are scripts, correspondence, publicity material, choreography notes, audiovisual material, and props. There are also records for various business ventures, especially the Danny Daniels Dance America school and Daniels' attempt to market instructional videos. There is a relatively small amount of personal material, consisting of correspondence, audiovisual material, periodicals, scrapbooks, wardrobe items, and ephemera. Also present is Daniels' collection of theater programs, amassed over a period of five decades.

Biographical / historical:

Danny Daniels was born Daniel Giani, Jr. on Oct. 25, 1924 in Albany, NY and had an extensive career as a dancer, choreographer, director, and teacher. A childhood tap dance prodigy, he made his film debut as a featured dancer in The Star Maker (Paramount, 1939). He later danced leading roles on Broadway and elsewhere. In 1952, Daniels collaborated with composer Morton Gould on the work "Tap Dance Concerto," in which the sound of the dancer's feet is treated as a musical instrument. As a choreographer, Daniels worked on several Broadway musicals, as well as several productions in Los Angeles and at other regional theaters. He was nominated for Tony Awards for High Spirits (1964), Walking Happy (1967), and Annie Get Your Gun (1967). In 1984 he won the award for The Tap Dance Kid. He also worked extensively in film and television, perhaps most memorably as the choreographer for Pennies from Heaven (MGM, 1981). Daniels was also an entrepreneur, marketing toys, founding a dance school, and selling dance instruction video tapes by mail. He worked as recently as 2004, choreographing and having a cameo appearance in the short film Tap Heat.

Processing information:

Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.

Processed by Douglas Johnson, May 2017.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series 1. Stage Productions
  • Series 2. Unrealized Stage Productions
  • Series 3. Film and Television Productions
  • Series 4. Unrealized Film and Television Productions
  • Series 5. Business Records
  • Series 6. Personal Files
  • Series 7. Theater Programs

Physical / technical requirements:

COLLECTION CONTAINS AUDIOVISUAL MATERIALS: This collection contains both processed and unprocessed audiovisua materials. Audiovisual materials are not currently available for access, unless otherwise noted in a Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note at the series and file levels. All requests to access processed digital materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Physical location:
Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Danny Daniels papers (Collection 1925). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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