Kenneth Macgowan papers, 1915-1970

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Summary

Creators:
Macgowan, Kenneth
Abstract:
Kenneth Macgowan (1888-1963) was a drama critic for newspapers and magazines, a publicity director, producer and director with the Actor's Theater (1927-29), and the first department chair at the UCLA Theater Arts Department (1946-58). He was also interested in the anthropological field of archaeology. His publications include The theater of tomorrow (1921), Footlights across America (1929), Early man in the new world (1950), and Behind the screen: the history and technique of the motion picture (1965). The collection consists of materials related to Macgowan's careers in theater, motion pictures, and academia as well as material related to his interest in anthropology.
Extent:
44 Linear Feet (88 boxes) and 3 oversize_boxes
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Kenneth Macgowan Papers (Collection 887). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of materials related to Macgowan's careers in theater, motion pictures, and academia. Also includes material related to Macgowan's interest in anthropology and archaeology. Correspondents include Robert Edmond Jones and Lee Simonson. Includes items related to Eugene O'Neill and the Provincetown Playhouse.

Biographical / historical:

Macgowan was born in Winthrop, Massachusetts, November 30, 1888; graduated Harvard, 1911; married Edna Behre, 1913; drama critic for Philadelphia evening ledger, the New York globe, Vogue, Theatre arts magazine, and Shadowland; publicity director for Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, 1918-19; formed an association with Eugene O'Neill and Robert Edmond Jones at the Provincetown Playhouse; producer and director with the Actor's Theater, 1927-29; worked at RKO Studios (early 1930s-35), 20th Century Fox (1935-41), and Paramount Studios (1944-46); among his many film credits is La Cucaracha, the first production in modern Technicolor; instructor and first department chair at the UCLA Theater Arts Department (1946-58); studied both anthropology and archaeology; publications include The theater of tomorrow (1921), Footlights across America (1929), Early man in the new world (1950), Behind the screen: the history and technique of the motion picture (1965); he died of cancer on August 27, 1963.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Mrs. Kenneth Macgowan, 1965-71.
Processing information:

Processed by Phyllis Herzog, October 1966. Revisions by Manuscripts Division staff, 1977.

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Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Special projects (Boxes 1-12).
  2. Manuscripts (Boxes 13-22).
  3. Involvement with little theaters, ca. 1920-30 (Boxes 23-27).
  4. Motion picture production files (Boxes 28-39).
  5. Clippings from newspapers and periodicals, ephemera and other material (Boxes 37-53).
  6. Activities as an educator (Boxes 54-74).
  7. Additional material, June 1966 (Boxes 75-88).

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 objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other 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], Kenneth Macgowan Papers (Collection 887). 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
Website