Finding Aid for the Ed Wynn Papers, 1920-1938 bulk 1931-1938

Processed by Manuscripts Division staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library

Box 951575

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575

Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Finding Aid for the Ed Wynn Papers, 1920-1938 bulk 1931-1938

Collection number: 1181

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Los Angeles, CA

Contact Information

Manuscripts Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Processed by:: Manuscripts Division staff, 1998
Encoded by:: Caroline Cubé
Online finding aid edited by:: Josh Fiala, December 2002

Descriptive Summary

Title: Ed Wynn Papers,

Date (inclusive): 1920-1938 bulk 1931-1938

Collection number: 1181

Creator: Wynn, Ed, 1886-1966

Extent: 1 box (0.5 linear ft.) 24 oversize boxes

Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.

Los Angeles, California 90095-1575

Abstract: Born Isaiah Edwin Leopold, Ed Wynn (1886-1966) was a successful New York vaudeville comic headliner by the age of 17. He appeared in Ziegfeld follies, wrote and produced his own shows on Broadway (1920s and 1930s), and appeared in television and films (1950s and 1960s). The collection consists of Wynn's scrapbooks, clippings and ephemera, and sheet music documenting his career in Broadway theater and radio productions.

Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of 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.

Restrictions on Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.

Additional Physical Form Available

A copy of the original version of this online finding aid is available at the UCLA Department of Special Collections for in-house consultation and may be obtained for a fee. Please contact:

Public Services Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Gift of Keenan Wynn, 1968.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Ed Wynn Papers (Collection 1181). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 3649315

Biography

Born Isaiah Edwin Leopold, November 9, 1886 of European immigrants in Philadelphia; entered show business at 15; became successful New York vaudeville comic headliner by 17; appeared in Ziegfeld follies; wrote and produced his own shows on Broadway in 1920s and 1930s, featuring songs by Rodgers and Hart, Sammy Fain, and other well-known composers, and billing himself as The perfect fool, featuring his lisp, giggle, fluttering hands, outlandish costumes and inventions, and outrageous puns; starred on radio as Texaco fire chief in 1930s; suffered nervous breakdown late 1930s; returned to Broadway in 1940s; appeared in television and films through 1950s and 1960s in both comic and dramatic roles; father of Keenan Wynn; died of cancer in Beverly Hills on June 19, 1966.

Scope and Content

Collection consists of scrapbooks, clippings and ephemera, and sheet music documenting Wynn's career in Broadway theater and radio productions. Includes sheet music by Sammy Fain and score to Simple Simon by Rodgers and Hart.

Organization and Arrangement

Arranged in the following series:

Scrapbooks (Boxes 2-13, 24-25).
Sheet music (Boxes 9, 13-23).
Memorabilia (Box 1).

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Wynn, Ed, 1886-1966--Archives.

Comedians--United States--Archival resources.

Musical theater--United States.

Scrapbooks.

Song sheets.

Hart, Lorenz, 1895-1943.

Rodgers, Richard, 1902- .

Fain, Sammy, 1902- .

Personal

Scrapbooks

Box 2

February-March 1920.

Box 2

March-May 1921.

Box 2

December 1923-March 1924.

Box 2

September 1927-September 1928.

Box 3

August 1929-August 1930.

Box 3

September 1931-February 1932.

Box 4

March-October 1932.

Box 4

July-December 1932.

Box 5

May-July 1932.

Box 6

October 1932-January 1933.

Box 4

March-May 1933.

Box 4

May-October 1933.

Box 8

July-August 1933.

Box 7

November 1933-November 1934.

Box 8

December 1933-January 1934.

Box 7

December 1933-August 1934.

Box 5

August 1934.

Box 9

September-October 1934.

Box 8

June-July 1935.

Box 10

January-March 1936.

Box 10

July-October 1936.

Box 11

November 1936-January 1937.

Box 11

March 1936-May 1937.

Box 12

January-May 1937.

Box 12

April-July 1937.

Box 11

November 1937-February 1938.

Box 13

November 1937-March 1938.

Box 21

February-April 1943.

Box 24

October 1932-April 1933.

Box 24

October 1933-July 1934.

Box 24

An evening's entertainment, February-March 1934.

Box 25

November 1934-February 1935.

Box 25

February-June 1935.

Box 25

July-October 1937.

Box 10

Photographs, n.d.

Physical Description: 6 items.

Productions / Sheet Music

Boys and Girls

Box 13

Times Square dance & payoff.

Box 13

De markos polka and waltz.

Box 13

The Latin in me.

Box 13

Entr' act.

Box 13

Overture.

Box 13

Sally won't you come back.

Box 17

I want to live.

Box 17

The dream ballet.

Box 17

Such stuff.

Box 17

Appollon's specialty.

Box 17

Finale, Act 1.

Box 18

A thing like this.

Box 18

Jitter-bugging.

Box 19

Miscellaneous musical fragments.

Box 19

Lyrics.

Box 19

Harp and voice.

Simple Simon

Act 1

Box 14

After: don't tell your folks.

Box 14

Dull and gay.

Box 14

Send for me dance.

Box 14

Bluebeard's beard.

Act 3

Box 14

Rags and tatters.

Box 14

Love me or leave me.

Box 14

Drug store opening.

Box 14

Sweeheart.

Other

Box 14

I can do wonders for you.

Box 14

Wood ballet.

Box 14

The gloom king.

Box 14

I still believe in you.

Box 15

Overture.

Box 15

Entr' acte.

Box 15

I want that man.

Box 15

He was too good for me.

Box 15

Anthem.

Box 22

A cottage in the country.

Box 22

Ahern dance.

Box 22

Bull incident.

Box 22

Finale ultimo.

Box 22

Finaletto.

Box 22

Five cent dance.

Box 22

Hunting dance.

Box 22

Hurdle ballet.

Box 22

Hurry music.

Box 22

Magic music.

Box 22

Oh so lovely.

Box 22

On with the dance.

Box 22

Opening Act 1.

Box 22

Red and gold.

Box 22

Refrain theme.

Box 22

Seven.

Box 22

Theme song.

Box 22

Wonders with you.

Box 15

Miscellaneous song fragments.

Box 15

Scripts and programs.

Individual Music Scores

Box 15

1st & 2nd clarinets.

Box 15

Oboe.

Box 15

Trombone.

Box 15

Piano.

Box 16

Horns.

Box 16

Violin - 3rd stand.

Box 16

Bass clarinet.

Box 16

Flute.

Box 16

Drums.

Box 16

Trumpets (1 & 2).

Box 23

Bass.

Box 23

Cello.

Box 23

Conductor.

Box 23

1st violin (2nd stand).

Box 23

2nd violin.

Box 23

Viola.

Published Scores

Box 9

Suite: A day in May (Friml).

Box 9

California here I come.

Box 9

National melodies.

Box 9

Love dreams (Ernest Golden).

Box 9

Blue Danue waltz (Strauss).

Box 9

We did it before (Friend & Tobias).

Box 9

Carmen, first suite (Bizet).

Box 9

Peer Gynt, Suite #1 (Grieg).

Box 9

Mon-Reve Valse (Waldteufel).

Box 9

Happy-go-lucky (Mel B. Kaufmann).

Miscellaneous Songs

Box 20

On with the dance and encore.

Box 20

Continue that dance.

Box 20

New dull and anything for that laugh.

Box 20

Last strain, Opening Act 1.

Box 20

Dancing lessons.

Box 20

Hurdle ballet.

Box 20

Tea for two.

Box 20

Funny, dear, what love can do.

Box 20

Mexican magic.

Box 20

Volga song.

Box 21

Perfect fool (piano score).

Box 21

Oh that kiss.

Box 21

Overture and Entre' Acte.

Box 21

Red and curly.

Miscellaneous Musical Scores - Unidentified

Box 9

Overture.

Box 9

Entr'Act.

Box 9

Untitled work.

Box 9

Leading lady[?].

Box 9

Unidentified loose sheets.

Miscellaneous Memorabilia

Box 1

Pewter plate.

Box 1

Miniature felt hat.

Box 1

Plaster head of Ed Wynn.

Box 1

Framed miniature photographs.

Box 1

Correspondence.

Box 1

Ephemera.