Finding Aid for the Robert Ardrey Papers LSC.0957
Finding aid prepared by Brooke Whiting, October 1968, reprocessed by Doug Johnson, November 2016; machine-readable finding
aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Finding aid uploaded to test site 9 November 2016.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Robert Ardrey papers
Creator:
Ardrey, Robert
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.0957
Physical Description:
1.6 Linear Feet
(4 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1935-1960
Abstract: Robert Ardrey (1908-1970) was born in Chicago, Illinois. He studied the natural and social sciences at University of Chicago
and lectured on anthropology for two years, but later found himself more interested in drama. He became a playwright and a
Hollywood screenwriter. The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, ephemera and scripts.
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.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
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], Robert Ardrey Papers (Collection 957). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Helen Ardrey, 1963.
Processing Information
Processed by Brooke Whiting, October 1968, reprocessed by Doug Johnson, November 2016.
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UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Robert Ardrey was born October 16, 1908 in Chicago; studied natural and social sciences at University of Chicago and lectured
on anthropology for two years, but later found himself more interested in drama, where he was influenced by Thornton Wilder;
his first plays had brief runs, but led to his becoming a Hollywood screenwriter, 1938; wrote film scripts, novels, and plays,
including
Thunder Rock, which was successful in London and filmed in Hollywood; returned to the study of anthropology in 1955, and later produced
four works:
African Genesis (1961),
The Territorial Imperative (1966),
The Social Contract (1970), and
The Hunting Hypothesis (1976) all arguing that man was innately aggressive creature; continued to write screenplays, including
Khartoum; finished autobiography shortly before his death in Kalk Bay, South Africa in 1980.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of letters from Ardrey to his wife and children, business correspondence, theater and motion picture scripts,
and financial records. Of particular interest are several letters written by Ardrey during the era of the Hollywood blacklist,
in which he refuted allegations that he was a Communist. There is also a copy of a long letter Ardrey wrote to Elia Kazan
just before Kazan's appearance before the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
Organization and Arrangement
Folders are in the order determined by the previous archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Screenwriters -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archives.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities
Film scripts.
Ardrey, Robert--Archives.
box 1, folder 1
Ephemera
1930-1959
General Physical Description note: 16 items.
Scope and Content
Includes press sheet for
Quentin Durward (MGM, 1955).
box 1, folder 2
Newspaper clippings
1954-1959
General Physical Description note: 25 items.
box 1, folder 3
Office of War Information scripts
1943
General Physical Description note: 4 items.
box 1, folder 4
Photographs
undated
General Physical Description note: 64 items.
box 1, folder 5
The Stevenson Story
1952
Scope and Content
Includes research and script material for a campaign film for Adlai Stevenson's 1952 presidential run.
box 1, folder 6
X-ray pictures of Ardrey
1958
box 1, folder 7
God and Texas -- one-act playscript
ca. 1943
General Physical Description note: 23 leaves. Typescript (carbon).
box 1, folder 8
How to Get Tough About it -- two playscripts
1937
box 1, folder 9
House on Fire -- playscript
undated
General Physical Description note: 118 leaves. Typescript (carbon).
box 1, folder 10
Eric Batter -- playscript and notes
undated
box 1, folder 11
Casey Jones -- playscript
1936
General Physical Description note: 130 leaves. Typescript (carbon).
box 2, folder 1
Jeb -- playscript
1945
General Physical Description note: 131 leaves. Typescript (carbon) with holograph corrections.
box 2, folder 2
Leuchtfeuer (German translation of
Thunder Rock) -- published playscript
1954
General Physical Description note: 112 p.
box 2, folder 3
My Friends and I -- playscript
undated
General Physical Description note: 132 leaves. Typescript (carbon).
box 2, folder 4
Salome (Columbia, 1963) -- screenplay
undated
General Physical Description note: 201 leaves. Typescript on loose sheets.
box 2, folder 5
Shadow of Heroes -- playscript
1958
General Physical Description note: 127 pp. Mimeographed.
box 2, folder 6
Sometimes I Love You (MGM, unproduced) -- screenplay
1951
General Physical Description note: 138 leaves. Mimeographed.
box 2, folder 7
Strangerman's Bay -- playscript
undated
General Physical Description note: 83 leaves. Typescript on loose sheets.
box 2, folder 8
Fenelon by Emmet Lavery (Munich, Germany: Densch) [inscribed by the author]
undated
box 3, folder 1
Correspondence with Brandt & Brandt Literary Agents
1934-1937
General Physical Description note: 49 items.
box 3, folder 2
Correspondence with George Abbott
1935
General Physical Description note: 23 items.
box 3, folder 3
Correspondence relating to business and the Guggenheim Fellowship
1936-1937
General Physical Description note: 41 items.
Scope and Content
Includes letters from Harold Clurman and Theresa Helburn.
box 3, folder 4
Correspondence, personal
1943
General Physical Description note: 4 items.
Scope and Content
Includes handwritten letter from Thornton Wilder.
box 3, folder 5
Correspondence, personal
1946-1950
General Physical Description note: 20 items.
Scope and Content
Includes copy of a letter from Ardrey to Esther Bonner, headmistress of his son's school, who had accused him of being a Communist.
box 3, folder 6
Correspondence, personal
1951
General Physical Description note: 30 items.
Scope and Content
Includes copy of a letter from Ardrey to Esther Bonner denying that he is a Communist; copy of a letter from Ardrey to Elia
"Gadg" Kazan about Kazan's upcoming appearance before HUAC, March 22, 1952; letter from Michael Redgrave.
box 3, folder 7
Correspondence, personal
1952
General Physical Description note: 10 items.
Scope and Content
Includes note from Adlai Stevenson, December 11, 1952.
box 3, folder 8
Correspondence, personal
1953
General Physical Description note: 44 items.
Scope and Content
Includes post card from William Shirer; letter from Montgomery Clift;
box 3, folder 9
Correspondence, personal
1954
General Physical Description note: 14 items.
box 3, folder 10
Correspondence relating to loyalty
1954
General Physical Description note: 9 items.
Scope and Content
Includes copy of a letter from Ardrey to MGM refuting allegations that he is a Communist, so that he can work on
Quentin Durward; copy of a letter from Ardrey to the California Committee on Un-American Activities defending his participation in the Committee
for the First Amendment.
box 3, folder 11
Correspondence, personal
1955
General Physical Description note: 28 items.
box 3, folder 12
Correspondence, business
1956-1967
General Physical Description note: 33 items.
box 3, folder 13
Correspondence, personal
1956-1958
General Physical Description note: 30 items.
box 3, folder 14
Correspondence, personal
1959
General Physical Description note: 7 items.
box 3, folder 15
Correspondence, personal
undated
General Physical Description note: 25 items.
Scope and Content
Includes handwritten letter from Thornton Wilder.
box 3, folder 16
Christmas cards
circa 1953
General Physical Description note: 18 items.
Scope and Content
Includes three cards from Michael Redgrave and family; card from Fredric March and Florence Eldridge.
box 4, folder 1
Contracts and related correspondence
1931-1938
General Physical Description note: 15 items.
box 4, folder 2
Contracts and related correspondence
1944-1947
General Physical Description note: 7 items.
box 4, folder 3
Business and tax records
1950
General Physical Description note: 22 items.
box 4, folder 4
Business and tax records
1951
General Physical Description note: 44 items.
box 4, folder 5
Business and tax records
1956
General Physical Description note: 6 items.
box 4, folder 6
Business and tax records
1957
General Physical Description note: 29 items.
box 4, folder 7
Business and tax records
1958
General Physical Description note: 19 items.
