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Finding Aid for the John Houseman Papers, 1930-1989
816
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Description
John Houseman wrote, produced, directed and translated plays, founded theater companies, collaborated on radio series, produced
film, television, and stage productions, and acted in movies and television shows. The collection consists of correspondence,
director's scripts for stage, movies, radio, & television, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and videotapes of television interviews,
commercials, and television performances.
Background
Born Jacques Haussmann in Bucharest, Romania on September 22, 1902, of a Alsatian father and English mother; attended Clifton
College Preparatory School, Bristol, England, 1916-1918; moved to U.S. in 1924; was grain export businessman while doing freelance
writing and translating plays; entered theatrical production and direction upon collapse of stock market; by early 1930s was
writing, producing and directing for New York stage; supervised Federal Theatre Project's Negro Theatre Project; taught at
Vassar; founded Mercury Theater with Orson Welles in 1937, and collaborated with Welles on the radio series The Mercury theatre of the air; collaborated on screenplay of Citizen Kane, and in 1941 became vice-president of David O. Selznick productions; chief of overseas radio division, Bureau of the Office
of War Information, 1942-43; producer of film, television, and stage productions; artistic director of American Shakespeare
Festival Theatre and Academy in Stratford, Connecticut, 1956-1959; artistic director of Theatre Group of Los Angeles in 1960s,
which became nucleus of Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles; director of drama division of Juilliard School, New York City,
1967-1976; founder of the Acting Company in New York City, 1972; received Oscar for role in Paper Chase; acted in television show of same name; died October 31, 1988.
Extent
127 boxes (63.5 linear ft.)
1 carton (1 linear ft.)
12 oversize boxes
Restrictions
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.
Availability
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.