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Finding Aid for the John Houseman Papers, 1930-1989
816
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Title: John Houseman Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1930-1989
Collection number: 816
Creator: Houseman, John
Extent: 127 boxes (63.5 linear ft.)
1 carton (1 linear ft.)
12 oversize boxes
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Abstract: 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.
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.
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.
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 John Houseman, 1963-1987.
- Gift of John Houseman estate, 1989.
[Identification of item], John Houseman Papers (Collection 816). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
1720516
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.
Collection consists of correspondence, director's scripts for stage, movies, radio, & television, newspaper clippings, ephemera,
and videotapes of television interviews, commercials, and television performances.
Arranged in the following series:
- Correspondence (Boxes 1-8, 28-39, 50, 58-64, 78-83, 100-105, 131, 136).
- Scripts - stage, TV, radio, film, opera (Boxes 9-26, 56-57, 65-69, 75-76).
- Production material (Boxes 40-45, 85, 93-94, 107).
- Lectures and addresses (Boxes 45-47).
- Professional organizations (Boxes 48-49).
- Manuscript material (Boxes 27, 51-53, 70-74, 88-92, 95-96, 106, 129-130).
- Memorabilia (Boxes 54-56, 97-99).
- Scrapbooks (Boxes 77, 86-87).
- Audio, film, video (Boxes 108-115, 137).
- Photographs (Boxes 132-135, 138-139).
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Houseman, John--Archives.
Theatrical producers and directors--United States--Archival resources.
Motion picture producers and directors--United States--Archival resources.
Film scripts.
Radio plays.
Television plays.