Collection of Scripts for Death Valley Days, 1960-1969

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Summary

Abstract:
Death Valley Days was one of a few western anthology series as well as the longest-running series on television (1952-1970 and 1975). The collection consists of scripts for 130-plus episodes, spanning 1960-1969.
Extent:
6 boxes (3 linear ft.)
Language:
Finding aid is written in English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of scripts for the television series, Death Valley Days. Included are scripts for 130-plus episodes from the series, spanning 1960-1969. Among the scripts are writings by Stephen Lord, Harold E. Noble, Willard Davis, Jr., and Herb Purdum among many others. Additionally there are story synopses for several of the episodes in the collection and list of color episodes.

Biographical / historical:

Death Valley Days was one of a few western anthology series as well as the longest-running series on television (1952-1970 and 1975). It started on radio in the 1930s and was created by Ruth Woodman, a New York advertising script writer, as a way to promote the products of sponsor 20 Mule Team Borax. Woodman wrote scripts for the program from its inception and into the transition to television. The only regular character on the series was the host, named The Old Ranger, who introduced each episode.

In the 1950s, when the show made the transition to television, Stanley Andrews took the role of the Old Ranger, a position he held through the early 1960s. Other hosts that followed over the years included Ronald Reagan and Robert Taylor, who both also acted in some of the episodes, Dale Robertson, and country singer Merle Haggard. Many of the nearly 600 episodes were filmed on location in Death Valley, CA and were based on factual western events and western legends. The story lines were often human-interest tales that ranged from serious drama to comedy. There were a number of well-known actors and actresses who appeared on program, among them Angie Dickinson, James Coburn, Clint Eastwood, Fess Parker, June Lockhart, Tom Skerritt and James Caan.

Re-runs of the program have appeared under other titles, featuring various hosts, including Call of the West (hosted by John Payne), Frontier Adventure (hosted by Dale Robertson), The Pioneers (hosted by Will Rogers, Jr.), Trails West (hosted by Ray Milland), and Western Star Theatre (hosted by Rory Calhoun).

Arrangement:

The scripts are arranged alphabetically by script title.

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

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