Paddy Chayefsky Papers, 1937-1972


Summary Information
Title: Paddy Chayefsky Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1937-1972

Creator:
  • Chayefsky, Paddy, 1923-
Call Number: U.S. Mss 26AN

Quantity: 6.8 c.f. (17 archives boxes)

Repository:
Wisconsin Historical Society Archives / Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Contact Information

Archival Locations:
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:
Papers of a writer for stage, screen, radio, and television, whose work during the “Golden Age of TV Drama” led to a career as an Oscar-winning writer of motion pictures. Consisting of scripts, revisions, notes, clippings, and reviews, the collection includes some titles produced in more than one media. Most notable are Bachelor Party and Marty--both originally presented on NBC's Philco-Goodyear Playhouse and both subsequently made into motion pictures (UA, 1957 and 1955 respectively), which Chayefsky also produced. The Middle of the Night, another teleplay, was adapted for the stage (1956) as well as for the screen (Col., 1959). Other screenplays treated include The Americanization of Emily (MGM, 1964), The Catered Affair (MGM, 1964), The Cincinnati Kid (MGM, 1956), The Goddess (Col., 1958), and The Hospital (UA, 1971); other stage plays include Gideon (1961), The Passion of Josef D. (1964), and The Tenth Man (1959). The remainder of the collection consists of unproduced works, several radio plays, early writings, general correspondence, and biographical information.

Note:

There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.



Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0026an
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Biography/History

Chronology

1923, Jan 29 Sidney Chayefsky was born in New York City to Harry and Gussie (Stuchevsky) Chayefsky, both Russian Jewish immigrants. His father was a dairy company executive.
1939 Graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx.
1940 Played semi-professional football with the Knightsbridge (NY) Trojans.
1943 After graduation from City College of New York, enlisted in U.S. Army. While in the army, he adopted the nickname Paddy.
1944 Wounded by a land mine in Germany, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. While recuperating in a hospital in England he wrote his first play, a musical entitled No T/O For Love.
1945 No T/O For Love was produced by US Army Special Services and toured military installations in England and throughout Europe; Chayefsky had a leading role in the production. He also worked on The True Glory, a documentary film about GI's in World War II.
1946 After his discharge from the army, he worked briefly in his uncle's printing shop. On the GI Bill he studied acting at the Actor's Lab in Hollywood, and used a $500 writing fellowship from Garson Kanin to pay his expenses while writing a play “Put Them All Together.”
1947 Received a junior writers contract from Universal-International.
1948 Had a minor role as an actor in the film Double Life.
1949 Married Susan Sackler; they have had one son, Dan.
1950 Wrote a play, “The Man Who Made The Mountain Shake.”
1952 Wrote radio plays for Theatre Guild of the Air and Cavalcade of America. Wrote teleplays for the series Danger, Manhunt, and Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse. Philco-Goodyear produced Holiday Song and The Reluctant Citizen.
1953 Philco-Goodyear produced Printer's Measure, Marty, The Big Deal, The Bachelor Party, The Sixth Year, and Catch My Boy On Sunday.
1954 The Mother and Middle of the Night presented on Philco-Goodyear. Film version of Marty released.
1955 Marty won four Academy Awards including Best Screenplay and Best Picture. The Catered Affair was his last teleplay; it was shown on Philco-Goodyear.
1956 Middle of the Night opened on Broadway, and film The Catered Affair was released.
1957 Film version of The Bachelor Party was released.
1958 The Goddess was released and won the critics prize at the Brussels Film Festival.
1959 Film version of Middle of the Night was released in New York and London. The Tenth Man became Chayefsky's second Broadway hit. Under the auspices of the U.S. State Department, Chayefsky travelled to the Soviet Union to speak with Russian writers.
1961 Gideon opened on Broadway.
1963-64 Worked on the screenplay for The Cincinnati Kid (1965), for which he was not credited.
1964 The Passion of Josef D., written and directed by Chayefsky, opened on Broadway. The Americanization of Emily, with screenplay by Chayefsky, was released.
1968 The Latent Heterosexual, a play, was produced in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Bristol's Old Vic.
1970 Chayefsky wrote the screenplay for the film adaption of Paint Your Wagon.
1971 Gideon was produced on television. The Hospital was released. Chayefsky helped found an organization, Writers and Artists for Peace in the Middle East; and he was a delegate to the International Conference on Soviet Jewry.
1972 The Hospital won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay.

Much of the above information was supplied by John M. Clum, author of Paddy Chayefsky, soon to be published in the Twain United States Authors Series.

Scope and Content Note

The Paddy Chayefsky Papers, 1937-1972, provide excellent material for the study of most aspects of Chayefsky's diverse career as a writer. The bulk of the collection concerns his writings for four genre: theatre, radio, television, and motion pictures; and there is also a small amount of general correspondence, biographical material, and miscellaneous writings.

The Theatre material includes papers from six Chayefsky plays, 1954-1968. Chayefsky adapted his 1954 teleplay Middle of the Night for Broadway in 1956 and in 1959 adapted it for a film of the same title; scripts, clippings, and other material relating to these three productions are in boxes 10 and 11. For The Tenth Man there are several scripts in English, the script from a French-language production, clippings, and reviews. The extensive manner in which Chayefsky reworks his material is evident in the many script revisions of Gideon and in the research material, scripts, and other production material for The Passion of Josef D. Among the unproduced theatre papers are a script and lyrics for musical comedies written while Chayefsky was in the army, sketches for two plays, and scripts for two plays.

Of his writings for Radio, the collection only includes two 1952 scripts, one for Theatre Guild of the Air and another for Cavalcade of America.

The Television material, 1953-1959, provides an excellent record of Chayefsky's contribution to television's “Golden Age.” There are scripts and some clippings and correspondence from his major teleplays for Fred Coe's Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, including Holiday Song, Marty, The Bachelor Party, Printer's Measure, The Mother, and Middle of the Night. He later adapted three of these teleplays to film and theatre, and there is some material documenting these adaptations. Unproduced television papers include rejected story outlines, a pilot for a series, and material on a teleplay. A book published by Simon and Schuster in 1955 includes scripts and Chayefsky's commentary about six of his television plays; the collection includes a galley and some clippings concerning this book.

Documenting his career as a writer for Motion Pictures are scripts, clippings, and production material for eight films released from 1955 to 1972. Scripts for The Goddess, a film about a film star reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe, are supplemented by publicity material, a Legion of Decency rating, papers from the Brussels and Edinburgh Film Festivals, and reviews from around the world. In addition to the script of The Americanization of Emily written by the author of the book, there are numerous script revisions by Chayefsky and one folder of casting material. Although Chayefsky did not receive credit for The Cincinnati Kid, he prepared almost one cubic foot of scripts for that production. Unproduced material includes scripts and clippings of “The Great American Hoax,” a script, and an untitled story idea.

Miscellany includes one folder of unidentified set designs and one folder of unidentified story outlines, scripts, and script fragments. It is not clear for what genre these were intended.

Administrative/Restriction Information
Use Restrictions

Mr. Chayefsky retains literary rights to this collection.


Acquisition Information

Presented by Paddy Chayefsky, New York, N.Y., May 28, 1962 and December 15, 1969. Accession Number: MCHC62-037, MCHC69-135


Processing Information

Processed by Eleanor McKay, May 25, 1973.


Contents List
Box   1
Folder   1
Series: Correspondence, 1955-1957; n.d.
Series: Biographical Material
Clippings
Box   1
Folder   2
1953-1961
Box   1
Folder   3
1953-1972
Box   1
Folder   4
Memorabilia, 1955
Series: Writings
Box   1
Folder   5
High School articles, 1937-1939
Box   1
Folder   6
Articles, 1955-1959; n.d.
Box   1
Folder   7
Novella, “Go Fight City Hall” by Paddy Chayefsky and Alfred Gordon, 1951
Box   1
Folder   8
Essay in memory of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, 1971
Box   1
Folder   9
Book Review, n.d.
Box   1
Folder   10
Poetry, n.d.
Box   1
Folder   11
Clippings, 1969
Series: Theatre - Produced
No T/O For Love (Soldier Shows Company, 6817th Special Service, U.S. Army, 1945)
Box   1
Folder   12
Script
Box   1
Folder   13
Playbill
Middle of the Night (ANTA, 1956, Feb 8)
Note: See box 10.
The Tenth Man (Booth, 1959, Nov 5)
“The Dybbuk”
Box   1
Folder   14
Script, first rough draft
Box   1
Folder   15
Revised script, Acts I and II, and notes
“The Dybbuk from Woodhaven”
Box   1
Folder   16
Script
Box   2
Folder   1
Script
The Tenth Man
Box   2
Folder   2
Script
Box   2
Folder   3
Playbill
Box   2
Folder   4
Clippings, 1959-1960; 1967
Box   2
Folder   5
Reviews, 1959
Box   2
Folder   6
Le Dixième Homme (French production, 1961), script
Gideon (Plymouth, 1961, Nov 9)
Box   2
Folder   7
Research material
Box   2
Folder   8
Notes, 1960, July 10
Script
Box   2
Folder   9
Act I, scene 1
Box   2
Folder   10
Act I, scenes 2 and 3
Box   2
Folder   11
Act I, scene 4
Box   2
Folder   11
Act II
Box   3
Folder   1-2
Script fragments, “Foul Papers”
Box   3
Folder   3
Script
Box   3
Folder   4
Script
Box   3
Folder   5
Script
Box   3
Folder   6
Script, 1960, Sept
Box   3
Folder   7
Script, before 1961, March 3
Box   3
Folder   8
Notebook re revisions, 1961, Jan 18
Box   3
Folder   9
Script
Box   4
Folder   1
Script
Box   4
Folder   2
Script fragments
Box   4
Folder   3
Script
Box   4
Folder   4
Script
Box   4
Folder   5
Script
Box   4
Folder   6
Script
Box   4
Folder   7
Blocking sketches and floor plans
Box   4
Folder   8
Writer's rehearsal notes
Box   4
Folder   9
Clippings, 1960; 1971
The Passion of Josef D. (Ethel Barrymore, 1964, Feb 11)
Research Material:
Notes, 1962
Box   4
Folder   10
pp. 1-199
Box   4
Folder   11
pp. 200-349
Box   5
Folder   1
pp. 350-432
Notes on Lenin, n.d.
Box   5
Folder   2
pp. 1-90
Box   5
Folder   3
pp. 91-221
Box   5
Folder   4
pp. 222-300
Box   5
Folder   5
pp. 301-383, 1a-c
Box   5
Folder   6
Notebook #1, on Lenin, 1962
Box   5
Folder   7
Notebook #2, on Lenin, 1962
Box   5
Folder   8
Notebook #3, on Lenin, 1962
Box   6
Folder   1
Notebook #4, on Lenin and Stalin, 1962
Box   6
Folder   2
Notebook #5, on Lenin and Stalin, 1962-1963
Box   6
Folder   3
Notes on Lenin, 1963, Jan 17
Box   6
Folder   4
Notes, 1963, Oct
Box   6
Folder   5
Historical outline, n.d.
Scripts:
Box   6
Folder   6
Script summary, 1962, Feb-March
Box   6
Folder   7
“Hallelujah,” script
Box   6
Folder   8
The Passion of Josef D., early draft with set designs
Box   6
Folder   9
“Revolt,” script
The Passion of Josef D.
Box   6
Folder   10
Script
Box   6
Folder   11
Script, 1963, Nov 11
Box   6
Folder   12
Script, 1963, Nov 11
Box   7
Folder   1
Script, 1963, Nov 11
Box   7
Folder   2
Script and set design
Box   7
Folder   3
Music
Box   7
Folder   4
Casting sheets, 1963
Box   7
Folder   5
Rehearsal notes, 1963-1964
Box   7
Folder   6
Director's notes, 1964
Box   7
Folder   7
Program
Box   7
Folder   8
Reviews: Drafts of letter to critic Harold Taubman, 1964, Feb 24
Box   7
Folder   9
Clippings, 1964
The Latent Heterosexual (Dallas Theatre Center, 1968, March 19)
Box   7
Folder   10
Clippings, 1968
Series: Theatre - Unproduced
Box   7
Folder   11
Untitled musical comedy, 1944-1945
Box   7
Folder   12
Unidentified lyrics, 1944-1945
“Put Them All Together”
Box   7
Folder   13
Script, 1947
Box   7
Folder   14
Script, 1947
“The Man Who Made the Mountain Shake”
Box   8
Folder   1
Untitled script, 1951, March 9
Box   8
Folder   2
Revised script, 1951, May 25
Box   8
Folder   3
Second revision, “Don Mario,” 1951, May 25
Box   8
Folder   4
Third revision, 1951, Aug 14
Box   8
Folder   5
Script, “Fifth From Garibaldi,” 1952
Box   8
Folder   6
Clippings, 1951-1954
“The Rabbit Trap”
Box   8
Folder   7
Script, by J. P. Miller, and critique by Chayefsky, 1956?.
Box   8
Folder   8
Sketches of two unpublished plays, 1964, Feb-March
Series: Radio
The Meanest Man in the World (Theatre Guild of the Air, 1952, Jan 8)
Box   8
Folder   9
First draft
The Spectacle Lady (Cavalcade of America, 1952, May 5)
Box   8
Folder   10
Correspondence, drafts, and production information
Series: Television - Produced Material
The Reluctant Citizen (Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, 1953, Feb 8)
Box   8
Folder   11
Script
Marty (Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, 1953, May 24)
Box   8
Folder   12
Script
Marty (UA, 1955)
Box   8
Folder   13
Correspondence, 1955, Dec 19
Box   8
Folder   14
Final screenplay, 1954, Oct 15
Box   9
Folder   1
Clippings re film's awards, 1954-1957
Box   9
Folder   2
Clippings re film and tv play, 1954-69
Box   9
Folder   3
“Marty” (galley of unidentified book), script, n.d.
The Bachelor Party (Goodyear Playhuse, 1953, Oct 11)
Box   9
Folder   4
Script and notes
Box   9
Folder   5
Script
Box   9
Folder   6
Script
Box   9
Folder   7
Script
The Bachelor Party (UA, 1957)
Box   9
Folder   8
Screenplay, first draft
Box   9
Folder   9
Screenplay, second draft
Box   9
Folder   10
Clippings, 1954-1957
Box   9
Folder   10
Legion of Decency ratings, n.d.
Printer's Measure (Goodyear Playhuse, 1953, April 26)
Box   9
Folder   11
Story idea, ca. 1953
Box   9
Folder   11
Published script (Literary Cavalcade, 1957, March)
The Mother (Philco Television Playhouse, 1954, April 4)
Box   9
Folder   12
Script
Box   9
Folder   13
Clippings, 1954, April
Box   9
Folder   14
Mati (Yugoslav TV production, 1958, Dec 17)
Box   10
Folder   1
“The Mother” (galley from Best TV Plays)
Middle of the Night (Philco Television Playhouse, 1954, Sept 19)
Box   10
Folder   2
Script entitled “December Wedding”
Box   10
Folder   3
Final script with commercial
Middle of the Night (ANTA, 1956, Feb 8)
Box   10
Folder   4
Script
Box   10
Folder   5
Clippings
Middle of the Night (Columbia, 1959)
Box   10
Folder   6
Script
Box   10
Folder   7
Script
Box   10
Folder   8
Script
Box   10
Folder   9
Script
Box   10
Folder   10
Script, second draft
Box   10
Folder   11
Script
Box   11
Folder   1
Revised script, 1958, Dec 9
Box   11
Folder   2
Publicity
Box   11
Folder   3
Reviews, U.S. and England, 1959
Box   11
Folder   4
Clippings, 1959
Box   11
Folder   5
Chayefsky memorabilia, 1959
Catch My Boy On Sunday (Philco Television Playhouse, 1954, Dec 12)
Box   11
Folder   6
Script
Box   11
Folder   7
Script
Box   11
Folder   8
Clippings, 1954, Aug-Dec
First Person
Box   11
Folder   9
Clipping, 1954
The Triangle Shirt Waist Company Fire (You Are There, n.d.)
Box   11
Folder   10
Script
Series: Television - Unproduced Material
Box   11
Folder   11
Rejected story outlines, 1952; n.d.
“There's No Business”
Box   11
Folder   12
Story ideas, n.d.
Box   11
Folder   13
Script fragment, “The Five Day Clause,” 1955
Box   11
Folder   14
Script, 1955
Box   11
Folder   15
Script, 1955
Box   11
Folder   16
Clippings, 1955
Box   11
Folder   17
“The Senator and the Lady,” unproduced pilot for a series, story ideas, n.d.
Series: Television - Published Plays
The Bachelor Party and Other TV Plays (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1955)
Galley
Box   12
Folder   1
Forward and Holiday Song
Box   12
Folder   2
Printer's Measure
Box   12
Folder   3
The Big Deal
Box   12
Folder   4
Marty
Box   12
Folder   5
The Mother
Box   12
Folder   6
The Bachelor Party
Box   12
Folder   7
Clippings, 1955
Series: Motion Pictures - Produced
Marty (UA, 1955)
Note: See boxes 8 and 9.
The Catered Affair (MGM, 1956)
Box   12
Folder   8
Story outline
Box   12
Folder   8
Clippings
The Bachelor Party (UA, 1957)
Note: See Box 9.
The Goddess (Columbia, 1958)
Box   12
Folder   9
Script, first carbon copy
Box   12
Folder   10
Script
Box   13
Folder   1
Script, 1957, April 1
Box   13
Folder   2
Scenario published in Esquire, 1958, March
Box   13
Folder   3
Publicity
Box   13
Folder   4
Legion of Decency rating
Box   13
Folder   5
Brussels Film Festival, 1958
Box   13
Folder   6
Edinburgh Film Festival, 1958, Aug-Sept
Box   13
Folder   7
Reviews, England, 1958
Box   13
Folder   8
Reviews, United States and international, 1958
Middle of the Night (Columbia, 1959)
Note: See Boxes 10-11.
The Americanization of Emily (MGM, 1964)
Box   13
Folder   9
Script, rough draft by Huie, 1963, March 18
Box   13
Folder   10
Notes
Scripts
Box   13
Folder   11
Chayefsky's first draft, 1963, June 10
Box   13
Folder   12
Mimeographed first draft, 1963, June 11
Box   13
Folder   13
Rough draft, 1963, June 20
Box   14
Folder   1
First revision and research reports, 1963, June 20
Box   14
Folder   2
Second revision, 1963, July 1
Box   14
Folder   3
Final draft, 1963, Aug 15
Box   14
Folder   4
Script, 1963, Aug 15-Oct 11
Box   14
Folder   5
Script, 1963, Oct 11
Box   14
Folder   6
Script, 1963, Oct 11
Box   15
Folder   1
Script, 1963, Oct 11
Box   15
Folder   2
Script and draft fragments, 1963, Oct 11
Box   15
Folder   3
Casting
The Cincinnati Kid (MGM, 1965)
Box   15
Folder   4
Notes, 1964
Box   15
Folder   5
Notes, n.d.
Box   15
Folder   6
Story, n.d.
Box   15
Folder   7
Notes and draft, 1963, March 25-1964, April 2
Box   15
Folder   8
Draft, 1964, March
Box   15
Folder   9
Notes and draft, 1964, March-July
Notes and draft, 1964, March-July
Box   15
Folder   10
Part I
Box   16
Folder   1
Part II
Box   16
Folder   2
Part III
Box   16
Folder   3
Notes and draft, 1964, April
Box   16
Folder   4
Draft, 1964, May
Box   16
Folder   5
Notes and draft, 1964, May
Box   16
Folder   6
Draft, 1964, July
Box   16
Folder   7
Notes and draft, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   8
Notes and draft, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   9
Draft, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   10
Notes and draft, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   11
Draft, n.d.
The Hospital (1972)
Box   17
Folder   1
Clippings, 1970-1972
Series: Motion Pictures - Unproduced
“The Great American Hoax”
Box   17
Folder   2
Script, ca. 1955
Box   17
Folder   3
Script entitled “A Few Kind Words From Newark,” ca. 1955
Box   17
Folder   4
Clippings, 1957
Box   17
Folder   5
“Three Master Scenes for a Screenplay,” n.d.
Box   17
Folder   6
Untitled story idea, n.d.
Series: Miscellany
Box   17
Folder   7
Unidentified story outlines, scripts, and script fragments, n.d.
Box   17
Folder   8
Unidentified set designs, n.d.