Container
|
Title
|
M98-001
|
Part 5 (M98-001): Additions, 1930-1985 1.0 c.f. (1 record center carton) and 4 photographs : Additions, 1930-1985, to the Bruce Rubenstein Collection of the Alvah Bessie Archive, including biographical material; clippings and notes; personal and professional correspondence; manuscripts of writings by Alvah Bessie; and four personal photographs. Of note is correspondence between Alvah and his wife and daughter while he was in prison, 1950-1951.
|
|
|
Series: Biographical
|
|
Box
1
Folder
1
|
Clippings, vitae, financial notes, et cetera, 1940-1985
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
HUAC-related items, 1949-1955 : Subpoenas, documents prepared for attorneys, statements and court speeches, petitions, parole board documents, et cetera
|
|
Box
1
Folder
3
|
Gabriel Miller on Alvah Bessie, 1977-1982 : Reviews of Alvah Bessie books and introductions to his works by Gabriel Miller.
|
|
|
Series: Correspondence
|
|
Box
1
Folder
4-5
|
Alvah Bessie/Helen Bessie/Eva Bessie Correspondence, 1950-1951 191 letters (including a few inserts) : Correspondence exchanged between Alvah Bessie, his wife Helen Clare Nelson Bessie, and their daughter Eva (aged 6 in 1950) from just before Alvah Bessie's sentencing for contempt of Congress in June 1950 to his release from Texarkana Prison in April 1951 (the entire correspondence was sent to Eva Bessie Wilson by Alvah Bessie in 1968).
|
|
Box
1
Folder
6-7
|
Alvah and Sylviane Bessie's Letters to Eva Bessie Wilson and her family, 1965-1986 117 letters : Correspondence from Alvah and Sylviane Bessie to Alvah's daughter Eva, her husband Wes Wilson, and their children (the Wilsons' side of the correspondence is not included).
|
|
|
Miscellaneous professional correspondence : Exchanges of letters (usually the letters received by Alvah Bessie and carbons of his own letters) between Alvah Bessie and others concerning matters of politics, writing, publishing, screenwriting, employment, et cetera. The correspondence falls into a series of discrete groups of letters over a short period on a particular topic, and these groups have been foldered here by correspondents in chronological order of the beginning of the correspondence.
|
|
Box
1
Folder
8
|
Henry Moe of the Guggenheim Foundation, 1935-1950, on Alvah Bessie's Guggenheim Writer's Award
|
|
Box
1
Folder
9
|
Ernest Hemingway, open letter from the Veterans of the Lincoln Brigade, 1940
|
|
Box
1
Folder
10
|
Henry Shine, regarding a projected anti-Hitler magazine, 1941
|
|
Box
1
Folder
11
|
Luther Adler, regarding publishing matters, 1948
|
|
Box
1
Folder
12
|
Elia Kazan, regarding producing a play by Alvah and Helen Clare Nelson Bessie, 1948
|
|
Box
1
Folder
13
|
Ramón Sender, regarding his novel The King and the Queen, 1948
|
|
Box
1
Folder
14
|
Screen Writer's Guild, regarding Alvah Bessie's membership, 1951
|
|
Box
1
Folder
15
|
Herbert [?], regarding writing for L'écran Français/Les Lettres Françaises, May 19, 1952
|
|
Box
1
Folder
16
|
Morris [?] of the International Longshore Workers Union, regarding Alvah Bessie's employment by the Union, 1953
|
|
Box
1
Folder
17
|
People's World magazine, notes for articles and correspondence about book reviews, 1956
|
|
Box
1
Folder
18
|
Harry Bridges, regarding Alvah Bessie's position with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, 1958
|
|
Box
1
Folder
19
|
Dalton Trumbo and Angus [?] of Cameron Associates, regarding a film or novel drawing on Alvah Bessie's night-club experiences, 1958
|
|
Box
1
Folder
20
|
Oronite statement, returned by Cuban revolutionary management, 1961
|
|
Box
1
Folder
21
|
Herb Caen, regarding a gossip column item on Alvah Bessie, 1961
|
|
Box
1
Folder
22
|
San Francisco Chronicle, regarding an article on the Rosenberg case, 1965
|
|
Box
1
Folder
23
|
David and Daniel Bessie, and Jaime Camino, regarding the screenplay for the film The Hostages, 1971-1975
|
|
Box
1
Folder
24
|
Time magazine, in response to an article about Charles Chaplin, 1972
|
|
Box
1
Folder
25
|
Robert Crichton, regarding his father, Kyle Crichton, 1975
|
|
Box
1
Folder
26
|
Victor Navasky, about his HUAC research, 1975
|
|
Box
1
Folder
27
|
Ring Lardner, Jr., in response to a review of his book My Family Remembered, 1976
|
|
Box
1
Folder
28
|
Ring Lardner, Jr., Lester Cole, Albert Maltz, and the San Francisco Chronicle, in relation to an article by Lardner, 1978
|
|
Box
1
Folder
29
|
Lester Cole, in relation to his book Hollywood Red, 1982
|
|
Box
1
Folder
30
|
PEN American Center (especially Kathy Boyle), regarding a possible award for Alvah Bessie, 1982
|
|
Box
1
Folder
31
|
Martha Gellhorn, principally about a television documentary-drama on Ernest Hemingway in Spain, 1982-1985
|
|
Box
1
Folder
32
|
Edward Anser, about an appeal on behalf of El Salvador trade-unionists, 1984
|
|
Box
1
Folder
33
|
Ring Lardner, Jr., in relation to his book, All for Love, 1985
|
|
Box
1
Folder
34
|
Lou Gottlieb, about the introduction to a performance of some of Alvah Bessie's songs, 1985
|
|
|
Series: Writings of Alvah Bessie
|
|
|
Miscellaneous unpublished manuscripts
|
|
Box
1
Folder
35
|
“The Ballad of the International Brigade”: libretto for oratorio or radio ballad, undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
35
|
Untitled play about the Spanish Civil War, undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
35
|
Jules Roy, The Horses of the Sun, translated by Sylviane and Alvah Bessie, undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
35
|
“Condena,” poem in Spanish by Rafael Alberti, December 8, 1970, with translation by Alvah Bessie, as “Sentence”
|
|
|
Novels
|
|
Box
1
Folder
36
|
Chapter from The Un-Americans with preface for publication in The Contemporary Reader, undated, 1950s
|
|
|
Short stories
|
|
|
Five short stories by Alvah Bessie with unsigned cover letter to “Bruce” [Rubinstein] from Dan or David Bessie
|
|
Box
1
Folder
37
|
“Like Father,” 1935
|
|
Box
1
Folder
37
|
“Libation,” 1935
|
|
Box
1
Folder
37
|
“The Professor's Friend,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
37
|
“Problem in Design,” 1936
|
|
Box
1
Folder
37
|
“Vermont Landscape: 1931”
|
|
Box
1
Folder
38
|
“American Underground,” by Peter Redman [pseudonym?], 1950
|
|
Box
1
Folder
38
|
“In French,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
38
|
“I Am Mr. Russki,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
39
|
“Bubo virginanus” (first published in Alvah Bessie's Short Fictions, 1982)
|
|
|
Poetry
|
|
|
Unbound Typescripts
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?”, undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“The Co-Existence Blues,” 1956
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Five Prison Poems” ( August 10, 1951-titles: “White Night,” “For My Dead Brother,” “A Song for the New Year”-two versions, “For Mr. Lincoln,” “The Free World”)
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Five Songs for Spain” (Missing titles: “Lamentations, For My Dead Brother”; Present titles: 2. “Memory of Battle,” 1951; 3. “Flamenco,” , 1952; 4. “The Dead Past,” , 1952; 5. “For Steve Nelson,” , 1953)
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“For My Daughter,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“For My Dead Brother/Love and Live,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“For My Sons,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“For the Political Prisoners,” December 30, 1953) 3 versions
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Getting Short,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“I Am Addicted to You,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“June 19, 1953,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Miltown Blues” ( 1956), and copy with “Miltown” crossed out and replaced with “Valium” throughout
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Outside Looking In,” 1951
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Parole Board,” undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Rest Room,” October 21 with Los Angeles Times, , October 20, 1949, clipping on arrest of Dalton Trumbo for drunkenness
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
“Those Subversive Blues,” verse play, 1960
|
|
Box
1
Folder
40
|
Untitled, January 1, 1956
|
|
Box
1
Folder
41
|
The Free World (and other captive verse) by Alvah Bessie (introduction, April 9, 1951) Bound typescript of poetry collection
|
|
|
Film stories and screenplays
|
|
Box
1
Folder
42
|
Cross of Gold, 1950 story by Alvah Bessie(?) Inscribed “Black market original ... sold by Ned Young”.
|
|
Box
1
Folder
43
|
Executive Action, screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, revisions by Alvah Bessie, May 1973; letter concerning Executive Action from Alvah Bessie, , May 9, 1973 Annotated cylostyled typescript of screenplay with revises inserted
|
|
Box
1
Folder
44
|
The “S” Bomb, screenplay by Jerrold I. Zinnamon [and Alvah Bessie, uncredited], 1956
|
|
Box
1
Folder
45
|
To Kill a Man, Film Treatment by Alvah Bessie and Helen Clare Nelson [Bessie] based on Bessie's novel Bread and a Stone, undated, but before Alvah Bessie's imprisonment
|
|
Box
1
Folder
46
|
The Un-Americans, screenplay by Alvah Bessie from his novel, undated
|
|
Box
1
Folder
47
|
The Wasteland, film story by Alvah Bessie, registered April 28, 1976
|
|
Box
1
Folder
48
|
Without Fear or Favor, screenplay by Alvah Bessie, October 6 - November 18, 1943
|
|
|
Miscellaneous articles and a speech
|
|
Box
1
Folder
49
|
“Wanted: A People's War” ( undated, but during World War II)
|
|
Box
1
Folder
49
|
“A Hero for this Month,” undated, but , late 1940s or 1950s : Newspaper article on Joseph Rosmarin
|
|
Box
1
Folder
49
|
“Casablanca Revisited,” article, 1979
|
|
Box
1
Folder
49
|
“Fanning the Flames of Discontent,” text of speech to First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles, May 29, 1983
|
|
|
Unpublished Articles
|
|
|
Group of typescripts originally in folder labeled “unpublished”
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
Open letter by Alvah Bessie calling for purchase of War Bonds, January 19, 1942
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
“There's a Difference,” short article by Alvah Bessie, with letter from Frances Pinduck reporting rejection by Liberty magazine, January 5, 1943
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
“Wings of Victory,” film review, undated, but early 1940s
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
Untitled review of film All the King's Men, undated but contemporary with the release of the film
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
“The Touchstone (Franco Spain and America since 1939),” unpublished pamphlet, undated (, 1950 or 1951, by internal evidence)
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
Letter of resignation by Alvah Bessie from the Communist Party of the USA, February 15, 1957 Carbon draft
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
Unpublished reviews of various books on the Spanish Civil War commissioned by Ramparts and San Francisco Chronicle (, 1966-1967)
|
|
Box
1
Folder
50
|
Review of Studs Terkel's Hard Times, commissioned but not published by Scanlan's Monthly, March 30, 1970
|
|
|
Autobiographical Writings
|
|
Box
1
Folder
51
|
“Where are you, Leon Ansbacher?” (autobiographical essay), undated Photocopy
|
|
Box
1
Folder
51
|
“Slice of Life: Prospectus for a Memoir,” by Alvah Bessie, July 15, 1981 Carbon typescript
|
|
Box
1
Folder
52
|
“Sequel (to Inquisition in Eden)”: correspondence with Carey McWilliams of The Nation, 1972, concerning writing reviews for the magazine and possible sequel to Inquisition in Eden; 1951 clippings on Edward Dmytryk's switching sides; , 1972 clippings about Dmytryk and letters to the press by Alvah Bessie; corrected proof of “Sequel”
|
|
|
Series: Photographs : 4 snapshots, separated from Letters of Alvah and Sylviane Bessie to Eva Bessie Wilson and her family.
|
|
Box
1
Folder
53
|
Hôtel-Dieu, Beaune (Burgundy), May 22, 1979 : Enclosed with Alvah Bessie to Eva Bessie-Wilson, July 4, 1979.
3"x4" color print, inscribed on reverse, “... also known as L'Hospice de Beaune”
|
|
Box
1
Folder
53
|
Alvah Bessie, 1980 : Enclosed with Alvah Bessie to the Wilsons, August 26, 1980.
3"x4" color print, inscribed on reverse
|
|
Box
1
Folder
53
|
Alvah and Sylviane Bessie, November 1982 : Enclosed in Alvah Bessie to the Wilsons, December 22, 1982.
3"x4" color print, inscribed on reverse, “At a cocktail party recently in Ross”
|
|
Box
1
Folder
53
|
Adam and Alvah Bessie, June 1982 : Enclosed with Alvah Bessie to the Wilsons, July 26, 1982.
3"x4" color print, inscribed on reverse, “2 (Adam) and 78 (Alvah)”
|
|