Title: John Cecil Holm Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1879-1901, 1925-1979

Creator:

• Holm, John Cecil, 1904-

Call Number: Mss 691

Quantity: 4.2 c.f. (3 record center cartons, 1 archives box, and 1 flat box)

Repository:

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

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of John Cecil Holm, an actor and playwright best known for his play Three Men on a Horse. Included are a few personal papers, autobiographical materials, correspondence, and news clippings and a scrapbook of reviews. There are draft scripts of a number of Holm's plays (some written in collaboration with George Abbott), including Banjo Eyes, Best Foot Forward, Brighten the Corner, Four Cents a Word later made into the film Blonde Inspiration, Gramercy Ghost, The Southwest Corner, Sweethearts, and Three Men on a Horse. Other writings include articles; a book draft; song lyrics; monologues and speeches; short stories, outlines, and story lines; television scripts; and additional unproduced scripts.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00691

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John Cecil Holm (also known as Cecil Holm) was born in Philadelphia on November 4, 1904, to Charles Hedley Holm and Lucinda Bair Holm. He was educated in Philadelphia public schools, graduated from the Perkiomen School, Pennsburg, Pennsylvania (1924), and studied as the University of Pennsylvania (1925). On July 16, 1932, he married Fae Pittenger Brown. She died in 1959. Holm's second wife was Delores Leida Boland, whom he married in 1960.

Holm's acting career began in 1925, with his appearance in The Devil Within in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He later appeared in Whirlpool (New York, Biltmore, 1929), The Front Page (New York, 1930), Penal Law 2010 (Biltmore, 1930), The Up and Up (Biltmore, 1930), Wonder Boy (New York, Alvin, 1931), Dangerous Corner (New York, Empire, 1932), Bloodstream (New York, Times Square, 1932), Mary of Scotland (Alvin, 1934), Bee in Her Bonnet (Charleston, S.C., 1944), Gramercy Ghost (written by Holm; New York, Morosco, 1951), The Southwest Corner (also written by Holm; New York, Holiday, 1955), A Mighty Man Is He (New York, Cort, 1960), Midgie Purvis (New York, Martin Beck, 1961), Mr. President (New York, St. James, 1962), The Advocate (New York, ANTA, 1963), Philadelphia, Here I Come! (New York, Helen Hayes, 1966), and Forty Carats (Morosco, 1968-1970). He was best known as a character actor. Holm also appeared in many roles in films, television, off-Broadway plays, and summer stock.

Between 1934 and 1950 Holm concentrated on writing and directing plays rather than acting. His earliest success was Three Men on a Horse, written with George Abbot, and produced at the Playhouse Theater on January 30, 1935. Holm also directed the Chicago and London companies and the New York revival of Three Men on a Horse. After the success of his first play, directors and producers suggested that he continue writing, and Holm found it difficult to return to acting. He then began writing a series of plays and works to be dramatized for Broadway, including Four Cents a Word (1937), Best Foot Forward (produced and directed by George Abbott, Ethel Barrymore Theater, New York, October 1, 1941; revived off-Broadway in 1963), Banjo Eyes (1941), Quiet Facing the Park (published in Best One Act Plays of 1943), and Brighten the Corner (Lyceum, December 12, 1945). He was a motion picture writer in Hollywood in 1944, and revised the musical comedy Sweethearts in 1947.

Among the books written by Holm were Sunday Best (Farrar and Rinehart, 1942) and McGarrity and the Pigeons (Rinehart and Co., 1947). Original songs which he composed include “Fanfare for Americans” (1965), and “Are You Running With Me, Lord?” (1966).

The John Cecil Holm Papers illustrate his career as a playwright and writer. From Holm's acting career there are mainly newsclippings of reviews. The collection has been arranged in two series: Personal Papers and Writings by John Cecil Holm.

PERSONAL PAPERS include a file of autobiographical sketches and resumes, contracts for Holm to write or adapt plays and television plays, a small amount of general correspondence, drawings, cartoons, and drawing school lessons, and miscellany. There are numerous newsclippings in the collection. A few concern the Pittenger and Brown families of Centralia, Illinois, 1879-1901, who were relatives of Holm's first wife. The remainder illustrate Holm's career as an actor and playwright. The scrapbook contains reviews, letters, photographs, and other memorabilia about Holm and the run of Three Men on a Horse.

WRITINGS BY JOHN CECIL HOLM include examples of his work in many different genres. There are a few articles and stories, in draft and printed form; reviews of his books; materials for a proposed book about David Burns; an outline for a proposed musical comedy book to be entitled “Girl Shy;” and a complete draft of the apparently never-published work “Love In a Barrel.” The collection also contains lyrics for songs, poems, monologues and speeches, short stories, outlines, and story lines, and a script for a pageant presented for the New York Infirmary, together with notes, a history, an article, and a pamphlet about the Infirmary.

The bulk of the series is comprised of Holm's plays, a few of which were written in collaboration with others. Most of the script materials are in draft or typescript form. Holm annotated most of them, indicating a date and place of production and other information about the version of the script or the background behind it. In addition, there are original dialogue materials and playbills from plays in which Holm performed, and scripts and drafts for radio plays, one-act plays, and television plays. Holm's full-length plays for which there are scripts and drafts, playbills, news clippings of reviews, and other materials include: Banjo Eyes, Best Foot Forward (including a draft script and prompt book from the April 1963 revival at Stage 73, New York, in which Liza Minnelli had her first major stage role), “The Boy Who Saw Tomorrow,” Brighten the Corner, “Charley Woodson and the Three Gumberts,” “The Filly from Flatbush,” “Forever Yesterday,” “Four Cents a Word” (later made into the film Blonde Inspiration), “Golden Harvest,” Gramercy Ghost, “Growing Weather,” “Play That Tune,” The Southwest Corner, Sweethearts, and Three Men on a Horse (for which there are numerous early scripts).

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Estate of John Cecil Holm, via William R. Thornton, Westerly, Rhode Island, l982. Accession Number: MCHC82-0l5

Processing Information

Processed by Hans Kaiser and Menzi Behrnd Klodt, 1986.

	Series: Personal Papers
Box   1 Folder   1	Biographical Material
Box   1 Folder   2	Contracts for Plays and Television, 1962-197l
Box   1 Folder   3	General Correspondence, May 29, 1928-September 12, 1975
Box   1 Folder   3	Drawings and Drawing School Lessons, undated
Box   1 Folder   5	Miscellany
	News Clippings
Box   1 Folder   6	Clippings about the Pittenger and Brown Families, Centralia, Illinois, 1879-1901
Box   1 Folder   7-8	General News Clippings, 1925-1971, undated
	Series: Writings by John Cecil Holm	⇧
Box   1 Folder   9	Articles - Drafts and Printed Articles
	Books
Box   1 Folder   10	Reviews of Holm's Books
Box   1 Folder   11	Notes, Correspondence, and Ideas for a Proposed Book About David Burns
Box   1 Folder   12	Outline for an Unproduced Musical Comedy Book Entitled “Girl Shy,” 1941
Box   1 Folder   13-16	“Love in a Barrel” - Draft
Box   1 Folder   17	Lyrics for Songs and Poems, Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   18	Monologues and Speeches
	Plays
Box   1 Folder   19	Original Dialogue for Plays in Which Holm Performed
Box   1 Folder   20-21	Playbills for Plays in Which Holm Performed
Box   1 Folder   22	Radio Plays and One-Act Plays
	Banjo Eyes (musical comedy, premiered December 25, 1941)
Box   1 Folder   23	Typescript Carbon Script, from a book by Quillan and Elinson, from a play by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott, 1941, and News clippings
Box   1 Folder   24	Playbills from Banjo Eyes, Best Foot Forward, Brighten the Corner, and Sweethearts
	Best Foot Forward (musical comedy)
Box   1 Folder   25	Typescript Carbon Script of “Young Man's Fancy” (early version of Best Foot Forward), by John Cecil Holm, circa 1948(?)
Box   2 Folder   1	Outlines and Notes, Typescript Carbon Script (annotated) of “And One for the Lady” (early version of Best Foot Forward), by John Cecil Holm, undated
Box   2 Folder   2	Mimeo Script, undated
Box   2 Folder   3	Revised Mimeo Script (First Draft for Off-Broadway Production at Stage 73, April 1963, New York), book by Holm, music and lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane (annotated), circa 1963
Box   2 Folder   4	Prompt Book for Stage 73 Production, April 1963
Box   2 Folder   5	News Clippings and Reviews
	“The Boy Who Saw Tomorrow” (dramatization by Holm of the book by Ian Niall)
Box   2 Folder   6	Draft Script, copyright 1966
Box   2 Folder   7	Draft Script, circa 1966
	Brighten the Corner (comedy)
Box   2 Folder   8	Typescript Carbon Script of “Here Comes Harvey” (early version of Brighten the Corner), by John Cecil Holm
Box   2 Folder   8	Mimeo Script, undated
Box   2 Folder   9	Changes in Published Version and News Clippings
	“Charley Woodson and the Three Gumberts” (comedy, unproduced?)
Box   2 Folder   10	First Draft(?), typescript Carbon of “The Widows' Friend” (early version of “Charley Woodson and the Three Gumberts”), by John Cecil Holm, 1963
Box   2 Folder   11	Outline of Second Rewrite (Third Draft), February 14, 1963
Box   2 Folder   12	Revised Second Draft, Typescript, circa March 7, 1963
Box   2 Folder   13	Mimeo Script, circa 1964
Box   2 Folder   14	Typescript Carbon and Revised Mimeo Script, circa August 31, 1965
	“The Filly from Flatbush” (unproduced comedy)
Box   2 Folder   15	Typescript “Finished Draft,” by John Cecil Holm and Charles K. Peck, Jr., copyright 1946
	“Forever Yesterday” (unproduced)
Box   2 Folder   16	Typescript Carbon Script, by John Cecil Holm, copyright 1941
	“Four Cents a Word” (production cancelled during rehearsals, later made into the film Blonde Inspiration)
Box   2 Folder   17	Two Drafts (typescript and carbon), both labeled “Final Draft,” by John Cecil Holm, January 27, 1938
	“Golden Harvest” (unproduced?)
Box   2 Folder   18	Mimeo Script, by John Cecil Holm, undated
	Gramercy Ghost (comedy)
Box   2 Folder   19	Typescript Carbon Script, by John Cecil Holm, undated; Outline and Notes, , 1946; Program, , 1971; Playbill; Newsclippings
Box   2 Folder   20	Playbills from Gramercy Ghost and Southwest Corner
	“Growing Weather” (unproduced)
Box   2 Folder   21	Typescript Script, by John Cecil Holm, circa 1945
Box   2 Folder   21	Typescript Carbon Script, circa 1945
Box   3 Folder   1	Typescript Script, circa 1945
	“Play That Tune” (unproduced)
Box   3 Folder   2	Typescript, by John Cecil Holm, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson, circa February 17, 1937
	The Southwest Corner
Box   3 Folder   3	Mimeo Script, by John Cecil Holm, based on the book by Mildred Walker
Box   3 Folder   3	Revised Mimeo Script, September 1954
Box   3 Folder   3	Typescript Carbon of Act III, January 30, 1955
Box   3 Folder   3	Notes by Holm
Box   3 Folder   3	Reviews and News Clippings
	Sweethearts (operetta; New York, Shubert Theater, January 21, 1947)
Box   3 Folder   4	Typescript Carbon Script, book by Harry B. Smith and Fred de Gresac, rewritten by John Cecil Holm, circa 1947; and Newsclippings
	Three Men on a Horse (comedy)
Box   3 Folder   5	Typescript Carbon Script (First Draft) of “Hobby Horses” (early version of Three Men on a Horse), by John Cecil Holm, circa 1934
Box   3 Folder   6	Early Drafts of “Hobby-Horses”
Box   3 Folder   7	Two Early Drafts of “Hobby-Horses,” and Typescript Carbon of Act II, Scene 2
Box   3 Folder   8	Later Typescript and Typescript Carbon Versions of “Hobby Horses”
Box   3 Folder   9	Typescript, Typescript Carbon, and Outline for Changes of “Hobby Horses”
Box   3 Folder   10	Typescript Carbon (“Rough Copy of Final Revised”), by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott, December 12, 1934
Box   3 Folder   10	Typescript Carbon of Three Men on a Horse, by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott, (possibly that used for Washington, D.C. rehearsals and New York opening, January 30, 1955)
Box   3 Folder   11	Typescript Carbon (work script with cues and directions, probably for summer stock)
Box   3 Folder   11	Mimeo Script
Box   3 Folder   11	Holm's Notes and Summary of Productions
Box   3 Folder   12	News Clippings
Box   3 Folder   13	Playbills
Box   5 Volume   1	Scrapbook, 1934-1979
Box   3 Folder   14	Television Adaptation, Script by John Cecil Holm, George Abbott, with Elliott Sullivan, for The Prudential Family Playhouse, aired November 2l 1950
Box   3 Folder   15	Printed Play Scripts
	Short Stories, Outlines, and Story Lines
Box   3 Folder   16	“Auditions Then and Now” - typescript carbon
Box   3 Folder   16	“Charles Woodson” - typescript carbon
Box   3 Folder   16	“Cyril the Carrot” - typescript carbon
Box   3 Folder   16	“Girls Love Ghosts” - typescript carbon
Box   3 Folder   16	“Gloom Preferred,” published in The Household Magazine, August 1941
Box   3 Folder   16	“Ice and Soda” - typescript draft
Box   3 Folder   16	“Jarvis Goes Home,” published in Broun's Nutmeg
Box   3 Folder   16	“Las Vegas” - typescript story carbon story line, October 1, 1953
Box   3 Folder   16	“Magnificent Machines” - typescript carbon story line
Box   3 Folder   16	“The Set Up” - typescript draft
Box   3 Folder   16	“Special Stop” - typescript
Box   3 Folder   16	Untitled, published circa 1939(?)
Box   3 Folder   16	“Way Up Town” - typescript outline for musical comedy, circa April 13, 1948
Box   3 Folder   17	“A Gift in Time” (unpublished)
	Television Scripts
Box   4 Folder   1	“The Casino” (play) -- photocopy and typescript carbon
Box   4 Folder   1	“The Christmas Letter” - 2 typescript carbons
Box   4 Folder   1	“The House Next Door” (play) - typescript
Box   4 Folder   1	“The Other Side of Yesterday” suggested revisions, July 7, 1962; letter, , July 16, 1962
	“Pierre, Marie and Hugo” -- typescript carbons
Box   4 Folder   1	#2 - “The Wedding Cake”
Box   4 Folder   1	#3 - “General Lafayette--He Is Here!”
Box   4 Folder   1	“Reunion” (Armstrong Circle Theatre) typescript carbon
Box   4 Folder   1	“Television” - typescript carbon
Box   4 Folder   2	Script for pageant, Notes, History, Article, Pamphlet, for the New York Infirmary