David Merrick Papers, 1952-1961


Summary Information
Title: David Merrick Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1952-1961

Creator:
  • Merrick, David, 1912-
Call Number: U.S. Mss 18AN

Quantity: 9.2 c.f. (23 archives boxes, 1 flat box)

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

Archival Locations:
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:
Papers of a theatrical producer, consisting of extensive business records, scripts, and correspondence for twelve plays presented by Merrick either alone or in association with others. Among these are Destry Rides Again (1959), The Entertainer (1958), Fanny (1954), Look Back in Anger (1957), The Matchmaker (1955), and Romanoff and Juliet (1957). Seven boxes of the collection are comprised entirely of scripts for plays, motion pictures, musicals, and adaptations of novels and stories which were submitted for production by various authors.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0018an
 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Biography/History

Theatrical producer David Merrick was born November 27, 1912, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was interested in the theatre at an early age and availed himself of every opportunity to see “everything live that came to town in the way of entertainment.”

He entered Washington University on a scholarship. While there he out-ranked Tennessee Williams by winning second prize in a playwriting contest. He transferred to St. Louis University where he earned a degree in law, never ranking lower academically than third or fourth in his class. At both colleges he directed and wrote plays but he came to prefer production. He went to New York where he practiced law until 1949.

In 1940 he first ventured on Broadway by investing $5,000 in The Male Animal, produced by Herman Shumlin. This investment brought him a return of $20,000. He also worked for Shumlin as a playreader, agent and general manager. Shumlin has since called Merrick “a milestone in our modern theatre, where the exploitation of plays has become a lost art. He has revived it. I don't know of anybody in my time in the theatre who's done a job of producing so well or on such a scale.”

Despite his successful law practice Merrick was bored with the law technicalities and he had an increasing interest in the theatre. So, in 1949 he put aside law and made his first production venture, Clutterbuck. Subsequent productions were as follows:

1954: Fanny, with rights from Marcel Pagnol who wrote the trilogy upon which the musical is based. It starred Ezio Pinza and Walter Slezak.
1956: The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder
1957: Look Back in Anger by John Osborne
1958: The Entertainer by John Osborne, starring Laurence Olivier
The World of Suzie Wong, by Paul Osborn, based on a novel by Richard Mason
Epitaph for George Dillon by John Osborne and Anthony Creighton
Maria Golovin by Gian Carlo Menotti
La Plume de Ma Tante, written, devised and directed by Robert Dhery, won the Drama Critics' Circle Award as the best musical of the season. Elizabeth Seal was cited as the best musical-comedy actress.
1958-59: Romanoff and Juliet by Peter Ustinov; Ustinov also acted in it.
Jamaica, with book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy
1959: Destry Rides Again, with music and lyrics by Harold Rome and book by Leonard Gershe
Gypsy, suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee; book by Arthur Laurents
Take Me Along, based on Ah, Wilderness by Eugene O'Neill
1960: The Good Soup by Felicien Marceau; adapted and directed by Garson Kanin; starred Ruth Gordon
Vintage '60, a musical revue
Irma La Douce, with book and lyrics by Alexandre Breffort
A Taste of Honey, by Shelagh Delaney, won the Drama Critics' Circle Award as the best foreign play; a Tony was given to Joan Plowright as the best dramatic actress of the year.
Becket, by Jean Anouilh, starred Laurence Olivier. It won four of the American Theatre Wing's annual Tonys, for the most distinguished playwriting, costumes, sets, staging.
Do Re Mi, with book by Garson Kanin.
1961: Carnival, originally based on story The Seven Souls of Clement O'Reilly by Paul Gallico and filmed as Lili.

At one time during 1960-61 Merrick had six shows running in New York. He is rated as one of two or three most successful theatrical producers in America today. This is attributed to his talent for promotion and his tireless dedication to his productions. Although critics have facetiously called him the “Barnum of Broadway Producers,” because of his use of gimmicks for publicity and promotion, no one can adversely criticize his financial uprightness and acumen. John Kobler in the September 16, 1961 issue of the Saturday Evening Post writes: “... only four of Merrick's twenty-one productions have failed to return their backers' investment. Two broke even. The others have yielded gross profits totaling close to $50,000,000.” Fanny grossed $7,500,000. The unsuccessful productions were Epitaph for George Dillon (66 performances), The Good Soup (21 performances), Maria Golovin (5 performances) and Vintage '60 (8 performances).

In April 1961 Merrick was given a special Antoinette Perry theater award “in recognition of a fabulous production record over the past seven years.” Garson Kanin has said of Merrick: “I revere the guy. He keeps the theater alive in a day when the chances against bringing in a hit are a hundred to one.”

Merrick is said not to like gimmicks for promotion but he uses them--successfully so--as a means of stimulating attendance on the part of those who need such gimmicks to attract them to the theatre and thereby to safeguard the producer, director, playwright and cast. For example, when Fanny opened, it did not receive good notices. Merrick had a sculptor to make a life-sized statue in the nude, of the show's belly dancer. This statue was placed opposite a bust of Shakespeare in the Poet's Corner of New York's Central Park. Life carried a photograph of the statue; posters for the show were displayed on the French Riviera. Fanny continued for a run of 888 performances. The Matchmaker received good notices but Merrick prolonged its run by placing a monkey at the wheel of an antique British taxicab, concealing the actual driver, and sending the cab down Broadway with a sign reading “I am driving my master to see The Matchmaker.” In the fall of 1960 when it appeared that theatre attendance would be lessened by a 7:30 curtain time, Merrick irked his competitors by returning to an 8:30 - 8:40 curtain time on Wednesday evenings.

Mr. Merrick insists upon keeping his private life private.

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of detailed business records, scripts and correspondence for twelve Merrick productions staged between 1954 and 1960, as well as a file of scripts for plays offered for production.

The Merrick Papers are arranged as PRODUCTION FILES and SCRIPT FILES.

The PRODUCTION FILES are arranged alphabetically by title and include such hits as The Matchmaker, Fanny, and Gypsy, as well as unsuccessful productions such as The Good Soup and Maria Golovin. The documented works range from comedy and musicials to more serious drama. Unfortunately, some of Merrick's most important productions of the period such as La Plume de Ma Tante, A Taste of Honey, and Becket are not represented in the collection.

For each production, the documentation is arranged alphabetically by type. Variously included are box office statements, contracts and other legal material, detailed correspondence, clippings and reviews, and playbills. Scripts are not included for every production, although there is a working outline for Fanny prepared by Goodrich and Hackett, a typed and a mimeographed script of The Good Soup by Garson Kanin, and annotated actors' scripts for several productions. For some productions there are also photographs, posters (separated to the WCFTR Title and Poster files), and information on lighting and the physical production. Records on The Entertainer include a file of musical scores.

Bills and other detailed financial records, which comprised a major part of the collection as originally received in 1960, were weeded in 1991, as this information was found to be adequately summarized in the financial statements and in the weekly settlements submitted to Merrick by the theatres.

The SCRIPT FILES consist of typed or mimeographed drafts of plays apparently offered to Merrick for production. There is no documentation here about Merrick's evaluation of any of these scripts, although a few are for plays that he eventually produced such as Carnival, I Can Get It For You Wholesale, and Subways Are for Sleeping. Others are for plays that were apparently never produced. The fact, however, that many of the most important American playwrights of the 1950's and 1960's are represented makes the file of interest. Scripts are arranged alphabetically by playwright.

Administrative/Restriction Information
Acquisition Information

Presented by David Merrick, New York, N.Y., 1961-1962. Accession Number: MCHC61-064 and MCHC62-088


Contents List
Series: Production Files
Destry Rides Again(1959)
Box   1
Folder   1-4
Box office statements, 1959-1961
Box   1
Folder   5
Contracts
Correspondence
Box   1
Folder   6
Insurance, 1959-1961
Box   1
Folder   7-9
Miscellaneous, 1958-1961
Box   1
Folder   10
Tickets for opening night
Box   2
Folder   1
Financial statements, 1959-1960
Box   2
Folder   2
Miscellany
Box   2
Folder   3
Publicity
Box   2
Folder   4
Physical production
WCFTR Title File
Photographs
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   2
Folder   5
Royalties
Box   2
Folder   6
Salary lists
Scripts
Box   2
Folder   7
Treatments
Box   2
Folder   8
Mimeo script by Leonard Gershe, n.d.
Box   2
Folder   9-10
Actors' scripts (anno.)
Box   2
Folder   11
Theatre parties
Box   2
Folder   12
Weekly settlements
The Entertainer(1958)
Box   3
Folder   1
Box office statements, 1958
Box   3
Folder   2
Contracts
Box   3
Folder   3
Correspondence, 1957-1961
Box   3
Folder   4
Financial statements
Box   3
Folder   5
Lighting cue sheets, etc
Box   3
Folder   6
Miscellany
Box   24
Musical score
WCFTR Title File
Photographs
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   3
Folder   7
Prompt book
Box   3
Folder   8
Royalties
Box   3
Folder   9
Weekly settlements
Epitaph for George Dillon(1958)
Box   3
Folder   10
Box office statements, 1958-1959
Box   3
Folder   11
Contracts
Box   3
Folder   12
Correspondence, 1958-1960
Box   3
Folder   13
Financial statements and weekly settlements
Box   3
Folder   14
Miscellany
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   3
Folder   15
Press coverage
Fanny(1954)
Box   3
Folder   16
Arbitration correspondence
Box office statements
Box   3
Folder   17
1954-1955
Box   4
Folder   1-8
1955-1957
Box   4
Folder   9
Contracts and rights
Correspondence
Box   5
Folder   1
Actors Equity, 1953-1957
Box   5
Folder   2
Banking, 1954-1960
Box   5
Folder   3
League of New York Theatres, 1954-1955
Box   5
Folder   4
Theatre parties, 1954-1955
Box   5
Folder   5
Ticket requests and complaints, 1954-1956
Box   5
Folder   6
Miscellany, 1952-1960
Box   5
Folder   7
Financial statements
Box   5
Folder   8
Insurance
Box   5
Folder   9
Miscellany
Box   5
Folder   10
Physical production
Box   5
Folder   11
Publicity
Box   5
Folder   12
Royalties
WCFTR Title File
Photographs
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   5
Folder   13
Salary lists
Scripts
Box   5
Folder   14
Digest of Marius, Fanny, and Cesar by Goodrich and Hackett
Box   5
Folder   15
Typed script, n.d.
Box   6
Folder   1-2
Weekly settlements, 1954-1957
The Good Soup (1960)
Box   6
Folder   3
Box office statements, 1960
Box   6
Folder   4
Contracts
Box   6
Folder   5
Correspondence, 1958-1961
Box   6
Folder   6
Financial statements and weekly settlements
Box   6
Folder   7
Marceau correspondence, 1959-1960
Box   6
Folder   8
Physical production
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   6
Folder   9
Programs
Box   6
Folder   10
Reviews
Scripts
Box   6
Folder   10A
Typed script adapted by Garson Kanin, May 15, 1959
Box   6
Folder   11
Mimeo script, June 1, 1959
Box   6
Folder   12
Theatre parties
Jamaica(1958)
Box office statements
Box   6
Folder   13-14
1957-1958
Box   7
Folder   1-3
1958-1959
Box   7
Folder   4
Contracts
Box   7
Folder   5
Correspondence, 1956-1960
Box   7
Folder   6
Financial statements, 1957-1960
Box   7
Folder   7
Insurance
Box   7
Folder   8
Physical production
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   7
Folder   9
Publicity
Box   7
Folder   10
Royalties
Box   7
Folder   11
Salary lists
Box   7
Folder   12
Tickets for opening night
Box   7
Folder   13-14
Weekly settlements
Juniper and the Pagans
Box   7
Folder   15
Box office statements, 1959
Box   7
Folder   16
Contracts
Box   7
Folder   17
Correspondence, 1959-1960
Box   7
Folder   18
Financial statement and weekly settlements
Box   8
Folder   1
Lighting
Box   8
Folder   2
Miscellany
WCFTR Title File
Photographs
Box   8
Folder   3
Reviews
Box   8
Folder   4-5
Scripts (Actors, anno.)
Look Back in Anger(1957)
Box   8
Folder   6-8
Box office statements, 1957-1959
Box   8
Folder   9
Contracts and rights
Box   8
Folder   10
Correspondence
Box   9
Folder   1
Financial statements
Box   9
Folder   2
Physical production
WCFTR Poster File
Poster
Box   9
Folder   3
Programs
Box   9
Folder   4
Publicity
Box   9
Folder   5
Royalties
Box   9
Folder   6
Salary lists
Box   9
Folder   7-8
Weekly settlements, 1957-1959
Maria Golovin(1958)
Box   9
Folder   9
Bills
Box   9
Folder   10
Contracts
Box   9
Folder   11
Correspondence, 1958
WCFTR Title File
Photographs
Box   9
Folder   12
Publicity and reviews
Box   9
Folder   13
Weekly settlements, box office statements, and salary lists
The Matchmaker(1956)
Box office statements
Box   9
Folder   14-16
1955-1956
Box   10
Folder   1
1957, n.d.
Box   10
Folder   2
Contracts
Correspondence
Box   10
Folder   3
Actor's Equity, 1955-1956
Box   10
Folder   4
Cast, 1955-1957
Box   10
Folder   5
Miscellaneous, 1955-1961
Box   10
Folder   6
Financial statements, 1955-1957
Box   10
Folder   7
Health insurance
Box   10
Folder   8
Miscellany
Box   10
Folder   9
Physical production
Box   10
Folder   10
Programs
Box   10
Folder   11
Publicity
Box   10
Folder   12
Royalties
Box   11
Folder   1
Salary list
Box   11
Folder   2
Visas for cast
Box   11
Folder   3
Weekly settlements, 1955-1957
Romanoff and Juliet(1958)
Box   11
Folder   4-8
Box office statements, 1957-1959
Box   12
Folder   1
Contracts
Box   12
Folder   2
Correspondence, 1956-1960
Box   12
Folder   3
Financial statements, 1957-1957
Box   12
Folder   4
Miscellany
WCFTR Title File
Photographs
Box   12
Folder   5
Physical production
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   12
Folder   6
Programs
Box   12
Folder   7
Publicity
Box   12
Folder   8
Reviews and notices
Box   12
Folder   9
Royalties
Box   12
Folder   10-11
Salary lists
Box   12
Folder   12
Scripts (Actor's)
Box   12
Folder   13
Tours
Box   13
Folder   1-3
Weekly settlements, 1957-1959
Take Me Along(1959)
Box   13
Folder   4-5
Box office statements, 1959-1960
Box   13
Folder   6-7
Contracts
Correspendence
Box   13
Folder   8
Actor's Equity, 1960-1961
Box   13
Folder   9
Investors, 1959-1961
Miscellaneous
Box   13
Folder   10
1955-1959
Box   14
Folder   1
1960-1961
Box   14
Folder   2
Theatre parties, 1959-1960
Box   14
Folder   3
Ticket complaints, 1959-1960
Box   14
Folder   2
Theatre parties, 1959-1960
Box   14
Folder   4
Financial accounts for theatre parties
Box   14
Folder   5
Financial statements, 1959-1961
Box   14
Folder   6-7
Legal Miscellany
Box   14
Folder   8
Miscellany
Box   14
Folder   9
Opening night in New York
Box   14
Folder   10
Physical production
WCFTR Poster File
Posters
Box   14
Folder   11
Programs
Box   15
Folder   1
Promotion and publicity
Box   15
Folder   2
Royalties
Box   15
Folder   3
Salary lists
Box   15
Folder   4
Weekly settlements, 1959-1960
Other plays
Box   15
Folder   5
Miscellaneous printed material
WCFTR Poster File
Posters for World of Suzie Wong, Taste of Honey, Gypsy, Do Re Mi, Crucible, Carnival, Beckett
Series: Script Files
Box   16
Folder   1
Achard, Marcel
The Idiot, typed script, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   2
Adelman, Louis C.
Dressed In Clean Clothes, typed script, 1958
Box   16
Folder   3
Agran, Michael
Genie, mimeo script, 1961
Box   16
Folder   4
Allan, Ted
The Secret of the World, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   5
Barefield, Jack G.
Catstick, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   6
Barrington, Lowell
Like Father, typed script, n.d.
Box   16
Folder   7
Barry, Pete and Bob Kaufman
The Right People, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   15
Folder   6
Bart, Lionel and Joan Maitland
Blitz!, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   17
Folder   1
Beloin, Edmund and Henry Garson
The Red Parasol mimeo script, n.d.
Box   17
Folder   2
Billetdoux, Francois
The Auction, mimeo script adapted by Benn Levin, n.d.
Box   17
Folder   3
Bridges, James
The Days of Dancing, mimeo script (anno.), 1961
Box   17
Folder   4
Bush-Fekete, L.& M.
The Classmate, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   17
Folder   5
Chapman, Tedwell
Drop In Anytime, mimeo script, 1960
Box   17
Folder   6
Coleman, Lonnie
Jolly's Progress, mimeo script, June 9, 1959
Box   17
Folder   7
Comden, Betty & Green Adolf
Subways are for Sleeping, typed script, May 12, 1961
Box   17
Folder   8
Cook, Howard
Vashti, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   18
Folder   1
Copely, Gerard
An Othello Story, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   18
Folder   2
Coudert, Jo
A House Is Not, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   18
Folder   3
Donleavy, J.P.
Fairy Tales Of New York, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   18
Folder   4
Drugger, Abel (Earl Grey)
Esther the Queen, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   18
Folder   5
Durston, David E.
The Individual, mimeo script, 1960
Box   18
Folder   6
Fervar, Mitty
The Jackass Came to a Halt, typed script, n.d.
Box   18
Folder   7
Gottlieb, Alex
Grounds for Marriage, mimeo script, n.d.
Grossman, Budd
Box   19
Folder   1
Girl In Blue Jeans, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   19
Folder   2
The Over-Exposure of Harold Burke, typed script,, 1959
Box   19
Folder   3
Hayes, Joseph
The Midnight Sun, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   19
Folder   4
Hunter, Evan
And Kill A Stranger, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   19
Folder   5
John, Errol
Moon On A Rainbow Shawl, typed script, n.d.
Box   19
Folder   6
Jupp, Kenneth
The Socialities, typed script, n.d.
Box   19
Folder   7
Kehl, Gerry
Jam Tomorrow, typed script, n.d.
Box   19
Folder   8
Knox, Alexander
Mr. and Mrs. Harmon, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   20
Folder   1
Lacey, Franklin
Brave New World, mimeo script, April 21, 1961
Box   20
Folder   2
Laurents, Arthur
The Sleep Walkers, typed script, n.d.
Box   20
Folder   3
Lieberman, Leo
The Captains and the Kings, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   20
Folder   4
Loos, Anita
Zut Alors, typed script, n.d.
Box   20
Folder   5
Love, Edmund G.
The Beautiful and Anxious Maidens, typed script, n.d.
Box   20
Folder   6
Love, Edmund G., and Bertrand Castelli
When It's Love, typed script, n.d.
Box   20
Folder   7
MacDougall, Roger and Ted Allan
Double Image, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   20
Folder   8
Mollison, A. P.
First Night, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   21
Folder   1
Neuveux, Georges
La Voleuse De Londres, mimeo script (anno.), n.d.
Box   21
Folder   2
Norman, Monty
Box   21
The Ballad of Doctor Crippen, typed script, n.d.
Box   21
Folder   3
Rachleff, Owen
A Crisis In Bumma, typed script, 1960
Box   21
Folder   4
Rattigan, Terence
Joie de Vivre, typed script, n.d.
Box   21
Folder   5
Richardson, Jack C.
As Happy As Kings, Mimeo script, n.d.
Box   21
Folder   6
Roli, Mino
The Judgement of Paris, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   21
Folder   7
Rome, Harold
I Can Get It For You Wholesale, mimeo script, 1961
Box   22
Folder   1
Sagan, Francoise
Chateau en Suede, mimeo script (anno.), n.d.
Box   22
Folder   2
Saroyan, William
Ho for Heaven, typed script, n.d.
Box   22
Folder   3
Scott, Allan
Memo, typed script, 1961
Box   22
Folder   4
Selvon, Samuel and Kenneth Pearson
The King of Spades, typed script, n.d.
Box   22
Folder   5
Shaffer, Antony
This Savage Parade, mimeo script, February 22, 1961
Box   22
Folder   6
Stein, Joseph
Ah Wilderness, typed script, n.d.
Box   22
Folder   7
Stewart, Michael
Carnival, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   22
Folder   8
Tabori, George
Brouhaha, mimeo script, 1959
Box   22
Folder   9
Tute, Warren
A Journey to Nowhere, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   22
Folder   10
Wesker, Arnold
The Kitchen, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   23
Folder   1
Willingham, Calder
A Song For St. Cecilia, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   23
Folder   2
Willis, Ted
Hot Summer Night, mimeo script, ca. 1958
Box   23
Folder   3
Young, Stanley
Laurette, mimeo script, n.d.
Unidentified authors
Box   23
Folder   4
A Cock to Asclepius, typed script, n.d.
Box   23
Folder   5
Here Is The News, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   23
Folder   6
Joe Alias, mimeo script, n.d.
Box   23
Folder   7
Vincent and His Angels, typed script, n.d.
Box   23
Folder   8
A Wonderful Life, typed script, n.d.