Title: Paul Osborn Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1926-1964

Creator:

• Osborn, Paul, 1901-

Call Number: U.S. Mss 49AN

Quantity: 7.8 c.f. (18 archives boxes, 4 volumes, 3 packages)

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 Paul Osborn, a well known writer of plays, motion pictures, and adaptations, consisting of scripts, revisions, clippings, photographs, scrapbooks, and playbills. Among the represented plays are A Bell for Adano (1944), Mornings at Seven (1939), On Borrowed Time (1938), Point of No Return (1951), and The World of Suzie Wong (1958); among the motion pictures are East of Eden (Warner Bros., 1955), Homecoming (MGM, 1948), Madame Curie (MGM, 1943), Mrs. Miniver (MGM, 1942), The Old Man and the Sea (Warner Bros., 1955), Sayonara (Warner Bros., 1957), South Pacific (Magna Theatre Corp., 1958), Wild River (20th Century-Fox, 1960), The Yearling (MGM, 1940), and The Young in Heart (UA, 1938). Relating to his writing techniques are a group of annotated novels which Osborn adapted for dramatic production. One box contains business papers and correspondence. Also included is a group of set designs by Jo Mielziner for Osborn's unsuccessful play Maiden Voyage (1957).

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0049an

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Paul Romaine Osborn, outstanding American writer of plays, screenplays, and adaptations, was born in Evansville, Indiana, in 1901. The son of Edward Saxon and Bertha Judson Osborn, he moved a year later to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he spent his boyhood. He enrolled at Kalamazoo College in 1919, but transferred the following year to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he received his B.A. in psychology in 1923. He remained an additional year to earn an A.M. in English, whereupon he joined the faculty there as an instructor in English for an additional two years.

As an undergraduate, Osborn had originally planned to study engineering, but the literary influences of the then poet-in-residence, Robert Frost, who was also to become a life-long friend of Osborn, caused him to change direction. As early as 1920 he became involved in the organization of a group of amateur actors called the Dodos, who reached their peak producing plays commercially in the years 1923-1926. This last year the group went into debt and ceased practical existence, but the Dodos imparted to Osborn his dramatic impetus, for during his Christmas vacation in 1925 he began work on his own first commercially successful play, Hotbed, which Brock Pemberton eventually produced on Broadway in 1928.

Before his arrival in New York, however, Osborn enrolled for two years, 1926-1927, at Workshop 47, Professor George Pierce Baker's famous drama school at Yale. Out of his work there came another successful play, produced later, The Vinegar Tree. Critical acclaim toward this work, as well as the earlier Hotbed, assured him of a promising career, and the production of such hits as On Borrowed Time in 1938 and Mornings at Seven, generally recognized as his finest original work, secured his reputation as one of the great playwrights of modern times.

Throughout his career, some authorities have consistently maintained that Osborn's talents are better suited to the technique of adaptation. His successes here, both on the stage and on the screen, certainly have been many, including The Young in Heart, his first screenplay, produced in 1938; A Bell for Adano; Point of No Return; Madame Curie; The Old Man and the Sea; The Yearling; and Sayonara, nominated for an Academy Award.

In the field of original screenplays, on which much of his later fame rests, Osborn has had some outstanding successes in South Pacific, his only musical; East of Eden, nominated for another Academy Award; The World of Suzie Wong; and Wild River. Osborn has collaborated with such outstanding Broadway and Hollywood producers as Elia Kazan, Joshua Logan, David O. Selznick, Leland Hayward, Brock Pemberton, and Kermit Bloomgarden.

In 1960, Osborn was invited by Weimer K. Hicks, president of Kalamazoo College, to receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Literature, for his “achievements as a playwright” and in light of the “renascence of interest in the performing arts.”

In 1928, Osborn married Florence Lauchheim of New York, whom he divorced ten years later. On May 10, 1939, he married Millicent Green, a former actress.

With one exception, this collection lends itself to simple chronological organization, and is so arranged. Osborn has corresponded with a number of prominent persons in the literary and entertainment worlds, and the following list shows the chief among these, with inclusive dates indicating the period of correspondence.

*Baker, George Pierce

1926, May 1? - 1928, Nov. 5

Berlin, Irving

1954, Mar. 31

Bloomgarden, Kermit

1961, Jan. 24

*Cronyn, Hume

1954, Feb. 18

Evans, Maurice

undated

Franklin, Sidney A.

1963, May 5

Gielgud, Sir John

1960, May 20

*Hayward, Leland

1954, June 28 - 1957, June 3

Hecht, Ben

1959, Feb. 4

Kazan, Elia

1954, Apr. 19 - 1960, Dec. 27, undated

Knopf, Alfred A.

1944, Dec. 26

*Logan, Joshua

1944, June 23 - 1963, Oct. 23, undated

March, Fredric

1963, May 30 - 1963, June 4

*Marquand, John P.

1951, July 30

Mencken, H. L.

1926, Mar. 8

Mielziner, Jo

1962, Jan. 23

Moore, Victor

1953, Jan. 10

Pemberton, Brock

1927, Mar. 22 - 1929, Feb. 12

Robbins, Jerome

1962, Aug. 3

*Rogers, Richard

1958, Dec. 10 - 1963, June 3

Schary, Dore

1958, Dec. 3

Selznick, David 0.

1960, Mar. 4 - 1960, June 24

Stewart, Jim

1961, Nov. 8

Tracy, Spencer

1941, Nov. 27 - 1942, Oct. 6

Untermeyer, Louis

1958, Oct. 17 - 1962, Oct. 30

van Druten, John

1953, Sept. 16 - 1953, Sept. 25

Wiman, Dwight Deere

1930, Mar. 25 - 1930, Apr. 3

Zanuck, Darryl F.

1955, Apr. 28

In addition, two scrapbooks, Vols. 1 and 2, contain significant correspondence, in part from those whose names above are marked with an asterisk (*).

Scrapbook Vol. 1 contains a George Pierce Baker letter criticizing Hotbed, 1928, Nov. 12.

Scrapbook Vol. 2 contains correspondence from prominent theater and literary people, primarily in the form of congratulatory telegrams relating to the 1951 production of Point of No Return. In many cases, these persons are represented nowhere else in the collection, and are therefore listed in detail here. Because this correspondence is fastened permanently into the scrapbook, the following order of listing for Vol. 2 is the order in which each letter or telegram appears. This method, though it involves the repetition of some names, appeared best to the processor since most of the correspondence carries an identical or closely similar date.

Hayward, Lela

1951, Dec. 13

Marquand, John P.

1951, Dec. 12

Stickney, Dorothy, and Lindsay, Howard

1951, Dec. 13

Crouse, Russel

1951, Dec. 13

Bocher, Main

1951, Dec. 13

Logan, Joshua

1951, Dec. 12

Rose, Billy

1951, Dec. 12

Porter, Cole

1951, Oct. 29

Selznick, Irene

1951, Dec. 13

Ferber, Edna

1951, Dec. 12

Franklin, Sidney

1951, Dec. 13

Hammerstein, Oscar II, and Dorothy

1951, Oct, 28

Rogers, Richard

1951, Oct. 29

Crony, Hums, and Jessica

1951, Dec. 13

Burrows, Abe

1951, Dec. 12

Rogers, Richard, and Hammerstein, Oscar II

1951, Dec. 13

Marquand, John P., to Hayward

1951, Nov.

Following the correspondence are business papers and contracts. In the case where a letter was found attached to a particularly large group of business papers, or to an unusually bulky contract, it was removed, placed with correspondence, and cross-referenced. All letters were removed from box office receipts.

After the business papers follow play and screenplay manuscripts, and then TV scripts, all of which are arranged in alphabetical order, because many carry no date. After a small group of unidentified Osborn manuscripts are placed three works by other authors; also in this section are placed set designs for Maiden Voyage, executed by Jo Mielziner, and playbills for all of Osborn's major plays.

The collection contains copious quantities of clippings, dated but unsorted. These include reviews of all of Osborn's works produced, as well as general and miscellaneous articles relating to Osborn and phases of his work. The magazine article concerning Osborn, “A Superior Writing Talent,” was placed separately in Box 15 because of the important biographical details it contains.

Photographs from productions follow the clippings. Photographs from East of Eden, containing a large number of stills of the late James Dean, have been removed to the WCFTR Film Title File. Package 1 contains personal photographs, including pictures of Osborn himself as well as a number of other celebrities.

Four scrapbooks, Vols. 1-4, are included in the collection. The first includes clippings and other material relating to two of Osborn's earliest productions, Hotbed, and A Ledge, along with other, unrelated, items. Vols. 2 and 3 relate to Point of No Return, produced in 1951-53; while Vol. 4 contains a record of the 1953 revival of On Borrowed Time.

Vols. 7-13, in Box 20, include a group of annotated novels from which Osborn at different times adapted a play or screenplay. Annotations in several, such as Point of No Return or The Yearling, are extensive, and provide important documentation of the method by which a master literary craftsman converts a previously written work into a new medium.

Finally, at the end of the collection, in Package 2, is placed a striking water color, “The Red General,” a gift to the Osborns from famous stage designer Jo Mielziner; and, in Package 3, four posters for stage productions Osborn has written.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Paul Osborn, New York, N.Y., Aug. 6, 1964.

Processing Information

Processed by WHB, September 17, 1964.

Box   1	Correspondence, 1926, Mar. 8 - 1964, Feb. 3, undated
Box   1	Business papers, 1932, Aug. 4 - 1962, May 4
Box   1	Contracts, 1929, Nov. 21 - 1959, July 21
Box   2	Musical, Mr. Brink, based on Osborn's play, On Borrowed Time, undated
	Plays
	A Bell for Adano
Box   2	Copy 1, 1944, Sept. 19
Box   2	Copy 2, 1944
Box   2	The Bridge, undated and , undated draft
Box   2	Film of Memory, undated
	The Innocent Voyage
Box   2	Copy 1-2, undated
Box   3	Copy 3, undated
	Maiden Voyage
Box   3	Copy 1-3, 1959, Feb.
Box   3	Copy 4, 1959, Mar.
Box   3	Copy 5, 1960, Oct. 18
Box   3	Copy 6-8, undated
Box   4	Copy 9-15, undated
Box   5	Copy 16-21, undated
Box   5	Drafts and misc. notes, undated
Box   5	Mary Hackett Swope, 1949, Feb. 14
Box   5	Meeting in Australia, undated
	Mornings at Seven
Box   6	Copy 1, 1939, Sept. 11
Box   6	Copy 2, 1939, Nov.
Box   6	Copy 3 (incomplete), undated
Box   6	The New Suit, undated
Box   6	On Borrowed Time, undated
Box   6	Point of No Return, Copy 1-3, undated
	Scarecrow on the Tree
Box   6	Copy 1, 1961, May 18
Box   7	Copy 2-5, 1961, May 31
Box   7	Copy 6-7, 1961, Oct. 27
Box   7	Copy 8, 1961, Nov. 17
Box   8	Copy 9-10, 1962, Feb. 5
Box   8	Draft, undated
Box   8	Act I draft, undated
Box   8	Incomplete draft sheets, undated Physical Description: 2 folders
	Tomorrow's Monday
Box   8	Copy 1, undated
Box   9	Copy 2, undated
Box   9	The Vinegar Tree, 1930, Nov. 19
	The World of Susie Wong
Box   9	Copy 1-6, 1958
Box   10	Annotated sheets and notes, 1958
	Screenplays
Box   10	Cry Havoc, 1943, Mar. 11
Box   10	East of Eden, 1954, May 17
Box   10	Forever, undated
Box   10	Homecoming, 1947, Mar. 31
Box   10	Madame Curie, 1942, Dec. 21
Box   10	Mrs. Miniver, 1941, Oct. 18
	Mornings at Seven
Box   11	Copy 1, undated
Box   11	Copy 2, incomplete, undated
	The Old Man and the Sea
Box   11	Copy 1, 1955, June 14
Box   11	Copy 2, 1955
Box   11	Copy 3-4, 1956, Mar. 26
Box   11	Copy 5, 1957, June 1
Box   11	Story outline, 1954, June, draft sheets, misc. notes, , undated
	Portrait of Jennie
Box   11	Copy 1, 1947, Mar. 12
Box   11	Copy 2, 1947, June 30
	Sayonara
Box   12	Copy 1, 1956, Dec. 20
Box   12	Copy 2, undated
	South Pacific
Box   12	Copy 1, 1956, Dec. 11
Box   12	Copy 2, 1957, May 22
Box   12	Copy 3, 1957, June 10
Box   12	Copy 4, undated
	Wild River
Box   12	Copy 1, 1958, Apr. 7
Box   13	Copy 2, 1958, Apr. 7
Box   13	Copy 3, 1959, Aug. 20
Box   13	Copy 4, 1959, Sept. 1
Box   13	Copy 5, 1959, Oct. 5
	The Yearling
Box   13	Copy 1, 1940, July 2
Box   13	Copy 2, 1944, Dec. 7
Box   14	The Young in Heart, 1923, Apr. 23
	TV Scripts
Box   14	A Sunny Morning, 1954
Box   14	The Birthmark, undated
Box   14	Bright Golden Girl, undated
Box   14	The Duplicity of Hargraves, undated
	Erwin Shaw's Triumph of Justice
Box   14	Copy 1, undated
Box   14	With interspersed draft sheets, undated
Box   14	Draft sheets, undated
Box   14	The Gift of the Magi, undated
Box   14	The Higher Pragmatism, undated
Box   14	Home Burial, undated
Box   14	Mornings at Seven, 1948, Feb. 22
Box   14	On Borrowed Time, 1952, June 25
Box   14	The Whirligig of Life, undated
Box   15	Unidentified manuscripts, 1944 Mar. 24, undated
Box   15	Novel, The Blue Danube, by Ludwig Bemelmans, undated
Box   15	Short story, “Christopher,” by Ludwig Bemelmans, undated
Box   15	Play, Mr. Roberts, by Thomas Heggen, undated
Box   15	Article, printed, “A Superior Writing Talent,” by Jane Howard, 1958, June 7
Box   15	Ephemera
Box   15	Miscellaneous papers, undated
Box   15	Miscellaneous scene and costume designs for Maiden Voyage, 1957, and Pride and Prejudice, , undated
Box   15	Programs, 1928, Nov. 9 - 1956, Jan. 8, undated
	Miscellaneous unsorted clippings
Box   15	Group 1
Box   16	Groups 2-5
Box   17	Groups 6-7
	Photographs
Box   17	Sayonara, 1956
Box   17	South Pacific, 1957, and The Vinegar Tree, Netherlands production, , undated
	Unidentified production, undated
	East of Eden Note: These photographs, originally comprising Volumes 5-6 in Boxes 18-19, were transferred to the WCFTR Film Title File, June 30, 2000.
	Annotated books
Box   20 Volume   7	The Film of Memory, by Maurice Druon, 1955
Box   20 Volume   8	The Complete Works of Homer, translated by Lang, Leaf, Myers, and Butcher, 1950
Box   20 Volume   9	Madame Curie, by Eve Curie, 1939
Box   20 Volume   10	The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, 1952
Box   20 Volume   11	Point of No Return, by John P. Marquand, 1949
Box   20 Volume   12	Sayonara, by James A. Michener, 1953
Box   20 Volume   13	The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlins, 1938
	Scrapbooks
Volume   1	Circa 1927-1929, including material on early plays, Hotbed, and A Ledge
Volume   2	1951, concerning Point of No Return
Volume   3	1952-1953, concerning Point of No Return, road company
Volume   4	1953, concerning On Borrowed Time, revival
Package   1	Photographs, including prints of Robert Frost, Joshua Logan, Arthur Miller, Marilyn Monroe, and Louis Untermeyer
Package   1	Award certificate from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corp., 1947
Package   2	Water color, “The Red General,” by Jo Mielziner
Package   3	Posters for A Bell for Adano, Maiden Voyage, Point of No Return, and The World of Suzie Wong