Title: Fredric March Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1899-1970

Creator:

• March, Fredric, 1897-1975

Call Number: U.S. Mss 123AN; Disc 39A; Disc 191A; Tape 189A; Tape 199A; Micro 1183; PH see contents list

Quantity: 2.8 c.f. (7 archives boxes), 4 reels of microfilm (35mm), 7 disc recordings, 3 tape recordings, 1692 photographs, 1 negative, 3 pieces of ephemera, and 1 drawing

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

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 the award-winning stage, screen, and television actor, including correspondence, scripts, and microfilmed clippings and scrapbooks. Coverage is best for the later years of March's career, with some papers also concerning the career of his actress-wife Florence Eldridge. Scripts, some bearing annotations bearing on character development, comprise the most important section of the collection. There are also numerous photographs and some miscellaneous production materials in the collection. Among the best represented productions are The Desperate Hours (1955), Hombre (1967), The Iceman Cometh (1973), and Gideon (1961). Similar files exist for radio and television performances. Several dramatic readings and speeches are available in recorded form. The correspondence is fragmentary and chiefly comprised of fan mail concerning One Foot in Heaven, Long Day's Journey into Night, and other productions.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0123an

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Fredric March was born Frederick McIntyre Bickel on August 31, 1897 in Racine, Wisconsin. He graduated from Racine High School in 1914 and entered the University of Wisconsin, majoring in finance and economics. March's college career was interrupted by a stint in the U.S. Army in 1918 and 1919, but he returned to the university to receive his B.A. in 1920.

March then went to work at the National City Bank of New York in a training program for foreign service; when that program was curtailed March decided to seek a career on the stage. March's first parts were as extras in the films Paying the Piper and The Devil, but late in 1920 he was hired for his first stage role, a one-line bit in David Belasco's production of Deburau. He then toured in Shavings and in 1922 got his first big break in The Law Breaker. A part in Zeno followed in 1923.

In 1924 he assumed the stage name Fredric March, a shortened version of his mother's maiden name, Marcher. In that year he was hired for the juvenile lead in The Melody Man. Stage experience was also acquired in stock and road productions. While on tour with the Theatre Guild repertory company in 1927, March and actress Florence Eldridge slipped away to Mexico and were married. In subsequent years the couple frequently appeared together in plays and films.

In 1928 March went to Los Angeles to appear in The Royal Family, thus beginning a new phase of his career. Paramount Studio signed him to a five-year contract, and his first film for them was The Dummy (1929). Other films followed quickly: The Wild Party and Jealousy in 1929; The Royal Family of Broadway and Laughter in 1930; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Smiling Through, and Sign of the Cross in 1932; Design for Living in 1933; and Death Takes a Holiday and Good Dame in 1934. March won his first Academy Award for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Outstanding films for a variety of studios filled the rest of the 1930's. Among these were The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934), Les Miserables (1935), Anna Karenina (1935), The Dark Angel (1935), The Road to Glory (1936), Anthony Adverse (1936), Mary of Scotland (1936), A Star is Born (1937), There Goes My Heart (1938), and Trade Winds (1939). So successful was March's career that in 1937 he was reportedly the fifth-highest paid person in the country. Twice during this time March returned to the theater: to produce the short-lived Yr Obedient Husband with John Cromwell in 1938 and to star in the Kaufman-Hart play, The American Way, in 1939.

During the early 1940's March divided his time between Hollywood and New York. He made the films Susan and God and Victory in 1940, So Ends Our Night and One Foot in Heaven in 1941, Bedtime Story and I Married a Witch in 1942, but his most-remembered role during this period was his portrayal of Mr. Antrobus in The Skin of Our Teeth which ran on Broadway for nearly a year.

In 1943 March went on tour for the USO, an experience which was to serve him well during his portrayal of Major Joppolo in A Bell for Adano in 1944. In 1944 he also starred in the film The Adventures of Mark Twain. This was followed by The Best Years of Our Lives in 1946, Another Part of the Forest and Live Today for Tomorrow in 1948, and Christopher Columbus in 1949.

During 1950-1951 the husband-wife team appeared together in three plays on Broadway: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, An Enemy of the People, and The Autumn Garden. After this March returned to create one of his most memorable screen roles, as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.

Although March's pace slowed during the 1950's, he made several films including Executive Suite (1954), The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1955), The Desperate Hours (1955), Alexander the Great (1956), and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956). In the middle of the decade came some of the Marchs' most acclaimed work, their roles in Long Day's Journey Into Night (1956).

March appeared on Broadway in Gideon in 1961 and also made several television appearances, but the emphasis of his career in the 1960's was on motion pictures. He filmed Inherit the Wind in 1960; this was followed by The Young Doctors in 1961, The Condemned of Altona in 1963, Seven Days in May in 1964, Hombre in 1967, tick...tick...tick in 1970, and The Iceman Cometh in 1973.

Fredric March was widely regarded as one of the best stage and screen actors of his era. In 1932 he won an Academy Award for his performance in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. His second Academy Award came in 1946 for The Best Years of Our Lives. In 1956 he won a Tony for his role in O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night.

After their retirement Fredric March and Florence Eldridge settled in New Milford, Connecticut, but in the early 1970's they moved to Los Angeles. March died of cancer on April 14, 1975.

The majority of the Fredric March Papers focuses on his professional career, with a lesser quantity of documentation on the career of Florence Eldridge. This material is arranged as series on personal and biographical material, motion pictures, theater, television, radio, and readings and speeches.

The PERSONAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL includes four folders of correspondence, biographical clipping scrapbooks (available only on microfilm), award information, memorabilia, and photographs. The scrapbooks consist of publicity, memorabilia, and reviews, together with material about his World War II USO tour.

The chronologically-arranged correspondence filed with the personal material is fragmentary and incomplete, consisting largely of letters from admirers. The majority of the fan mail concerns One Foot in Heaven and Long Day's Journey into Night. While much of the mail comes from ordinary fans, there are also letters from theatrical colleagues such as Paddy Chayefsky, Charlton Heston, George S. Kaufman, Howard Lindsay, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Sir Lawrence Olivier, and Walter Wanger. There is also correspondence concerning his research on William Jennings Bryan for Inherit the Wind (some with Max Otto) and some contract information for the London run of Long Day's Journey. A few letters touch on problems of USO performances. There are also scattered letters to and from members of his family including a 1912 letter to his mother in which March commented on a performance of Maude Adams in Peter Pan.

Other prominent correspondents from whom there are incidental letters are Leon Ames, John Chapman, Gen. Lucius Clay, Clifton Fadiman, Fred Friendly, Julie Harris, Moss Hart, John Houseman, Helen Keller, Walter Kerr, Stanley Kramer, Max Lerner, Henry R. Luce, Henry Morgenthau, Jawaharlal Nehru, Claude Pepper, Adlai Stevenson, C. L. Sulzberger, Spencer Tracey, Stuart Udall, Mark Van Doren, and Margaret Webster.

Production information, which is chronologically arranged as MOTION PICTURES, THEATER, RADIO, and READINGS AND SPEECHES series, primarily consists of scripts, clippings, and photographs. Except for clippings, the documentation on productions begins in 1932. Even after that date a number of the productions in which March appeared are undocumented or represented with very little material. One file contains playbills for theatre productions in which March appeared for which there is no other types of documentation in the collection. Some of the scripts in the papers are annotated to show character development. Among the best documented are Hombre, The Iceman Cometh, and Gideon. Other notable material in the files includes commemorative volumes for The Buccaneer and Mary of Scotland and the scrapbook put together by the citizens of Racine to honor their native son when Les Miserables opened there in 1935.

March's READINGS AND SPEECHES are represented by scripts and recordings. Some of the scripts are cue cards which show how March phrased and accented his presentations. Many of the readings are of a humanitarian nature.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Fredric March, New York, New York, in 42 installments, 1958-1972. Portions presented by Joseph C. Mathews, New York City, January 19, 1961. Accession Number: MCHC 134, 138, 146; MCHC60-8, 41; MCHC63-36, 39, 43, 60, 82, 84, 89, 90, 95, 98; MCHC64-5, 7, 11, 24, 26, 39, 43, 45, 48, 58, 66, 81, 86, 89, 91, 102, 107; MCHC65-2, 131, MCHC66-58, 62, 77, 88, 109; MCHC68-9, 35; MCHC70-120; MCHC72-2; MCHC73-34, 57, 69; MCHC74-114

Processing Information

Processed by Lindsey Nauen, 1973, and portions revised and prepared for filming by Carolyn J. Mattern, 1990.

U.S. Mss 123AN	Series: Personal and Biographical Material
Box   1 Folder   1	Biographical articles, 1932-1956, undated
Micro 1183	Biographical clippings
	Scrapbooks (filmed without a counter)
Reel   1	circa 1924-1930
Reel   1	1931-1935
Reel   1	1936-1937 (Mary of Scotland, A Star Is Born)
Reel   1	, 1936-1938 (a fan's scrapbook)
Reel   1	1937-1939
Reel   1	1936-1941
Reel   2	1941-1944
Reel   2	1943
Reel   2	1944
Reel   3	1944, continued
Reel   3	1944-1950
Reel   3	1951-1952
Reel   3	Loose clippings, 1913, 1923-1973, undated
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   1 Folder   2	Biographical clippings re Florence Eldridge
Box   1 Folder   3	Biographical clippings re European tour, 1965
	General photographs
PH 1615	Photographs and photograph albums, circa 1910-1955 Physical Description: 983 photographs, 1 negative, 3 pieces of ephemera, and 1 drawing (2 archives boxes)  Scope and Content Note: Includes images of March throughout his life, travels, publicity photographs, family, friends, home life, and March in costume for various motion picture roles.
PH 1623	Photographs of people in costumes perhaps at a party, circa 1930 Physical Description: 11 photographs (1 folder)
PH 1625	Photographs of motion picture production activities, studio sets, camera crews at work, directors, and actors, circa 1910-1955 Physical Description: 32 photographs (1 folder)
PH 2045	Photographs of a television screen showing March performing, apparently in various productions Physical Description: 87 photographs on 10 sheets (1 folder)  Note: These are very poor quality images.
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   1 Folder   4	Memorabilia, 1899-1961
Box   1 Folder   5	Awards and citations, 1941-1965
Tape 199A	Announcement of the University of Wisconsin “Man of the Year” award to March, 1960
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   1 Folder   6-9	Personal correspondence, 1912-1968, undated
	Series: Motion Pictures	⇧
Micro 1183	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (, 1932)
Reel   3	Clippings
	Les Miserables (, 1935)
Reel   3	Clippings
Reel   3	Native son scrapbook
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   2 Folder   1	Publicity material
	Anna Karenina (, 1935)
Box   2 Folder   2	Brochure
	Mary of Scotland (, 1936)
Box   2 Folder   3	Commemorative volume
Disc 39A No.   2	Readings, circa 1936 (and Miscellaneous readings)
U.S. Mss 123AN	A Star Is Born (, 1937)
Box   2 Folder   4	Script
Micro 1183 Reel   3	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Buccaneer (, 1938)
Box   2 Folder   5	Commemorative volume and souvenir booklet
	One Foot in Heaven (, 1941)
PH 1676	Stills Physical Description: 40 photographs (1 folder)
Micro 1183 Reel   3	Clippings
	The Best Years of Our Lives (, 1946)
Reel   3	Scrapbook
	Christopher Columbus (, 1948)
PH 1677	Stills Physical Description: 58 photographs (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Images show production conferences, scenes on the lot, and shooting of the film.
	Death of a Salesman (, 1951)
PH 1619	Stills Physical Description: 47 photographs (1 folder)
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   2 Folder   6	Script, 1951, August 31
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
	Man on a Tightrope (, 1953)
Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	Executive Suite (, 1954)
Box   2 Folder   7	Script, 1953, June 5
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Bridges at Toko-Ri (, 1954)
Box   2 Folder   8	Script, 1953, October 16
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Desperate Hours (, 1955)
Box   2 Folder   9	Script, 1954, September 26
PH 2254	Stills proof strips Physical Description: 343 photographs (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Images show production conferences, scenes on the lot, and shooting of the film.
U.S. Mss 123AN	Alexander The Great (, 1956)
Box   3 Folder   1	Press release
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (, 1956)
Box   3 Folder   2	Script, 1955, November 25
Box   3 Folder   3	Press release, clippings
	Middle of the Night (, 1959)
Box   3 Folder   4	Script and production materials, 1959
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	Inherit the Wind (, 1960)
Box   3 Folder   5	Script (anno.), 1959, August 13
PH 2122	Stills Physical Description: 15 photographs (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Photographs made by Daniel Ross of Galaxy Pictures showing March in the part of William Jennings Bryan. The photographs document the make-up process and show March being fitted with a skin-cap and wig, chest padding, and facial changes.
PH 2763	Stills Physical Description: 17 photographs (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Includes two images of the stageplay's production at the Bonfils Theater, Denver, Colorado.
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Young Doctors (, 1961)
Box   3 Folder   6	Script, 1960, August 12
Box   3 Folder   7	Script, 1960, December 5
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Condemned of Altona (, 1963)
Box   4 Folder   1	Script, circa 1962
Box   4 Folder   2	Script, circa 1962
	Seven Days in May (, 1964)
Box   4 Folder   3	Script, 1963, May
Box   4 Folder   3	Script fragment, 1963, September 18
	Power for a Nation (documentary)
Box   4 Folder   4	Correspondence and scripts, 1964-1965
	Hombre (, 1967)
Box   4 Folder   5	Script, 1965, June
Box   4 Folder   6	Script, 1965, December 27
Box   4 Folder   6	Script fragments
Box   4 Folder   6	Shooting schedule, 1965-1966
	tick...tick...tick (, 1970)
Box   4 Folder   7	Script, 1969, February 26
Box   4 Folder   8	Script, 1969, April 24
	The Iceman Cometh (, 1973)
Box   5 Folder   1	Script (anno.) by Thomas Quinn Curtiss, November 9, 1972 for American Film Theater
Box   5 Folder   2	Script (anno.) circa November 13, 1972
Box   5 Folder   2	Shooting schedule
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
	Series: Theater	⇧
	Yr Obedient Husband (, 1938)
Reel   4	Clippings and scrapbooks
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   5 Folder   3	Playbill and souvenir brochure
	Years Ago (, 1946)
Box   5 Folder   4	Playbill
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Scrapbook
	The Autumn Garden (, 1951)
Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	Long Day's Journey into Night (, 1956)
Box   5 Folder   5	Script fragment
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	Gideon (, 1961)
Box   5 Folder   6	Script, 1961, March 25
Box   5 Folder   7	Script, 1961, June 16
Box   5 Folder   8	Rehearsal script ?
Box   5 Folder   9	Playbill
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
Reel   4	Playbills, 1942-1950
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   6 Folder   1	Series: Radio, 1943-1964	⇧
	Series: Television	⇧
Micro 1183	A Christmas Carol ( 1954, December 23)
Reel   4	Clippings
PH 2232	Stills Physical Description: 59 photographs (1 folder)
U.S. Mss 123AN	Dodsworth ( 1956, April 30)
Box   6 Folder   2	Script and production material
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Winslow Boy ( 1958, November 13)
Box   6 Folder   3	Script, 1956, October
Box   6 Folder   3	Published script
Micro 1183 Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	Tales from Dickens
Box   6 Folder   4	Scripts
Micro 1183	Adventures of Mark Twain (, 1959)
Reel   4	Clippings
U.S. Mss 123AN	American Landmark: Concord and Lexington
Box   6 Folder   5	Script, 1963, April 21
	Series: Readings and Speeches	⇧
Disc 39A No.   4	“Call to America Pledge,” broadcast over WJZ (NY), 1940, July 4
No.   5	Speech to University of Wisconsin Founders' Day, 1948, January 27
Disc 191A	Testimonial honoring Norman Thomas, “A Plea for Peace,” and “In Praise of Difference,” 1950, February 4
U.S. Mss 123AN	The Saga of Western Man
	“1942” ( 1963, October 16)
Box   6 Folder   6	Script
	“1776” ( 1963, December 8)
Box   6 Folder   6	Script
	“American Bell”
Box   7 Folder   5	Scripts, circa 1962 by Archibald MacLeish
	“Life's history of the United States”
Box   7 Folder   6	Scripts, 1962-1963
	International Tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt
Box   7 Folder   8-9	Scripts and slide show material, circa 1963, October
	A Tribute to President John F. Kennedy from the Arts ( 1963, November 24)
Box   6 Folder   7	Script fragment, schedule
Box   7 Folder   7	Declaration of Independence, 1963
	Smalltown, U.S.A.: A Farewell Portrait ( 1964, September 18)
Box   6 Folder   8	Operational outline, scripts
	Lincoln Center Day 1964 ( 1964, September 20)
Box   6 Folder   9	Script
	The Presidency: A Splendid Misery ( 1964, September 23)
Box   7 Folder   1	Script
	The Artist's Eye ( 1965, circa January 15)
Box   7 Folder   2	Scripts
	Protestant Council show ( 1965, November 17)
Box   7 Folder   3	Script and correspondence, 1966
	The Legacy of Rome ( 1966, November 25)
Box   7 Folder   4	Scripts and correspondence
Tape 189A	Hark, The Years narrated by FM, undated
Disc 39A No.   1	Miscellaneous readings and equipment tests, undated
No.   3	Miscellaneous readings and voice tests, undated
U.S. Mss 123AN Box   7 Folder   10-11	Miscellaneous scripts, 1958-1968