Title: David Ffolkes Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1924-1966

Creator:

• Ffolkes, David, 1912-1966

Call Number: U.S. Mss 177AN; Micro 669

Quantity: 5.4 c.f. (13 archives boxes, 1 oversize folder) and 1 reel of microfilm (35mm)

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 a costume and set designer for motion pictures and theater. Comprising the majority of the collection are sketches, designs, photographs, fabric samples, notes, and scripts. Of the 18 motion pictures and 27 plays represented, best coverage is provided for Alexander the Great (UA, 1956), Island in the Sun (20th Century-Fox, 1959), Journey to the Center of the Earth (20th Century-Fox, 1959), Where's Charley? (both the 1947 play and the 1952 Warner Brothers film), and several Shakespearean plays. Miscellaneous papers include awards, clippings and scrapbooks, correspondence, programs, unidentified designs, and articles about the London stage and Ffolkes' Shakespearean work.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0177an

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David Ffolkes, set and costume designer for motion pictures and theater, was born at Hagley Grange, West Hagley, England on October 12, 1912. His father, H. E. Folkes (David Ffolkes legally changed the spelling of his surname), was a Stourbridge architect and Ffolkes himself attended the Birmingham School of Architecture before he embarked on his theatrical career.

He began his work in the theater in 1934 when he designed the sets and costumes for The Writing on the Wall and Sunshine Sisters. Such was his growing reputation that Ffolkes was engaged to prepare sets and costumes for ten plays during the 1934-35 season of the Old Vic. Leading actor Maurice Evans was so impressed with Ffolkes' work that he invited him to go to America. There Ffolkes debuted on Broadway by preparing the sets and costumes for Richard II. His success resulted in his working on several other productions until the outbreak of World War II.

In 1939 Ffolkes enlisted in the Royal Artillery where he rose to the rank of captain. He spent the last 3 1/2 years of his service as a Japanese prisoner-of-war in Siam where he worked on the “Railway of Death” whose construction was dramatized in the motion picture Bridge on the River Kwai.

After the war, Ffolkes resumed his theatrical career and designed for productions such as The Thracian Horses, The Day After Tomorrow, Henry VIII, Brigadoon, and Man and Superman. He won the Antoinette Perry Award for his work on Henry VIII. In 1951 Ffolkes designed for both the theatrical and motion picture musical productions of Where's Charley?, which were based on the play Charley's Aunt. In addition he prepared the costumes for the New York City Ballet's production of Scotch Symphony. The following year Ffolkes began a lecture tour and wrote several articles for Theatre Arts Magazine. In 1954 he was appointed a professor of Theatre Arts at Boston University. There he met Mary Williams, a student whom he later married. They collaborated on the designs for his first film, Island in the Sun, and occasionally worked together on other productions.

In 1955 Ffolkes designed the costumes for Robert Rossen's epic film Alexander the Great which starred Richard Burton. Other motion pictures on which he worked include Seven Thieves, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Nine Hours to Rama, Heaven's Above, Kaleidoscope, Darling, and You Only Live Twice.

Ffolkes died of a heart attack in the fall of 1966. This marked the end of one of the entertainment industry's more creative and prolific designers.

The collection documents Ffolkes' lengthy and productive career as a costume and set designer. Much of the collection consists of designs, sketches, and photographs of his work for motion pictures and theatrical productions. Photographs which portrayed his creations were kept with the collection. The collection is organized into three series: Subject File, Motion Pictures, and Theater.

The SUBJECT FILE contains awards, clippings, correspondence, programs, scrapbooks, miscellaneous sketches, and writings and is arranged alphabetically by type of record. Included are the Donaldson Awards Ffolkes received for his costume designs for Brigadoon and Man and Superman. Miscellaneous clippings, reviews, and programs for several productions in which he was involved such as Alexander the Great, Where's Charley?, Brigadoon, Henry VIII, and Seventeen are also found. A small file of biographical information consists of clippings, resumes, and a program of an art exhibit where his designs were shown. The correspondence contains general comments about Ffolkes' work and documents efforts to engage his services for specific productions. Several sheets of journal-like entries describe the problems he encountered in receiving payment for his designs for La Ronde. The scrapbooks contain telegrams, clippings, photographs, correspondence, and miscellany for the productions All Gaul Is Divided, Brigadoon, The Browning Version, Hamlet, Harlequinade, The Heart of the Matter, Henry IV, Henry VIII, Man and Superman, and What Every Woman Knows. Miscellaneous early and unidentified sketches and designs are also filed in this section. Finally, a folder of writings includes a series of clippings about the London stage that were written by Ffolkes for the San Francisco Chronicle and miscellaneous articles in which he described his Shakespearean designs.

MOTION PICTURES is arranged alphabetically by film title and chronologically thereunder. It contains scripts, costume and set designs, fabric swatches, notes, and photographs of eighteen motion pictures, 1952-1966. The films most thoroughly documented are Alexander the Great, Island in the Sun, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Where's Charley?. Smaller production files exist for motion pictures such as Heaven's Above, Darling, and You Only Live Twice.

THEATER-PRODUCED includes scripts, set and costume designs, photographs, and publicity for 27 theatrical productions. Among these are Hamlet, Henry VIII, and Where's Charley?. Preliminary set designs for La Ronde on which both Ffolkes and his wife Mary worked are also included.

Acquisition Information

Presented by J. Homery Folkes, Hagley, Stourbridge, England, June 3, 1977. Accession Number: MCHC77-52

Processing Information

Processed by Alice Siemering and Christine Rongone, June 1978.

	Series: Subject File
U.S. Mss 177AN Box   6 Folder   1	Awards, 1946-1948
Box   1 Folder   1	Biographical Information, circa 1936-1966
Micro 669 Reel   1	Clippings and Reviews, 1935-1966
U.S. Mss 177AN Box   1 Folder   2	Correspondence and Miscellany, 1947-1963, undated
Box   1 Folder   3	Programs and Playbills, 1937-1962
	Scrapbooks
Box   6 Folder   2	The Graphic Arts Fancy Dress Ball, November, 1935
	General
Micro 669 Reel   1	1938-1939
Reel   1	1946-1948
Reel   1	1948-1951
U.S. Mss 177AN	Sketches, Miscellaneous
Box   13 Folder   1	3 Early Drawings and 1 Sketchbook, 1924-1933
Box   13 Folder   1	Tribute Drawing for Ffolkes' Mother and Father, 1957
Box   13 Folder   2	3 Designs of a Mural Decoration for the Card Room at the Royal Court Swimming Club, Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire, July, 1936
	Unidentified Designs
Box   13 Folder   3	13 Set Designs, 16 Costume Designs, circa 1931-1962, undated
Box   1 Folder   4	Writings, 1935-1951, undated
	Series: Motion Pictures	⇧
	Alexander the Great (United Artists, 1956)
Box   1 Folder   5	Script, by Robert Rossen, August, 1955
Box   1 Folder   5	Script, Revised, undated
Box   6 Folder   3	25 Costume Designs
Box   6 Folder   3	Photographs
Box   6 Folder   4	Story and Photographs
Box   1 Folder   6	Miscellany, circa 1955
	Darling (Vic-Appia, 1965. Vic Films)
Box   1 Folder   7	Photographs
	The Girl on the Boat (Knightsbridge, 1961. United Artists)
Box   1 Folder   8	Scripts by Reuben Ship and Notes, July 25, 1961
	Heaven's Above (British Lion/Romulus, 1961. BLC)
	Script, by Frank Harvey and John Bo Ulting, circa 1962
Box   1 Folder   9	Pages 1-115
Box   2 Folder   1	Pages 116-217
Box   2 Folder   2	Miscellany, circa 1962
	Instant Prince (Unproduced)
Box   2 Folder   3	Script, Final, by Luther Davis, August 26, 1960
	Island in the Sun (Twentieth Century Fox, 1957)
Box   2 Folder   4	Script, by Alfred Hayes, 1956
Box   7 Folder   1	39 Costume Designs
	Photographs, circa 1956
Box   2 Folder   5	Joan Collins as Jocelyn Fleury
Box   2 Folder   6	Dorothy Dandridge as Margot Seaton
Box   2 Folder   7	Joan Fontaine as Mavis Norman
Box   2 Folder   8	James Mason as Maxwell Fleury
Box   3 Folder   1	Pat Owen as Sylvia Fleury
Box   3 Folder   2	Michael Rennie as Hillary Carson
Box   3 Folder   2	Miscellany
	Journey to the Center of the Earth (Twentieth Century Fox, 1959)
Box   7 Folder   2	22 Costume Designs
Box   3 Folder   3	Script, Final, by Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett, June 25, 1959
Box   3 Folder   4	Scene Breakdowns, circa 1959
Box   3 Folder   5	Miscellaneous Production Notes, circa 1959
Box   3 Folder   6	Photographs and Sketches, circa 1959
	Kaleidoscope (Warner Brothers, 1966)
Box   3 Folder   7	Script, Final Draft, by R. B. and J. H. H. Carrington, January 7, 1966
Box   3 Folder   8	Photographs, circa 1966
	Life at the Top (Royal Films International, 1965)
Box   4 Folder   1	Script, by Mordecai Richler, circa 1965
	Nine Hours to Rama (Twentieth Century Fox, 1963)
Box   4 Folder   2	Script, First Revised, by Nelson Gidding, circa 1962
Box   4 Folder   3	Miscellany, circa 1962
	The Pumpkin Eater (Royal Films International, 1964)
Box   4 Folder   4	Script, by Harold Pinter, July 24, 1963
	Repulsion (Royal Films International, 1965)
Box   4 Folder   5	Script, circa 1963
	Rotten to the Core (Tudor Productions Ltd., 1965 Cinema)
	Script, Final October 16, 1964
Box   4 Folder   6	Pages 1-92
Box   4 Folder   7	Pages 93-189
Box   4 Folder   8	Shooting Schedule and Miscellany, December, 1964-July, 1965
	The Seven Thieves (Twentieth Century Fox, 1960)
Box   4 Folder   9	Photograph
	The Uncle (British Lion Corporation, 1964)
Box   5 Folder   1	Script, by Margaret Abrams and Desmond Davis based on a novel by Margaret Abrams, April, 1964
	Where's Charley? (Warner Brothers, 1952)
Box   8 Folder   1	34 Blueprints, circa 1951
Box   9 Folder   1	40 Costume Designs and Fabric Samples
Box   9 Folder   2	15 Costume Designs and 16 Set Designs
Box   5 Folder   2	Photographs and Miscellany, circa 1952
	The Wild Affair (Goldstone Film Enterprises, 1965. Seven Arts)
Box   5 Folder   3	Script, Final Shooting, by John Krish, July, 1963
	You Only Live Twice (Eon-Danjag, 1967. United Artists)
Box   5 Folder   4	Miscellany, circa 1966
	Series: Theater - Produced	⇧
	Antony and Cleopatra (Production information unknown)
Box   10 Folder   1	1 Set Design, undated
	Brigadoon (New Haven, CT: Shubert Theatre, September 6, 1947)
Box   5 Folder   5	Photographs and Publicity, circa 1947
	The Cigarette Girl (London: Duke of York's Theatre, June 19, 1962)
Box   5 Folder   6	Script, by William Douglas Home, 1962
	Flahooley (New York: Broadhurst Theatre, May 14, 1951)
Box   5 Folder   7	Costume Design, 1951
	The Front Page (Production information unknown: , [1959])
Box   10 Folder   2	2 Set Designs, 1959
	Hamlet (New York: St. James Theatre, October 12, 1938)
Box   5 Folder   8	Photographs, circa October, 1938
	Henry VIII (New York: American Repertory/International Theatre, November 6, 1946)
Box   5 Folder   9	Photographs, circa 1946
Box   10 Folder   3	Blueprint and Photographs, circa 1946
	The Hot Rock (Production information unknown: , [1954])
Box   10 Folder   4	7 Set Designs, circa 1954
	Jeremiah (New York: Guild Theatre, February 3, 1939)
Box   5 Folder   10	5 Costume Designs, circa 1939
	Jeux (Ballet. New York: Center Theatre, Rockefeller Center, April 23, 1950)
Box   10 Folder   5	1 Set Design, 1950
	La Ronde (Los Angeles: Theater of Arts, January 17, 1959)
Box   10 Folder   6	8 Costume Designs, 13 Set Designs, 1958
	Lady Natasha Bocca, Detective (Production information unknown: [1963])
Box   5 Folder   11	Script, based on a book by Richard Condon, circa 1963
	The Lady of La Paz (Production information unknown: , [1948])
Box   10 Folder   7	1 Set Design, 1948
	Men of Distinction (New York: 48th St. Theatre, April 30, 1953)
Box   10 Folder   8	2 Set Sketches, 1953
	Monday Night (Production information unknown: [November, 1960])
Box   10 Folder   9	1 Set Design, November, 1960
	Monserrat (Hammersmith, England: Lyric Theatre, April 8, 1952)
Box   5 Folder   12	4 Costume Designs, March, 1952
	Richard II (New York: St. James Theatre, February 5, 1937)
Box   5 Folder   13	Photographs and Miscellany, circa 1937
	The Rivals) (Opera. Production information unknown: , [1935])
Box   11 Folder   1	6 Set Designs, 1935
	Seventeen (New York: Broadhurst Theatre, June 21, 1951)
Box   11 Folder   2	2 Set Designs, 1950
	Springtime for Henry (New York: John Golden Theatre, March 14, 1951)
Box   5 Folder   14	2 Costume Designs, 1951
	The Tempest (Production information unknown: , [1934])
Box   11 Folder   3	3 Set Designs, 1934
	What Every Woman Knows (New York: American Repertory Theater/International Theatre)
Box   5 Folder   15	Photographs, undated
	Where's Charley? (New York: St. James Theatre, October 11, 1948, Working title was "Charley's Aunt")
Oversize Folder	45 Set Designs
	Wonderful Alice (Production information unknown)
Box   11 Folder   4	1 Set Design, undated
	[World's Fair at New York] (Production information unknown: , [1939]. Segments of various Shakespearean plays.)
Box   5 Folder   16	20 Shakespearean Costume Designs, 1939
	The Young Elizabeth (Production information unknown. , [1960])
Box   12 Folder   1	4 Set Designs, 1960
	Young Mr. Disraeli (New York: Fulton Theatre, November 10, 1937)
Box   12 Folder   2	1 Set Design, 9 Costume Designs, 1937
Box   5 Folder   17	Photographs, circa 1937