The Hal Kanter Papers are organized in two parts. Part 1 consists of the materials received in the Archives in 1972 and is designated the “Original Collection” Its contents date 1937-1972. Part 2 comprises the additional records donated in 1977 and is designated the “1977 Additions.” Its contents date 1959-1977.
PART 1, the ORIGINAL COLLECTION consists primarily of scripts and production information, but there is also some correspondence, writings, cartoons, and financial and legal papers. This material provides a good overall picture of the many aspects of Kanter's professional career, and is arranged in six sections: Personal Papers, Writings and Cartoons, Radio, Television - Series, Television - Other Material, and Motion Pictures.
The Personal Papers are composed of general correspondence, 1950-1971; records of incoming phone calls; petty cash records; legal papers; and material on his speaking engagements and political activities. The general correspondence includes congratulations from Kanter's friends and associates on his successful projects, as well as information on the professional activities and personal lives of Kanter and his associates. The political material concerns Kanter's involvement in Democratic national politics, including a 1959 Diamond Jubilee program for Harry S. Truman; a script and list of supporters and participants in a 1968 “Stars for [Eugene] McCarthy” program; and correspondence and scripts for the 1972 Democratic National Telethon and other material Kanter prepared for the McGovern campaign.
Writings and Cartoons contain varied types of material including comedy monologues for a record album, material for a 1964 USO Saigon tour and on a 1967 Working Writers Conference with Carl Sandburg, magazine articles, a one-act play; and a dozen cartoons, primarily drawn by Kanter (two were drawn by John A. Ruge) that deal with such subjects as the military, crime, and people in hard luck situations. The bulk of this section, however, is composed of correspondence, promotional material, and four drafts of Kanter's novel Snake in the Glass.
The Radio scripts are arranged alphabetically by title and include over one cubic foot from The Beulah Show as well as folders on individual programs and such series as Amos 'n' Andy, The Bing Crosby Show, The Ozzie and Harriet Show, and Star Spangled Theatre.
The Television material comprises the largest portion of this part of the collection and is divided into Series and Other Material. Television - Series comprises ten cubic feet related to The Ed Wynn Show, The George Gobel Show, Valentine's Day, The Chrysler Theatre, Dragnet (1967-68), Julia, The Jimmy Stewart Show, and The Academy Awards Show (1958-1972). There are scripts and production reports for each episode of Valentine's Day, Julia, and The Jimmy Stewart Show; arrangement is generally by production number. Other Television Material includes over one cubic foot of scripts for other television efforts such as unsold pilots, produced and unproduced specials, and scripts Kanter wrote for series he was not otherwise associated with; arrangement is chronological.
The Motion Picture scripts are arranged together chronologically by release date. There is extensive documentation of Once upon a Horse (Universal, 1958) and more fragmentary information on ten other features. See the contents list below for a complete list of titles.
PART 2, the 1977 ADDITIONS, date 1959-1977 and particularly document Kanter's work in the television industry. This part of the collection is arranged into six sections: the General Subject File, Motion Pictures, Novels, Television Series - Produced, Television Specials - Produced, Television - Unproduced categories.
The bulk of the General Subject File consists of correspondence. Included are files concerned with such organizations as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, Inc., the Writers Guild of America, and others. General publicity, a script distribution list, and a record of telephone calls are also included.
Motion Pictures, the smallest section of this part, contains a production file and partial script revisions for the Marilyn Monroe film Let's Make Love, which Kanter helped write.
Novels contains a typescript draft of Kanter's work, Snake in the Glass, which was published in 1971. It discusses the distintegration of a writer's integrity and its effect on the quality of his work.
Television Series - Produced is the largest file in this part. Scripts and production files containing story ideas, treatments, research, broadcasting standard recommendations, and salary agreements are included for Chico and the Man. Smaller files of similar materials are included for All in the Family, The Jimmy Stewart Show, Sally And Sam, Three Coins in the Fountain, and Valentine's Day. The production company and the original air dates and network are listed for each series.
Television Specials - Produced contains scripts and some miscellaneous production information for The Bluffers; The Bob Hope Special, “Texaco Presents: JOYS!;” two fund-raising Democratic National Telethons; The Los Angeles Board of Education Bicentennial Pageant; and The 26th Annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards Show.
Television - Unproduced contains miscellaneous production files and scripts for both unproduced programs and programs that were filmed but never aired on television. Among these are Cap'n Ahab, an episode of Chico and the Man, I and Claudie, and Three on an Island.
