Series: Theater

Early Plays, 1932-1939

Ideas for shows: early sketches, notes, and lyrics by Jean and Walter Kerr

Sketches

Photographs

Plays produced at St. George High School

Plays produced at Marywood College

Plays produced at Northwestern University

No Reason at All, 1932
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr and Gilbert Nevius, produced at St. George High School, 1933

Script

St. George Minstrel Show, 1933
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr and Gilbert Nevius, produced at St. George High School

Script

A Most Extraordinary Boy, 1934
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr, suggested by Hans Christian Anderson's "Story of My Life"

Correspondence, copyright and commentary on play 1939

Original script, treatments, staging directions

Denison's Variety Revue by Walter Kerr, 1935

Correspondence and contracts, 1934-1935

Sketches

Murder in Reverse / by Walter Kerr, 1935

Correspondence, 1934

Script

Murder to Music / by Walter Kerr, 1935

Correspondence, 1936

Script

Movie Minstrel / by Walter Kerr, 1936

Contracts, financial information 1936-1938

Murder in Grey / by Walter Kerr, 1936

Script

Murder with Impunity / by Walter Kerr, 1936

Correspondence, 1936

Script

I'll Take Vanilla / by Walter Kerr, 1936

Contract, 1936

Script

Mystery Minstrel / by Walter Kerr, 1937

Correspondence, 1937

Don't Look Now, 1937 March
Scope and Content Note: Show at Northwestern University, script and lyrics by Walter Kerr and Charles Nelson

Script, lyrics

Musical score

Lyrics, financial information

Angels on Eggshells, 1937
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr, Northwestern University

Correspondence, 1938

Script

Death and Deluge / by Walter Kerr, 1937

Script

A Murderous Marriage / by Walter Kerr, 1937

Script

Imps in Industry, 1937, 1939 June 10
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr; renamed Inside-Out Family and produced by Jack and Jill Players1939 June 10, Chicago, Illinois

Correspondence commentary, 1937-1939

Script

Rip Van Winkle, 1937
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Washington Irving by Walter Kerr; produced at Northwestern University, scenes used in 1943 December at Catholic University

Correspondence, contract 1936-1937

Article by Walter Kerr

The Thief Is a Knight by Walter Kerr, 1938

Correspondence, contract 1938-1939

Script

Christopher over Chaos, 1938 July
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr; submitted as his M.A. thesis, Northwestern University

Correspondence, 1938-1941

Script, 1938 July

The Vicar of Wakefield, 1938
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Oliver Goldsmith by Walter Kerr; produced, 1938, at Northwestern University

Correspondence, contract 1938

Christmas Incorporated by Walter Kerr, 1939

Correspondence, contracts 1937-1939

Script

Without Jury / by Walter Kerr, 1939

Correspondence, 1940, script

Script

Early Plays, undated

American Ghoulash / by Walter Kerr

Script

"The American Musical Review"

Script

Art and Prudence

Script

The Baldwin Gang / by Walter Kerr

Notes

Change of the Moon / by Walter Kerr

Script

The Constitution-Two Epochs / by Walter Kerr

Script

The Country on Her Hands by Walter Kerr

Script

If Wishes Were Babies / by Walter Kerr

Script

The Last Aqueduct / by Walter Kerr

Correspondence, 1944

Script

Script

Minute Waltz / by Jean Kerr

Two scripts

School for Wives
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Moliere by Walter Kerr

Script

Script for television

Teapot Tempest / by Walter Kerr

Script

Twelfth Night
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Shakespeare by Walter Kerr

Script

Two Women and a Boy / by Walter Kerr

Script

Two untitled plays by Walter Kerr

Articles

Plays Produced at Catholic University, Washington, D.C. 1939-1948

Hyacinth On Wheels, 1939 February 19
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence production photographs, contract, financial information 1938-1947

Coriolanus, 1939 May 5
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Shakespeare by Walter Kerr; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence; production photographs, 1939-1940

Script

The Comedian, 1939 July
Scope and Content Note: By Henri Gheon; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

Yankee Doodle Boy, 1939 December 16, 1940 April 26
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr and Leo Brady

Correspondence; production photographs, 1939-1944

Script

Murder in the Cathedral, 1940 March 24
Scope and Content Note: By T.S. Eliot; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

The Miser, 1940 May 26, July 10
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Moliere by Walter Kerr

Correspondence; photographs; contracts; financial information, 1941-1961
Note: See also Box 32.

Calidore, 1940 July 17; 1941 May 21
Scope and Content Note: By Leo Brady; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

My Heart's in the Highlands, 1949 August 7
Scope and Content Note: By William Saroyan; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

She Stoops to Conquer, 1940 November 6; 1941 July 16
Scope and Content Note: By Oliver Goldsmith; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

Storm, 1940 December 11
Scope and Content Note: By Edith Mirick

Photographs

The Comedy of Errors, 1941 January 15 and July 9
Scope and Content Note: By William Shakespeare; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence, photographs

God's Stage, 1941 February 27
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence; photographs, 1941-1946

Script

Cook Book, 1941 April 23
Scope and Content Note: By Leo Brady and Walter Kerr

Correspondence; photographs, 1941

Script

Hotel Universe, 1941 August 4
Scope and Content Note: By Philip Barry; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

Jim Dandy, 1941 October 29; 1942 July 15
Scope and Content Note: By William Saroyan; directed by Alan Schneider

Photographs

The Knight of the Burning Pestle, 1941 December 10
Scope and Content Note: By Beaumont and Fletcher; directed by Walter Kerr

Script

Photographs

Brighton Rock, 1942 February 4
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Graham Greene by Leo Brady and Walter Kerr

Correspondence; clippings, photographs 1942-1957

Script

Athaliah, 1942 March 17
Scope and Content Note: By Racine; directed by Alan Schneider

Photographs

Magic, 1942 July 29
Scope and Content Note: By Gilbert K. Chesterton; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

Life Is a Dream, 1942 December 9
Scope and Content Note: By Calderon; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

A New Way to Pay Old Debts, 1943 February 24
Scope and Content Note: By Phillip Massinger; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

The King Is Dead, 1943 March 31 and July 5
Scope and Content Note: By Victoria Kuhn, directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

Eddie the First, 1943 May 5
Scope and Content Note: By Art Mullen and Denny Madden

Correspondence; photographs, 1941

Stranger at the Gate, 1943 July 22
Scope and Content Note: By Patricia Treadwell; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence; photographs, 1943-1946

Secret Service, 1944 February 9
Scope and Content Note: By William Gillette; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

Tom Thumb the Great, 1945 January 14
Scope and Content Note: By Henry Fielding; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

Peer Gynt, 1945 April 1
Scope and Content Note: By Ibsen; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

The Importance of Being Earnest, 1945 August 5
Scope and Content Note: By Oscar Wilde; directed by Alan Schneider

Photographs

The Liar, 1945 November 2
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Goldoni by Edward Eager and Alfred Drake; directed by Walter Kerr

Photographs

That's Where the Money Goes, 1946 May 10
Scope and Content Note: By James Finley, Jean Kerr and Joan O'Bryne; directed by Alan Schneider

Sketches by Jean Kerr

Clippings, program, sketch

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, 1946 July 22
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough by Jean Kerr; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence; clippings; playbill, 1946-1966

Photographs

Contracts, financial information 1946-1969

The Ascent of F6, 1946 October 25
Scope and Content Note: By W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence; photographs, 1946

Much Ado About Nothing, 1947 January 17; 1947 October
Scope and Content Note: By William Shakespeare; directed by Walter Kerr

Script

Photographs

Alley Moon, 1948 May 2
Scope and Content Note: By Walter Kerr; directed by Walter Kerr

Script

Photographs, copyright

The Birds, 1948 December 3
Scope and Content Note: Adaptation from Aristophanes by Walter Kerr; directed by Walter Kerr

Correspondence, 1948-1969

Photographs

Contracts, financial information 1952-1968

Musical score
Note: See Audio recordings series.

Miscellaneous Catholic University production photographs

New York and Regional Productions, 1942-1964

Count Me In (New York, 1942 October 8
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Shubert, Olsen and Johnson in association with Krakeur and Schmidlapp

Director: Robert Ross

Writer: Walter Kerr and Leo Brady

Music: Ann Ronell

Cast: Charles Butterworth, Luella Gear, June Preisser, Mary Healy, Hal Leroy

Correspondence, 1942-1953

Script, 1942 August 7

Photographs, Catholic University 1942 May 10

Playbill, notes

Clippings

Contracts; financial information; box office statements, 1942-1944

Stardust (Philadelphia, 1943 September 9
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Michael Myerberg

Director: Herb Polesie

Writer: Walter Kerr

Cast: Rose King, Gloria Hallward, George Ives, Susan Douglas, Chick Chandler

Correspondence; clippings; Catholic University poster, 1940-1966

Original script as played at Catholic University; contains revisions for Philadelphia

Script

Contracts, 1942-1946

Photographs of Catholic University productions

Financial statements, 1942-1962

Sing Out Sweet Land (New York, 1944 December 27
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Lawrence Langner and Theresa Helburn

Director: Walter Kerr

Writer: Walter Kerr

Music: Walter Kerr, with special music by Elie Siegmeister

Cast: Burl Ives, George Cassidy, Peggy Campbell, Ethel Mann, Charles Hart

Correspondence, 1953-1968

Original script-as played at Catholic University

Script, 1944 October

Script material

Script, 1944 December

Musical score
Note: See also Audio recordings series.

Contracts, 1944-1953

Photographs of Catholic University production

Playbills, photographs

Production notes and manuscript suggestions

Plan for television program

Financial and legal information, 1944-1968

Lien under the Sky, 1945
Scope and Content Note: By Jean Kerr (unproduced)

Script

The Song of Bernadette (New York, 1946 March 26
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Victor Payne-Jennings and Frank McCoy

Director: Walter Kerr

Script: Jean and Walter Kerr, adapted from the novel by Franz Werfel

Cast: Jean Mann, Elizabeth Ross, Pamela Rivers, Christina Soulias

Correspondence, 1943-1966

Photographs of Catholic University production

Clippings, Boston poster, Commentary by Franz Werfel, tryout schedule

Contract, financial statements 1943-1969

All Gaul Is Divided (New York, 1947 October 19
Scope and Content Note

Producer: John F. Golden and John Michael Lambur

Director: Walter Kerr

Writer: John I. McGiver

Cast: Doris Dowling, William Terry, Hilda Vaughn, Edward Andrews

Script

Photographs of Catholic University production, financial information, correspondence

Jenny Kissed Me (New York, 1948 December 23
Scope and Content Note

Producer: James Russo, Michael Ellis, Alexander Cohen, in association with Clarence Shapiro

Director: James Russo

Writer: Jean Kerr

Cast: Leo G. Carroll, Alan Baxter, Jean Jordan, Bonnie Alden, Francis Bavier

Note: See also Audio recordings series.

Correspondence, 1947-1956

Script as played at Catholic University

Script

Contracts, 1948-1949

Photographs of Catholic University production

Clippings, programs

Financial and legal information, 1948-1965

Touch and Go (New York, 1949 October 13
Scope and Content Note

Producer: George Abbott

Director: Walter Kerr

Writer: Jean and Walter Kerr

Music: Jay Gorney

Lyrics: Jean and Walter Kerr

Cast: Kyle MacDonnell, Peggy Cass, Louis Nye, Dorothy Scott, Jonathan Lucas

Correspondence, 1949-1955

Script (titled Thank You, Just Looking) as played at Catholic University

Sketches and lyrics

Script and lyrics, 1949 September

Script; program; plots, 1949 October

Script fragments

Sketch

Musical scores

Musical scores and arrangements

Contracts, 1949

Photographs of Catholic University production

Photographs of New York and London productions

Clippings, programs

Financial statements, 1949-1965

Happy Ending, 1950
Scope and Content Note: By Jean and Walter Kerr (unproduced)

Script and lyrics

Copyright form

John Murray Anderson's Almanac (New York, 1953 December 10
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Michael Grace, Stanley Gilkey, Harry Rigby

Director: John Murray Anderson

Writer: Jean Kerr, Summer Locke Elliot, Arthur Macrae, Herbert Farjeon, Lauri Wylie

Music: Michael Grace, Richard Adler, Jerry Ross, Cy Coleman, Joseph McCarthy, Henry Sullivan, John Rox and Bart Howard

Cast: Polly Bergen, Harry Belafonte, Orson Bean, James Jewell

Correspondence; clippings, 1951-1954

Sketches by Jean Kerr

Contracts, financial information 1953-1954

King of Hearts (New York, 1954 April 1
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Elaine Perry

Director: Walter Kerr

Script: Jean Kerr and Eleanor Brooke

Cast: Donald Cook, Jackie Cooper, Rex Thompson, Hilda Haynes, Cloris Leachman

Correspondence; cast list, 1954-1966

Script (titled Comic Strip)

Script, notes

Script, 1957

Three Scripts

Contracts, 1951-1955

Photographs

Financial statements, 1951-1966

The Last Resorts, 1956
Scope and Content Note: By Jean Kerr (unproduced)

Correspondence, 1956-1957

Three Scripts

Script

Goldilocks (New York, 1958 October 11
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Robert Whitehead

Director: Walter Kerr

Writer: Jean and Walter Kerr

Music: Leroy Anderson

Lyrics: Jean and Walter Kerr, Joan Ford

Cast: Don Ameche, Elaine Stritch, Russell Nype, Pat Stanley

Correspondence, 1954-1968

Three Scripts

Script fragments

Notes, lyrics

Script, 1957 February 15

Musical scores and arrangements
Note: See also Audio recordings series.

Contracts, 1954-1958

Photographs

Financial statements, 1954-1968

Mary, Mary (New York 1961 March 8
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Roger L. Stevens in association with Lyn Austin and Victor Samrock

Director: Joseph Anthony

Writer: Jean Kerr

Cast: Barbara Bel Geddes, Barry Nelson, Michael Rennie

Correspondence, 1960-1969

Script

Three Scripts, 1960

Notes, script fragments

Script

Script, 1963

Proofs of Samuel French Acting Edition, 1963

Script from Mexican production

Script, motion picture version 1963 February 6

Prop list

Contracts, 1960-1962

Photographs, New York production and motion pictures

Programs and production posters

Financial and legal information

1960-1961

1962

1963

1964-1965

1965-1967

Financial statements, 1968-1969

Poor Richard (New York, 1964 December 2
Scope and Content Note

Producer: Stevens Productions Inc., in association with Lyn Austin and Victor Samrock

Director: Peter Wood

Writer: Jean Kerr

Cast: Alan Bates, Gene Hackman, Joan Alexander, Joanna Pettet, Colgate Salsbury

Correspondence, 1963-1968

Script

Script fragments

Script

Script

Script

Script

Script, 1964 October 3

Script

Script revisions

Script

Script (New York)

Script (Boston)

Script

Script revisions

Script, 1965

Script

Galley proofs, 1965

Script, published copy 1965

Two Scripts, published copies 1965

Galley proofs

Contracts, 1964-1965

Photographs

Notes

Posters

Financial statements, 1963-1969