Found 4 collections related to Hampden, Walter, 1879-1955

English character actor J. P. Wilson, known to friends and family as Josh, began his stage career in England where he toured for six years with Sir Frank Benson, and later appeared in a number of plays in the United States. Among J. P. Wilson's American stage credits were THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with Walter Hampden and Ethel Barrymore, ESCAPE with Leslie Howard, THE LAKE with Katharine Hepburn, MAGGIE THE MAGNIFICENT with James Cagney and Joan Blondell, and PYGMALION with Gertrude Lawrence and Raymond Massey. Consists primarily of letters to actor J. P. Wilson. Two letters to Wilson were written by Sir Frank Benson, with whom he toured England in his early professional days. Actor Walter Hampden, with whom Wilson had worked on stage, wrote him on June 5, 1955, six days prior to Hampden's own fatal stroke. Hampden speaks of his role in the new Lana Turner film DIANE at MGM, a role which was taken by Cedric Hardwicke after Hampden's death. Hampden's widow Mabel thanks Wilson for his condolence note. Also includes a few photographs, a menu, and a program for a 1901 cricket match. less

The collection contains correspondence, speeches, accounts, clippings, scripts and other papers reflecting the personal and professional life of Francis Wilson. Wilson carried on an active correspondence with many contemporaries prominent in the theatrical or literary field. The large series of speeches illustrates his wide-ranging interests. There is material on the plays in which he appeared, especially ERMINIE, and information on his involvement with the Players Club, but very little documenting his role as first president of the Actors' Equity Association or on the pivotal strike he led in 1919. The main political battle documented in these papers is Wilson's efforts to keep child actors out from under the jurisdiction of state labor laws. There is also some information on Wilson's family and his personal financial transactions. less

Weekly 30-minute NBC radio broadcasts, featuring classical and light classical music, which began on Apr. 29, 1940 and continued until 1958. In September, 1959, the Bell Telephone Hour made its television debut as a monthly musical special. It remained a regular television program until April 26, 1968. Library's holdings incomplete. Broadcasts chiefly originated from New York City, sponsored by the Bell Telephone Company (American Telephone and Telegraph). Each 30-minute program generally features a guest singer or instrumentalist, with the Bell Telephone Hour Orchestra, conducted by Donald Voorhees, and the Bell Telephone Hour Chorus. Frequent guest artists include Marian Anderson, Robert Casadesus, Nelson Eddy, Josef Hofmann, Fritz Kreisler, Oscar Levant, James Melton, Grace Moore, Ezio Pinza, Lily Pons, Bidú Sayão, Gladys Swarthout, John Charles Thomas, Helen Traubel, and Eileen Farrell. Chief announcer: Floyd Mack. less

Phyllis Merrill, writer of scripts, speeches and advertising copy. Her papers include her writings from the J. Walter Thompson Co. Commercials for RCA, as well as scripts from radio and television programs form the bulk of the collection. There is also a small amount of memos and documents from the J. Walter Thompson Co. less