- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"1.18 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"4 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1994-017", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21728", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1924-1951", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1924/1951"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1924
- date_inclusive_end
-
1951
- keydate
-
1924
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"J. Edward Bromberg papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. <span class=\"subarea\">Billy Rose Theatre Division.</span></span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"J. Edward Bromberg, actor, director, and producer, was part of the Civic Repertory Theatre, the Group Theatre, and the Actors' Laboratory Theatre as well as a leading character actor in motion pictures. His papers contain scripts, correspondence, playbills, press releases, and clippings that document his career."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>J. Edward Bromberg Papers, *T-MSS 1994-017; Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Bromberg, J. Edward, 1903-1951", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>J. Edward Bromberg was born Joseph Bromberger on December 25, 1903 in Temesvar, Hungary (now Timisoara, Romania) and came to the United States with his parents when he was five years old. He was to grow up to be a short, dark and stocky character actor, one of the finest supporting players for both the theatre and motion pictures in the nineteen thirties and forties. He was an original member of the Civic Repertory Theatre, the Group Theatre and the Actors' Laboratory Theatre.</p> <p>Bromberg graduated from Stuyvesant High School, in New York City, where he had been involved in the drama club. He dropped out of City College to work as a salesman and laundryman while studying acting with the Russian teacher Leo Bulgakov. His made his acting debut in 1926 at New York's Greenwich Village Playhouse. Bromberg joined Eva Le Gallienne's company, the Civic Repertory, for five years before signing a two-year contract with the Theatre Guild.</p> <p>A friend of Morris Carnovsky, his work came to the attention of Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, and Lee Strasberg. This led to an invitation for Bromberg to be part of the formation of the Group Theatre, whose mission was to produce Broadway plays that explored social and moral issues by developing acting techniques that emphasized emotional realism and psychological depth. Bromberg headlined two major roles for the Group in <span class=\"title\">Men in White</span> and <span class=\"title\">Gold Eagle Guy</span>. He also had a large supporting role in Clifford Odets' <span class=\"title\">Awake and Sing</span>, which he would also later direct in 1946 for the Actors' Laboratory Theatre.</p> <p>In 1936, Bromberg gave into the temptation of motion pictures and was signed by Twentieth Century Fox. He played a series of character roles in 54 films from 1936-1950, depicting father figures, villains and ethnic types. While in Hollywood, he helped found the Actors' Laboratory Theatre in an effort to bring quality stage drama to the West Coast. He also lent his talents to directing as well as acting. In the last two years of his life, he taught and acted in New York City.</p> <p>Bromberg was a victim of blacklisting when he was named as a member of the Communist Party in Hollywood. He refused to answer questions put to him by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in June of 1951. Bromberg died of a heart attack on December 6, 1951 at the age of 47 while appearing in <span class=\"title\">The Biggest Thief In Town</span> in London. On December 23, 1951 a memorial service was held to celebrate his twenty-five year contribution to American theatre as an artist and teacher. It was attended by hundreds of artists.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The J. Edward Bromberg Papers consist of a contract, scripts, a poster, playbills, flyers, correspondence, press releases, photographs, a scrapbook, some writings, ephemera, a sketched portrait, and a large collection of clippings documenting his 25-year career. While much of the papers are related to Bromberg's acting and directing career from 1926-1951, some relate to his life and other interests such as painting. Also included are a collection of press releases, clippings and letters regarding his participation in the Group Theatre. Other highlights of the collection are a well-preserved scrapbook covering Bromberg's work from 1928-1930 at the Civic Repertory Theatre, an autographed program by the cast of <span class=\"title\">Anna Christie</span>, which included Ingrid Bergman, a letter from Fritz Lang and a large photograph collection of the different productions he worked on as an actor or director, as well as autographed pictures from Eva Le Gallienne and Danny Kaye.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The J. Edward Bromberg papers are arranged in five series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21728#c331445'>Series I: Personal Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1951</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>8 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains material pertaining to J. Edward Bromberg that does not relate to any specific production he performed in or directed. It includes passports, memorial notices, a press release, art catalogues, personal writings, membership cards, and collected clippings.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21728#c331458'>Series II: Productions</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1926-1951</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>68 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains material pertaining to theatrical, motion picture, and radio productions with which Bromberg was involved. It includes a contract, scripts, playbills, programs, correspondence, and clippings relating to his work as an actor or director.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21728#c331529'>Series III: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1928-1951, n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>38 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of photographs documenting the life and career of J. Edward Bromberg. Included are photographs of both a personal and professional nature.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21728#c331573'>Series IV: Scrapbooks</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1928-1930, n.d.</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains J. Edward Bromberg's scrapbook covering his time at the Civic Repertory Theatre from 1928-1930, and loose pages from an undated scrapbook. Material included in the scrapbooks are letters, photographs, and clippings.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21728#c331577'>Series V: Oversized Material</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1926-1951</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of oversized material. Included are a theatrical poster, personal, theatrical and motion picture photographs, a loose scrapbook page about Bromberg's work as a painter, a sketch of Bromberg and magazine layout clippings on certain productions.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection is organized into five series and thirteen sub-series. They are:</p> <p> <ul> <li>Series I: Personal Papers <ul> <li>Sub-series 1: Biographical Materials</li> <li>Sub-series 2: Writings</li> <li>Sub-series 3: Work as a Painter</li> <li>Sub-series 4: Ephemera</li></ul></li> <li>Series II: Productions <ul> <li>Sub-series 1: The Group Theatre</li> <li>Sub-series 2: Theatrical</li> <li>Sub-series 3: Motion Pictures</li> <li>Sub-series 4: Radio</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Photographs <ul> <li>Sub-series 1: Personal</li> <li>Sub-series 2: The Group Theatre</li> <li>Sub-series 3: Theatrical</li> <li>Sub-series 4: Motion Pictures</li> <li>Sub-series 5: Unknown Productions</li></ul></li> <li>Series IV: Scrapbooks</li> <li>Series V: Oversized Material</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The papers were donated by Marcia Bromberg and Conrad Bromberg in 1994.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Charles A. Moran; Machine-readable finding aid created by Charles A.Moran.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
1.18 linear feet (4 boxes)
- date_start
-
1924
- date_end
-
1951