- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>".5 linear feet (1 box)"}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-MSS 1954-002", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21456", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"John L. Balderston papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Billy Rose Theatre Division."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>John L. Balderston Papers, *T-Mss 1954-002, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Balderston, John L. (John Lloyd), 1889-1954", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>John L. Balderston was born in Philadelphia and began his newspaper career in 1912 while still a student at Columbia University as the New York correspondent for <span class=\"title\">The Philadelphia Record</span>. He was a war correspondent for the McClure Newspaper Syndicate during World War I and then director of information in England and Ireland for the U.S. Committee on Public Information. In the early 1920s he was editor of <span class=\"title\">Outlook Magazine</span> in London and then head of the London bureau for the <span class=\"title\">New York World</span>. Balderston retired from the newspaper field when <span class=\"title\">The World</span> went out of business in 1931.</p> <p>Balderston had had his first success as a playwright with the 1926 London production of <span class=\"title\">Berkeley Square</span> that he wrote with Jack Squire, the editor of <span class=\"title\">The London Mercury</span>. The play was not produced in the U.S. until 1929 with Leslie Howard in the lead. He also wrote books and screenplays. Balderston often worked in collaboration and specialized in horror, fantasy and romantic adventure scripts. Scripts he worked on include <span class=\"title\">Dracula</span>, <span class=\"title\">Frankenstein</span>, <span class=\"title\">Red Planet</span>, <span class=\"title\">Gone with the Wind</span> and <span class=\"title\">Gaslight</span>.</p>"}
- custodhist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection was donated to the Billy Rose Theatre Division by Mrs. Balderston in 1954.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>Collection contains correspondence, scripts, scenarios and notes documenting Balderston's work on plays and screenplays. Includes letters from co-authors, <span class=\"persname\">George Moore</span> and <span class=\"persname\">Jack Squire</span>; correspondence concerning <span class=\"title\">Berkeley Square</span> and <span class=\"title\">Dracula</span>; various scenarios for <span class=\"title\">The Brook Kerith</span>; a draft of <span class=\"title\">Clown of Stratford</span>; memos and notes regarding <span class=\"title\">Frankenstein</span>, <span class=\"title\">Gone with the Wind</span>, <span class=\"title\">Red Planet</span> and projects on Andrew Johnson and August Strindberg; and an incomplete autobiographical sketch.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The John L. Balderston papers are arranged in two series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21456#c301619'>Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1915-1949</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>6 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series of professional correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing letters and has two folders arranged by play title: <span class=\"title\">Berkeley Square</span> and <span class=\"title\">Dracula</span>, rather than by author. Includes one letter each from <span class=\"persname\">David O. Selznick</span> and <span class=\"persname\">Jack Squire</span> and many letters from <span class=\"persname\">George Moore</span>. Letters by Balderston are on the state of the world as <span class=\"subject\">World War II</span> approaches as well as on his <span class=\"subject\">playwriting</span>.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21456#c301626'>Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1916-1950</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>13 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains multiple varying typescripts of <span class=\"title\">The Brook Kerith</span>, about the life of Jesus, written with George Moore; a typescript and manuscript draft of <span class=\"title\">Clown of Stratford</span>, the Bacon-Shakespeare play he wrote with Jack Squire; various notes, memos, scenarios and partial scripts, mostly by Balderston, on <span class=\"title\">Frankenstein</span>, <span class=\"title\">Gone with the Wind</span>, <span class=\"title\">Red Planet</span>, <span class=\"title\">Murder in the Church</span>, <span class=\"title\">She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed</span>, and other projects, perhaps never produced, on Andrew Johnson and August Strindberg. Also contains a partial autobiographical sketch, typescript with manuscript revisions.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Correspondence</li> <li>Series II: Writings</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1915-1950", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1915/1950"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1915
- date_inclusive_end
-
1950
- acqinfo
-
{"date"=>"1954", "materials"=>"Papers", "source"=>"Mrs. Balderston", "method"=>"gift", "extent"=>".5 o", "value"=>"Papers: gift, Mrs. Balderston, 1954"}
- note
-
{"value"=>"<p>Transferred from the Library's Cage files</p>", "encodinganalog"=>"500"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Collection contains correspondence, scripts, scenarios and notes documenting Balderston's work on plays and screenplays. Includes letters from co-authors George Moore and Jack Squire, correspondence concerning BERKELEY SQAURE and DRACULA, various scenarios for THE BROOK KERITH, a draft of CLOWN OF STRATFORD, memos and notes regarding FRANKENSTEIN, GONE WITH THE WIND, RED PLANET, and othe projects, perhaps never produced, on Andrew Johnson and August Strindberg. Also an incomplete autobiographical sketch."}
- keydate
-
1915
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Elisabeth Elkind.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1915
- date_end
-
1950