- unitid
-
{"value"=>"21645", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 2000-006", "type"=>"local_call"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1904-1993", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1904/1993"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Abe Burrows papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"97 boxes, 29 volumes and 3 oversized folders", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"50 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Billy Rose Theatre Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"This collection of personal papers, correspondence, production files, radio scripts, autobiographical writings, interviews, speeches, articles, songs, clippings, photographs and visual materials provides a wealth of documentation on the personal and professional life of Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, lyricist, director, screenwriter, comedian and play doctor, Abe Burrows."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p> Abe Burrows, playwright, lyricist, director, screenwriter, comedian and play doctor was born Abram S. Burrows on December 18, 1910 in New York City to Louis and Julia Burrows. His father was in the paint and wallpaper business. He graduated from New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn and attended City College and New York University first in a pre-med program and then studying accounting. In 1931 he was hired by a brokerage firm on Wall Street where he worked for three years. He then worked in his father's paint business and as a traveling salesman for a maple syrup firm. During summers he was a popular entertainer in the Catskills and found he enjoyed making a living with his humor.</p> <p>Burrows began selling radio sketches in 1938 and for four years was a writer for Ed Gardner's <span class=\"title\">Duffy's Tavern</span>, <span class=\"date\">1941-1945</span>. He also wrote pieces for <span class=\"title\">CBS Texaco Theater</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Joan Davis Show</span>, and <span class=\"title\">The Ford Program</span>. In Hollywood he became a hit at exclusive parties with his satirical songs and recitations with titles such as <span class=\"title\">The Girl with the Three Blue Eyes</span> and <span class=\"title\">I'm Walking down Memory Lane without a Single Thing to Remember</span>. During the course of his career, he appeared on many radio and TV programs, recorded two albums of songs and published <span class=\"title\">An Abe Burrows Songbook</span>. In 1948 and 1949 he toured the country performing in nightclubs and also had his own radio shows: <span class=\"title\">The Abe Burrows Show</span> and <span class=\"title\">Breakfast with Burrows</span> .</p> <p>Burrows' biggest hits, however, were in the world of musical theater. At CBS in Hollywood he had worked for Ernest Martin who later joined with Cy Feuer to produce <span class=\"title\">Guys and Dolls</span>. It was Martin who brought Burrows to work on the Broadway show. The <span class=\"title\">Guys and Dolls</span> that opened in November 1950 with book and lyrics by Burrows and music by Frank Loesser, was an award-winning production and major hit that ran for years and was revived in London, on Broadway and on school stages around the country. Burrows' other major hit, again with Frank Loesser, was <span class=\"title\">How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying</span>which won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in <span class=\"date\">1962</span>.</p> <p>From <span class=\"date\">1950</span> on Burrows' work was primarily for the Broadway stage as writer, director or both. In <span class=\"date\">1951</span> he doctored the musical <span class=\"title\">Make a Wish</span>, an adaption of Ferenc Molnar's <span class=\"title\">The Good Fairy</span>, and directed the revue, <span class=\"title\">Two on the Aisle</span>. In <span class=\"date\">1952</span> he was writer and director for <span class=\"title\">Three Wishes for Jamie</span> which he adapted with Charles O'Neal, in <span class=\"date\">1953</span> he wrote and directed <span class=\"title\">Can-Can</span>, and in <span class=\"date\">1954</span> he directed <span class=\"title\">Reclining Figure</span>. He adapted the screenplay of <span class=\"title\">Ninotchka</span> for the Cole Porter musical <span class=\"title\">Silk Stockings</span> and wrote the screenplay for <span class=\"title\">Solid Gold Cadillac</span>in <span class=\"date\">1955</span> and collaborated with Harry Kurnitz on <span class=\"title\">Once More with Feeling</span> in <span class=\"date\">1957</span> and with Richard and Marion Bissell on <span class=\"title\">Say, Darling</span>which he also directed in <span class=\"date\">1958</span>. He was also writer and director for <span class=\"title\">First Impressions</span>, an adaptation of <span class=\"title\">Pride and Prejudice</span> and director of <span class=\"title\">Golden Fleecing</span> in <span class=\"date\">1959</span>, for <span class=\"title\">Cactus Flower</span>, <span class=\"date\">1965</span>, for <span class=\"title\">Holly Golightly</span>, <span class=\"date\">1966</span>, a musical theater remake of the film <span class=\"title\">Breakfast at Tiffany's</span>which closed before its Broadway opening, and for <span class=\"title\">Four on a Garden</span>, <span class=\"date\">1971</span> . His other directing credits include <span class=\"title\">Happy Hunting</span>, <span class=\"title\">Golden Fleecing</span>, <span class=\"title\">What Makes Sammy Run?</span>, <span class=\"title\"> Forty Carats</span>, and <span class=\"title\">No Hard Feelings</span>. He was a director for <span class=\"title\">Good News</span>, <span class=\"date\">1974</span> and co-writer and director for <span class=\"title\">Hellzapoppin'</span>, <span class=\"date\">1976</span>, but left both shows before their openings. He also did some directing work on the show <span class=\"title\">Forty-Second Street</span> in <span class=\"date\">1981</span>.</p> <p>Burrows married his first wife Ruth in 1936. The couple had two children: James born in 1940 and Laurie in 1944, and were divorced in 1948. He married Carin Smith on October 2, 1950. Abe Burrows died on May 17, 1985 after a long illness.</p>"}
- scopecontent
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{"value"=>"<p> This collection of personal papers, correspondence, production files, radio scripts, autobiographical writings, interviews, speeches, articles, songs, business files, clippings, photographs and other visual materials provides a wealth of documentation on Abe Burrows' personal and professional life. The early radio scripts of the comedian, the detailed files on each stage production especially <span class=\"title\">Can-Can</span>, <span class=\"title\">How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Cactus Flower</span>, the large collection of opening night telegrams, and the extensive correspondence with family, friends and colleagues illuminate Burrows' personality and career. Includes long, informative and personal letters to his wife Carin when they were apart, working files for his <span class=\"title\">Abe Burrows Songbook</span>, <span class=\"date\">1955</span>, articles, both published and unpublished, on show business and non-show business topics, sketches, notes and ideas for possible radio or television shows, movies or plays, various drafts of his autobiography, <span class=\"title\">Honest Abe</span>, <span class=\"date\">1980</span>, caricatures and portrait photographs of Burrows as well as many shots of him with well known colleagues.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Abe Burrows papers are arranged in thirteen series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c320272'>Series I: Personal Correspondence and Other Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1904-1985</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>4 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of personal correspondence between Abe Burrows and his wife Carin, correspondence with other family members, various materials documenting Abe Burrow's personal life such as holiday cards and gift lists, and condolences.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c320348'>Series II: General Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1939-1982</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>15 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Correspondence and telegrams document the life and career of Abe Burrows. While most family letters are in Series I, Burrows' personal and professional life were deeply intertwined; his colleagues were his friends. Thus there is not a clear divide between personal and professional letters, and many insights on Burrows the man can be found here.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c320761'>Series III: Production Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1912-1992</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>54 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The productions series documents the productions with which Burrows was involved, followed by productions he worked on that were never produced, then scripts sent to him for consideration, and lastly show business work not specific to a certain production such as contracts and correspondence for radio and television appearances and with recording companies, correspondence with agents, material on copyright, and papers on the producing/investing organization he ran with his wife: Beresford Productions.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321544'>Series IV: Radio Scripts</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1941-1965</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 boxes and 27 volumes</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321594'>Series V: Songs / Abe Burrows Songbook</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1944-1983</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series includes sheet music with notes, song title cards, drafts and notes for songs, correspondence, contracts, copyright assignments and royalty statements for songwriting, and notes, drafts, correspondence, copyright certificates, royalty statements, clippings and publicity for Burrows' book, <span class=\"title\">Abe Burrows Songbook</span>.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321612'>Series VI: Writings, Sketches, Articles, Speeches by Abe Burrows</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1945-1982</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>15 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes notebooks and loose pages of writings consisting of sketches, notes and ideas for radio, television and movies, \"bits\", scripts, song lyrics, autobiographical materials and pages of an untitled novel; published articles by Burrows on both show business and non-show business topics; drafts of articles (unclear if ever published); notecards and drafts of speeches; a transcript of Burrows' remarks, <span class=\"title\">What Can We Expect from Broadway?</span> and some accompanying correspondence.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321628'>Series VII: Interviews and Articles about</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1957-1981</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>5 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of interviews with and articles about Burrows including Columbia University's oral history interview and E. J. Kahn's two-part article in <span class=\"title\">The New Yorker</span>magazine.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321633'>Series VIII: Autobiography - Honest Abe</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1969-1982</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>4.5 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The bulk of this series is various drafts of Burrows' autobiography. Also included are contracts, royalty statements, correspondence with editors, publishers, reviewers and fans, and clippings and publicity.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321652'>Series IX: Address books and calendars</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1968-1984</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of two undated address books kept by Burrows and appointment calendars, mostly bound and used sporadically by Burrows in his later years.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321665'>Series X: Personal Business Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1936-1990</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains correspondence, memos, contracts, financial statements and various reports relating to Burrows affairs outside the world of theater . With the exception of Sub-series 1. Legal papers which touches on both, most of this series relates to Burrows personal life, not his professional career.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321706'>Series XI: Clippings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1943-1985, n.d</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box and 2 volumes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of photocopied clippings about Burrows as well as some press releases and two scrapbooks of clippings that he kept and that have not been photocopied.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321728'>Series XII: Photographs and Other Visual Materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1914-1993</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Photographs of Burrows are mainly formal portraits or photos of Burrows with colleagues on sets for television talk shows, at parties and formal dinners, etc. Includes photos of Burrows with Lauren Bacall, Milton Berle, Carol Channing, Marlene Dietrich, Moss Hart, President Lyndon Johnson, Steve Lawrence, Frank Loesser, Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Gloria Swanson Gore Vidal, Mike Wallace and many others. There is also a folder of the photographs used in his autobiography, <span class=\"title\">Honest Abe</span> which includes childhood and family portraits as well as duplicates of photos of Abe with some of the very well known people with whom he worked. The series also includes a few sketches and caricatures of Burrows. All visual materials in this series are small enough to fit in standard-sized hollinger boxes.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21645#c321810'>Series XIII: Oversized Visual</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1942-1991</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>5 boxes and 3 map case size folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains photographs, artwork, certificates, an advertising mock-up for <span class=\"title\">Abe Burrows Songbook</span> and a souvenir program that were too large to fit in standard-sized hollinger boxes as well as posters for productions with which Burrows was associated. The artwork consists of caricatures and cartoons and a set design for <span class=\"title\">Holly Golightly</span>.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"Series I: Personal Correspondence and Other Papers Sub-series 1 - Correspondence between Abe and Carin Burrows Sub-series 2 - Family Correspondence Sub-series 3 - Personal Files Sub-series 4 - Condolences Series II: General Correspondence Sub-series 1 - Letters Sub-series 2 - Telegrams Series III: Production Files Sub-series 1 - By Title Sub-series 2 - Not Produced Sub-series 3 - Scripts sent to Burrows Sub-series 4 - Professional Show Business Work Series IV: Radio Scripts Sub-series 1 - Unbound scripts Sub-series 2 - Bound scripts Series V: Songs / Abe Burrows Songbook Series VI: Writings - Sketches, Articles, Speeches by Series VII: Interviews and Articles about Series VIII: Autobiography : Honest Abe Series IX: Address books and calendars Series X: Personal Business Files Sub-series 1 - Legal Sub-series 2 - Financial Sub-series 3 - Medical Series XI: Clippings Series XII: Photographs and Other Visual Materials Series XIII: Oversized Visual", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
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{"value"=>"<p>The Abe Burrows Papers were donated to The Billy Rose Collection of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts by James Burrows and Laurie Burrows Grad, the children of Abe Burrows, in 1999.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
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{"value"=>"<p>Audiovisual materials separated from archival collections are cataloged individually and can be found in the Library catalog. Search CATNYP, The New York Public Library catalog.</p> Tony Award for Guys and Dolls, 1950-1951 Tony Award for \"Distinguished Achievement in Theatre,\" 1962 Crystal bar glass etched Can-Can Souvenir cigarette case of First Impressions Souvenir desk clock from Lauren Bacall to Abe Burrows for Cactus Flower Cigarette lighter from Good News Wooden plaque award to Burrows from Advertising Club of Baltimore, 1949 Wooden plaque, \"Good Luck Abe Burrows\" from KOCO TV, Oklahoma City Plexiglass paperweight from Wililam Morris Agency Pewter mug with initials AB High school autograph book, 1924 Interlocking wooden puzzle, \"Abe\" (with broken \"e\") Office door sign, \"Mr. Burrows\" Eyeglasses (2 pairs) Wooden stamp of Provincetown house, \"Carin Abe Burrows\" Wooden stamp of Provincetown house, \"Merry Christmas Happy New Year\" Stock ticker with glass cover Ceramic ashtray, \"Person to Person\" Six cocktail napkins embroidered \"The Burrows\" Opening night note and silver dollar from Howard Teichmann Leather notepad with \"Abe Burrows\" in his script stamped on Keychains, lighters, money clips, etc. inscribed from Bing Crosby and others Expired passports of Abe and Carin Burrows Programme book with pencil tied on Songs, A-Z, not part of production series Records (78 rpm) from Abe Burrows Show Records (78 rpm 33 rpm) from other radio appearances Cast albums Show demos Various reel to reel and cassette tapes Various films and videos Head shots (often with attached resumes) of actors hoping to audition for Abe Burrows Souvenir program for Julie Harris in The Belle of Amherst Miscellaneous standard programs for non-Burrows productions Bissell, Richard, Say, Darling (Boston: Little, Brown Co., 1957) Burrows, Abe, The Abe Burrows Songbook(NY: Doubleday, 1955). Capote, Truman, Breakfast at Tiffany's(NY: New American Library, Inc., 1958) (paperback) The Greatest Revue Sketches, edited by Donald Oliver (NY: Avon books, 1982) A libretto and a vocal book for Guys and Dolls published by Music Theatre International Kurnitz, Harry, Reclining Figure(NY: Random House, 1955) Lindsay, Howard, Happy Hunting(NY: Random House, 1957) Mead, Shepherd, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (NY: Simon and Schuster, 1952) O'Neal, Charles, The Three Wishes of Jamie McRuin(NY: Julian Messner, Inc., 1949) Schulberg, Budd, What Makes Sammy Run?(NY: Random House, 1965) Wilde, Larry, How the Great Comedy Writers Create Laughter(Chicago, Nelson-Hall, 1976) The Writer's World, edited by Elizabeth Janeway (NY: McGraw-Hill, 1969) Plays in Samuel French pamphlets: Cactus Flower, First Impressions, Four on a Garden, Good News, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."}
- processinfo
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{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Elisabeth Elkind; Machine-readable finding aid created by Elisabeth Elkind.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- revisiondesc
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{"value"=>"Container type modified (v. 79) -SL", "date"=>"2022-10-21"}
- date_start
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1904
- keydate
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1904
- date_end
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1993
- date_inclusive_start
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1904
- date_inclusive_end
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1993
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Abe Burrows papers, *T-Mss 2000-006. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}