- unitid
-
{"value"=>"18672", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1911-1999", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1911/1999"}
{"value"=>"1938-1960", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1938/1960"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1911
- date_inclusive_end
-
1999
- keydate
-
1911
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Jim Moran papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"4.45 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"11 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. <span class=\"subarea\">Billy Rose Theatre Division</span></span> <div class=\"address\"><span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"James. S. Moran (1907-1999) was a press agent who was credited with creating the \"publicity stunt.\" Some of his more famous stunts include selling a refrigerator to an Eskimo (for General Electric), finding a needle in a haystack and hatching an ostrich egg (for the book The Egg and I)."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Jim Moran papers, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Moran, Jim.", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>James Sterling Moran, known as Jim, was born in Woodstock, Virginia in 1907, the third of four sons. Moran did not complete his high school education. One of his first jobs was as an airline executive with Eugene Vidal (father of Gore).</p> <p>Moran began in the publicity profession sometime during the 1930s, and is credited with creating the \"publicity stunt.\" (A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract attention to the stunt's organizers, product or cause). Many of his more famous publicity stunts were created in the 1940s. Those stunts include selling a refrigerator to an Eskimo for General Electric, finding a needle in a haystack after a week of searching, hatching an ostrich egg by sitting on it for 19 days (for the book The Egg and I), and changing horses in mid-stream (the Presidential campaign of 1944).</p> <p>Some of these stunts were in conjunction with Fred Waring the popular musician and band leader of the 1940s. Moran was Waring's press agent. Two of the more memorable stunts had Waring lead a bull through a china shop (because of a lost sports bet-the shop was Plummer's in mid-town Manhattan) and the sun tan challenge. The sun tan challenge had Moran covering half of his body, leaving the other half to tan in the California sun, then flying to Florida, covering the California-tanned side and getting a tan with Florida sun. Which sun tan was better? It was a draw.</p> <p>In later years, (1970s-1990s), he worked at graphic design and painted. Moran was married four times, Shirley Carrol (divorced), Dorothy Thomas (divorced), Linda Howes (1976-divorce date unknown) and another unidentified woman. Moran spent the last years of his life at the Actor's Home in Englewood, New Jersey. He died on October 18, 1999.</p> <p>Source: <span class=\"title\">New York Times</span>, Douglas Martin, 1999, Oct. 24</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection contains correspondence (mostly personal); publicity files, such as photocopied clippings and outlines of potential stunts; photographs; and personal items. There are also writings, including articles, essays, and a partial autobiography. The writings are almost entirely undated.</p>"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection is arranged alphabetically by name, subject and title.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donated by Pamela Draper in 2000.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, please contact the Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- physloc
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 2000-007", "type"=>"local_call", "supress_display"=>true}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Compiled by Leslie Reyman.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
4.45 linear feet (11 boxes)
- date_start
-
1911
- date_end
-
1999
- date_bulk_start
-
1938
- date_bulk_end
-
1960