Scope and arrangement
The Flournoy Miller Papers, 1928-1971, documents Miller's life as a show writer, producer and entertainer. The collection consists of correspondence, contracts, skit scripts and clippings.
The Flournoy Miller collection is arranged in three series:
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Within the PERSONAL PAPERS, 1937-1971 (bulk dates 1944-1954) series are materials that focus on Miller's personal and family life. The series contains three subseries, Biographical, Correspondence and Miscellaneous. The biographical documents include a funeral program and obituary for Miller and the incomplete manuscript (64 pages) of his autobiography. The correspondence contains general and personal correspondence 1943-1965, and includes love letters between Miller and his wife Bessie.
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The PROFESSIONAL PAPERS, 1924-1966 (bulk dates 1940-1959) series makes up the bulk of the Miller papers. This series is divided into seven subseries, Contracts, Memberships (e.g., ASCAP, Songwriter's Protective Association, Dramatists Guild, Authors League), Writings which contain lyrics and scripts for skits and manuscripts, Performance Teams, Production Files, and Printed Matter. The Performance Teams subseries documents the partnerships Miller formed with Aubrey Lyles and their collaboration with Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle. These files contain a team history for Miller and Lyles, letters, clippings, 1943-1954, contracts, skit scripts and programs. The largest of the subseries are the Production Files. These files include production materials for "Amos and Andy", Shuffle Along, Sugar Hill, and an array of other productions. Within these files are handwritten histories of the "Amos and Andy Show" and Shuffle Along, scripts, letters, stage directions for Mama Charlestons' Boarding House; cast lists for Queen of the Range; news clippings, contracts for Shuffle Along and Sugar Hill and a broadside for Shuffle Along. The Sugar Hill files contain handwritten letters from James P. Johnson (collaborator on Sugar Hill to Miller.
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This series contains material about Flournoy Miller, which includes information about his foundation, the Flournoy Miller Foundation for the Performing Arts; and biographies written by his wife, Bessie, and daughter, Olivette.