Scope and arrangement
The collection, dates from 1922 to 1985 and reflects Paul Osborn's career as a playwright and screenwriter. The collection is primarily typescripts, some annotations of plays and screenplays by Osborn. Prominent works in the collection are The Vinegar Tree, Hot September, and Film of Memory, later titled La Contessa. There is also a first draft of Morning's at Seven. The files include several lesser-known plays and some unpublished works. The Darkest Bough and The Little Elephant are examples of two full-length plays that were not produced.
There are several versions of the musical Hot September based on William Inge's work Picnic. For his background research, Osborn retained a copy of Picnic. This version of Picnic differs significantly from the published version of Inge's work with the same name.
The remaining material includes some letters to Osborn from friends and colleagues, including S. N. Behrman, Al Hirschfeld, Joshua Logan and Sophie Treadwell; congratulatory telegrams on winning the Tony in 1980; contracts, and two scrapbooks of reviews of The Vinegar Tree.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in three sections: Typescripts (arranged alphabetically), Correspondence and Printed Material.