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Creator
Sobel, Bernard, 1936-
Call number
*T-Mss 2012-071
Physical description
5.35 linear feet (13 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
Preferred Citation

Bernard Sobel papers, *T-Mss 2012-071. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

Bernard Sobel (1887-1964) was an American author and theatrical press agent. His papers include drafts, notes, research materials, and other unidentified papers relating to Sobel's writing; correspondence; photographs; notebooks; a diary; and other personal items.

Biographical/historical information

Bernard Sobel was born on March 13, 1887 in Attica, Indiana, and grew up in Lafayette, Indiana. He majored in English at Purdue University, graduating in 1911 and going on to be a Modern Drama instructor. While teaching at Purdue, he spent his spare time writing plays and working as a publicist for local theatres.

Sobel moved to New York, became a press agent for the well-known theatrical producer Earl Carroll, and established himself as a fixture in the New York theatre world. As a press agent he worked for Charles Dillingham, A. L. Erlanger, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Brothers, and United Artists; and spent many years working as a press agent for the legendary impresario Florenz Ziegfeld. He was also the drama critic for the New York Mirror and an active member of The Lambs Club.

Sobel continued to write short plays and stories throughout his life, and he published a memoir, Broadway Heartbeat: Memoirs of a Press Agent (1953). He published one novel, The Indiscreet Girl (1933); and Three Plays (1913), a collection of the dramatic works Jennie Knows, Mrs. Bompton's Dinner Party, and There's Always a Reason. His non-fiction works include Burleycue : An Underground History of Burlesque Days (1931), A Pictorial History of Burlesque (1956), and A Pictorial History of Vaudeville (1961). He edited The Theatre Handbook and Digest of Plays (1940) and The New Theatre Handbook and Digest of Plays (1959). Shorter pieces by Sobel appeared in Saturday Review, Theatre Arts, Variety, and Esquire.

For many years Sobel lived with his sister, Lorraine Sobel Lee. He died in New York, New York on March 12, 1964.

Scope and arrangement

Writings document Sobel's non-fiction works, short stories, one-act plays, and reviews. The non-fiction works included here are Sobel's published books Broadway Heartbeat: Memoirs of a Press Agent, A Pictorial History of Burlesque, and A Pictorial History of Vaudeville; as well as the unpublished How to Teach Yourself and untitled surveys of actors, actresses and the acting profession; and romantic love in theory, art, and history. Files on these works consist of incomplete drafts, notes, fragments, and excerpts. Research files for Sobel's books, such as clippings, handbills, and programs, are also included here. Sobel's short stories and one-act plays are represented with typed drafts and handwritten notes. One scrapbook contains reviews written by Sobel as a drama critic for the New York Mirror. The majority of Sobel's writings are undated.

Other personal professional files include correspondence, one diary, notebooks, photographs, and other personal items. Sobel's career as Florenz Ziegfeld's press agent is covered with many long telegrams from Ziegfeld containing day-to-day instructions on Sobel's publicity operations. One folder contains condolence telegrams and letters sent to Sobel's sister, Lorraine Lee, after his death. A small amount of personal correspondence consists mainly of postcards from Europe, sent by Sobel to his sister, and postcards sent to Sobel and Lee by various friends. Many letters from notable theatrical personalities discuss Sobel and his correspondents' lives and careers. There are several letters from Ziegfeld's widow, the actress Billie Burke, including a beautiful letter, discussing Ziegfeld's legacy and their daughter Patricia. A 1901 diary contains notes from the fourteen year old Sobel on his daily activities and occasional sketches. There are two notebooks on the topics of French Drama and American Drama, probably from Sobel's time as an instructor at Purdue University. This collection includes one folder of photographs, consisting of portraits of Sobel; candid shots of him and friends, usually out at nightclubs; and portraits and performance photographs of theatre and vaudeville stars.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by Lorraine Sobel Lee, 1964.

Processing information

Compiled by Diana Bertolini, 2014

Related Material

Bernard Sobel papers. Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library. Bernard Sobel Papers. The Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Using the collection

Location

Billy Rose Theatre Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information on obtaining permission to publish, contact the Theatre Division at theatre@nypl.org.