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Creator
Slezak, Walter, 1902-1983
Call number
*T-Mss 1983-003
Physical description
.42 linear feet; 2 boxes
Preferred Citation

Walter Slezak Papers, *T-Mss 1983-003, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

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

The Walter Slezak Collection contains correspondence and ephemera (ih the form of photographs, clippings, a photo scrapbook and sheet music.).

Biographical/historical information

Walter Slezak, son of the operatic tenor Leo Slezak and the actress Elsa (Wertheim) Slezak, was born in Vienna, Austria, on May 3, 1902. He began a film and stage career in Berlin in 1921. Coming to the United States in 1930 in the musical comedy Meet My Sister, Slezak played many roles in the live theater during the next four decades - his performances on Broadway as Joseph in the comedy My 3 Angels[1953], and as Panisse in the musical Fanny [1954], were probably his greatest triumphs. Between 1942 and 1976 he appeared in dozens of movies - usually typecast in character roles because of his portliness. Slezak also appeared in numerous radio and television productions.

In 1959, at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Walter Slezak made his operatic debut as Szupan in Johann Strauss' The Gypsy Baron - exactly 50 years after his father's Metropolitan debut in Verdi's Otello. In 1977, Slezak wrote a unique "recipe-plus-travelogue" book called Mein Magen geht fremd [My Stomach Goes Abroad]. Walter Slezak died on April 22, 1983.

Leo Slezakwas born in Moravia on August 18, 1873. Making Vienna his home base, Slezak forged a highly successful international career as an operatic tenor - known especially for his Verdi and Wagner roles. Slezak also became a celebrated interpreter of German Lieder, and in later life appeared as a character actor in German and Austrian films. A prankster and wit, Slezak's irrepressible sense of humor was revealed in his four volumes of memoirs. After his death on June 1, 1946, other literary works by or about him appeared, including two that linked him with his son Walter: What Time's the Next Swan?[New York, 1962], Walter's book of memoirs that included many anecdotes about his father's life and career; and Mein lieber Bub: Briefe eines besorgten Vaters[Munich, 1966], Walter's selection of letters written to him by his father.

Johanna Van Rijn Slezak married Walter on October 10, 1943. In correspondence from friends, she is often referred to by her nickname, Kaasi. The Slezaks had three children: Ingrid Slezak, oldest child of Walter and Johanna, was born ca. 1944; Erika Slezak (also known as "Ricki" or "Rickie") was born ca. 1946; Leo Lauritz Slezak was born in 1948.

Scope and arrangement

The Walter Slezak Papers span the period from 1905-1983 (one letter dates from 1878) and contain correspondence, personal papers, and ephemera (in the form of photographs, clippings, a photo scrapbook, and sheet music).

Of the more than 150 documents included in Walter Slezak's correspondence (many of them written in German), over 90 percent are messages to Slezak from a wide range of important figures in the arts: composers such as Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, and Erich Korngold; playwrights such as Lillian Hellman, George S. Kaufman, and S.N. Behrman; actors such as Lynn Fontanne, Charles Boyer, andKatharine Cornell; singers such as Lotte Lehmann, Geraldine Farrar, and Ezio Pinza; writers such as Phyllis McGinley, Sinclair Lewis, and Dorothy Parker; also orchestra conductors, theater critics, and artists. There are even two letters from astronauts.

The collective portrait of Slezak that emerges from these letters is that of an admired actor, a charming host, a proud parent, a witty raconteur, a devoted custodian of his father's legacy, and a gourmet chef. Slezak was also an avid collector of original manuscripts: included in the correspondence are a ribald poem by Dorothy Parker; a handwritten Shakespearean sonnet by Phyllis McGinley(dedicated to Slezak); a handwritten copy of Lillian Hellman's favorite speech from her favorite play (The Autumn Garden, 1951); a type-written manuscript (replete with penciled revisions) of Sinclair Lewis's introduction to a biography of Henry Ward Beecher; and a number of letters relating to Slezak's acquisition of original musical scores.

Walter Slezak's Personal Papers fall into several categories: 1. A group of letters to Leo Slezak, dating from the first two decades of this century; 2. "Agaloo": a humorous story (comprising 13 manuscript pages and 4 illustrations) which Walter Slezakwrote for his grandchildren Toby and Alexander; 3.25 Jahre Lubitsch: a manuscript (in German) for a satirical skit written by Friedrich Hollanderin honor of Ernst Lubitsch; 4. An untitled, hand-written manuscript - probably by Walter Slezak - that seems to be part of a play or allegory.

The bulk of the ephemera in this collection are photographs, falling into five categories: 1. Personal photos of Slezak and/or various celebrities and friends; 2. Family photos - mostly from Slezak's childhood family; 3. Family photos with celebrities; 4. Head shots of Slezak; 5. A scrapbook composed mostly of publicity photos from Slezak's acting career in Germany and Austria during the 1920's. Also in the ephemera series are 13 clippings, which include American and Austrian newspaper articles about Slezak's private life, along with photographs, interviews, a cartoon, a playbill, an article by Slezak, and an excerpt from What Time's the Next Swan? in Theatre ArtsMagazine. The final category of ephemera is original sheet music: Harold Rome's song "Panisse and Son" for the Broadway musical Fanny, and Alec Wilder's song "Pinocchio's Lullaby" for a television production of Pinocchio.

Arrangement

The Walter Slezak Papers consist of three series. They are:

  • Series I: Walter Slezak Correspondence
  • Series II: Personal Papers
  • Series III: Ephemera

Administrative information

Custodial history

The Walter Slezak Papers were received by the Billy Rose Theatre Division as a gift from Mrs. Slezak after her husband's death in 1983.

Source of acquisition

Gift, Johanna Slezak (Mrs. Walter Slezak), 09/19/1983

Processing information

Processed and machine-readable finding aid created by John Burchard.

The complete collection was reprocessed with a finding aid in 1999.

Separated material

  • Bedtime for Bonzo (Motion picture), 1951[1 item]
  • Come September (Motion picture), 1961[6 items]
  • Cornered (Motion picture), 1945[8 items]
  • Dr. Coppelius (Motion picture), 1966[3 items]
  • The Fallen Sparrow (Motion picture), 1943[11 items]
  • Fanny,1954[2 items]
  • The First Gentleman,1957[9 items]
  • Heidi (Television program), 1968[6 items]
  • The Inspector General (Motion picture), 1949[4 items]
  • The Lion in Winter,1968[1 item]
  • Meet My Sister,1931[1 item]
  • The Miracle (Motion picture), 1959[2 items]
  • My Three Angels (Broadway), 1953[44 items]
  • My Three Angels (Tour), 1954[13 items]
  • Oliver,1966 [2 items]
  • Once Upon a Honeymoon,1942[25 items]
  • The Princess and the Pirate (Motion picture), 1944[1 item]
  • Der Rolandsbogen (Motion picture), 192?[1 item]
  • Romanoff and Juliet,1963[4 items]
  • This Land Is Mine (Motion picture) [14 items]
  • The Trojan Women,1941[2 items]
  • The Yellow Cab Man (Motion picture), 1950[3 items]

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

For permission to publish contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.

Access restrictions

Photocopying prohibited.