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Creator
Bohnen, Roman, 1894-1949
Call number
*T-Mss 1994-028
Physical description
2 lin. ft. (8 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Roman Bohnen Papers, *T-Mss 1994-028, 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 Roman Bohnen papers consist of family, personal and professional correspondence as well as scrapbooks of clippings, reviews, programs, and photographs. The collection documents Bohnen's career including early theatrical experiences, his life as a New York actor and member of the Group Theatre, his motion picture years, and the establishment of the Actors' Laboratory Theatre. The correspondence between him and his brother Arthur is rich in personal information about family relationships. The papers span the years 1919-1976 with the emphasis on 1922-1949. Arthur Bohnen's account of his brother's life is included.

Biographical/historical information

Actor Roman Bohnen, known as "Bud" to family, friends and colleagues, was born November 24, 1901 in St. Paul, Minnesota. His parents were Lottie Johnston and artist Carl Bohnen. He had two siblings, his older brother Arthur and younger sister Charlotte. Bohnen was educated in Munich, Germany, where his family lived from 1914-1917, and at the University of Minnesota where he was active in his fraternity, involved in drama club productions, and was such an outstanding cheerleader he earned the title "Rooter King". After working in stock for a couple of years, he joined Thomas Wood Stevens' newly formed repertory company at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago where he remained for five years playing over one thousand performances. He also taught make-up classes and created the First-Night Club, an audience subscription promotion.

In 1930 Bohnen headed for New York and married actress Hildur Ouse, whom he had met at the Goodman. He landed his first Broadway role in As Husbands Go by Rachel Crothers in 1931. In 1932, after working with the Group Theatre during their summer season in Dover Furnace, N. Y., he was chosen to replace Franchot Tone in the Group's production of Success Story. Bohnen joined the Group on a full-time basis in 1934 playing roles in Waiting for Lefty, Golden Boy, Awake and Sing, and The Gentle People, to name only a few. He was also a member of the Group's Actors' Council. Besides acting, Bohnen wrote plays. Incubator, which he co-wrote with John Lyman, was produced in 1932. His one-act $4.80 Top, later slightly revised under the title Four Forty, was produced at the Actor's Lab in the 1940's.

In 1937 Walter Wanger attempted to put together a motion picture deal with the Group which would form a resident company for movie production. His plans fell through but the possibility of film work brought Bohnen to Hollywood where he carved out a career as a character actor appearing in over thirty films including Of Mice and Men, The Song of Bernadette, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Edge of Darkness. While in Hollywood, Bohnen helped found and was the driving force behind the Actors' Laboratory Theatre. He was performing in the Lab production of A Distant Isle when he collapsed and died on February 24, 1949. His wife, Hildur, had died in 1941. They left behind one daughter, Marina, who was affectionately known as Button.

Scope and arrangement

The Roman Bohnen papers are primarily made up of family, personal, and professional correspondence and scrapbooks of clippings, reviews, programs, and photographs. The collection documents Bohnen's career including early theatrical experiences, his life as a New York actor and member of the Group Theatre, his motion picture years, and the establishment of The Actors' Lab. The correspondence between him and his brother Arthur is rich in personal information about family relationships. A small but touching amount of ephemera exists as well as Bohnen's notes for meetings, productions, and articles and an original copy of Incubator. The papers span the years 1919-1976 with the emphasis on 1922-1949. Arthur Bohnen's account of his brother's life is included.

The Roman Bohnen papers are arranged in six series:

  • Series I. Family Correspondence
    1921-1976
    2 boxes

    The bulk of the material in this series is between Bohnen and his brother Arthur. They remained close throughout their lives. Their letters, arranged chronologically, are filled with warmth, regard, and humor and chronicle family events, the peripatetic life of an actor, and Bohnen's creative thinking. Other family correspondence includes letters to and from his parents and his sister and one folder of letters from Hildur to various family members.

    Three folders are devoted to the aftermath of Bohnen's death and putting his affairs in order. The information regarding the custody hearing for his daughter includes two letters from Ruth Nelson. Copies of letters Arthur wrote to a few of Bud's colleagues hoping for information for a biography he was preparing are also included.

  • Series II. Personal and Professional Correspondence
    1918-1949
    12 folders

    This series is arranged alphabetically and includes letters from friends, colleagues, and distant family. Among well-known correspondents are: Walter Fried (2), Whitford Kane (3), Elia Kazan (1), Sanford Meisner (1), Arthur Miller (1), Lewis Milestone(1), Ruth Nelson (1), and Harry Truman (1). A few folders are arranged by production and may include notes, correspondence, opening night telegrams, or contracts. Most of the letters in this series exist only in photocopy as the originals were badly damaged.

  • Series III. Writings
    1931-1941
    5 folders

    This series includes an original typescript of Incubator with a note from Bohnen to his brother attached to the title page and two rough pencil sketches of set floor plans; a folder of notes and other items pertaining to the Group Theatre; a notebook which appears to be thoughts on an Actors' Lab production of Paradise Lost and another which may be notes for the Group production of The Gentle People; Bohnen's poems and skits and a piece from his play Gala Moment. Actors' Lab notes include rough drafts of articles by Bohnen and a press statement about the Tenney hearings.

  • Series IV. Biographical Materials
    1976
    1 folder

    Arthur Bohnen began a biography of Roman in 1976 and included photocopies of pertinent letters, poems, and articles. This biographical account is a complete source of events and dates.

  • Series V. Ephemera
    1 folder

    Among the items in this series are a note to Clifford Odets from Marina Bohnen (he was her godfather), family Christmas poems, Goodman Theatre First-Night Club receipts, programs from high school and college productions, and unidentified notes.

  • Series VI. Scrapbooks,.
    1919-1949
    5 boxes

    There are five scrapbooks in this series. The first one was entirely made up of photographs and was disassembled for preservation purposes. The movie stills were taken out of the collection and added to the Theatre Collection Photo Files (see attached sheet). The remaining scrapbooks are intact and document, through clippings and programs, Bohnen's entire career from high school productions to his years in Hollywood.

Administrative information

Custodial history

The Roman Bohnen papers were donated by his brother, Arthur Bohnen in 1976.

Source of acquisition

Gift, Arthur Bohnen

Processing information

Processed by Susan McArthur.

The collection arrived in poor condition. Many of the letters were water damaged or extremely moldy. For the purpose of preservation, the moldy letters were photocopied onto acid free paper.

Separated material

Copies of $4.80 Top and the slightly revised version entitled Four Forty may be found the the Theatre Collection scripts files.

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.