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Creator
McCracken, Joan
Call number
*T-Mss 2001-010
Physical description
2 linear feet (5 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Joan McCracken Ephemera, *T-Mss 2001-010, 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
Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online.

Joan McCracken was a dancer and a star of stage and screen. Her ephemera consists of scrapbooks, clippings, programs, sheet music and some personal items.

Biographical/historical information

Joan McCracken was a star of stage and screen, most notably a musical comedy star. She was born in Philadelphia on December 31, 1917 (most sources say 1922). A trained ballerina, she was the youngest soloist in the Philadelphia Ballet, starring Catherine Littlefield. Joan McCracken spent one year in the Radio City corps-de-ballet before moving to the Broadway stage. Her first role was in the original production of Oklahoma! in 1943. Other roles were in Bloomer Girl, Billion Dollar Baby, Me and Juliet (1953), Peter Pan (1951), Angel in the Pawnshop, The Sleeping Prince (1957) and Clifford Odet's play The Big Knife (1949). Her films included Good News and Hollywood Canteen. She also starred in her own television show entitled Claudia (1952). She was married to the writer, Jack Dunphy and to the choreographer, Bob Fosse. She died November 1, 1961.

Scope and arrangement

The Joan McCracken Ephemera consists of scrapbooks, clippings, programs, sheet music and a few personal items such as school report cards and awards. The scrapbooks document her career as a dancer and musical comedy star. There are two scrapbooks documenting her early career in ballet during the 1930s. The other scrapbooks document her theatrical career. Productions included are Angel in the Pawnshop, The Big Knife, Billion Dollar Baby, Bloomer Girl, Dance Me a Song, Galileo, Me and Juliet, Oklahoma!, Peter Pan, The Sleeping Prince, motion pictures Good News and Hollywood Canteen and her television program Claudia.

The Joan McCracken ephemera is arranged in two series:

  • Series I: Ephemera
    ca. 1930-1952
    1 box

    This series consists of an award, clippings, programs, photographs, school papers, sheet music and 2 pieces of correspondence. Of special note are the notes inserted into the sheet music for the motion picture Good News.

  • Series II: Scrapbooks
    ca, 1930-1958
    4 boxes (8 scrapbooks)

    This series consists of 8 bound scrapbooks, primarily of clippings documenting the career of Joan McCracken. Early scrapbooks include clippings about the Philadelphia Ballet and Joan Littlefield. Later scrapbooks include productions such as Angel in the Pawnshop, The Big Knife, Billion Dollar Baby, Bloomer Girl, Dance Me a Song, Galileo, Me and Juliet, Oklahoma!, Peter Pan, The Sleeping Prince, motion pictures Good News and Hollywood Canteen and her television program Claudia.

Administrative information

Custodial history

The Joan McCracken Ephemera was donated to the Theatre Collection sometime before 1990.

Processing information

Processed by Mary Ellen Rogan.

The collection was reprocessed and cataloged according to new archival guidelines in 2001.

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.