Scope and arrangement
The Florenz Ziegfeld-Billie Burke Papers covers Burke's career approximately from the time when she first went on the stage in the early years of the twentieth century until her retirement, and superficially covers that portion of Ziegfeld's career and life after Burke and he were married. Although there are scripts included that represent Ziegfeld productions, most of them concern Burke's career as a stage actress and later, as a radio and film actress. The business papers are especially noteworthy because they include several contracts between Ziegfeld and A. L. Erlanger and other producers and also because there are financial records of some of the Ziegfeld productions.
The Flo Ziegfeld-Billie Burke papers, 1907-1984 is arranged in four series:
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1912-1959
The entire series comprises typescripts of various stage plays, "sides" or running parts, radio scripts, and several copies of the film script for the movie The Great Ziegfeld.
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1906-1954
This series includes contracts between Billie Burke and producers for her appearances in plays and one for a TV appearance as well as contracts between Ziegfeld and co-producers, writers, etc. Also included are financial statements concerning Ziegfeld productions.
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1906-1959
Reviews of Billie Burke in both her stage and film roles plus feature articles about her life and career form the core of this series. Noteworthy is the file containing Ziegfeld obituaries and tributes. A slipcased album of clippings from her appearances in 1944 is also included. Files relating to the Ziegfeld Follies produced after Ziegfeld's death are also included.
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1907-197?
Many photographs of Billie Burke in both her stage and movie roles as well as publicity portraits comprise this series. Also included are miscellaneous pictures of performers who appeared in Ziegfeld productions and one separate oversized picture of Burke.