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Creator
Kirkland, Jack, 1902-1969
Call number
*T-Mss 1981-012
Physical description
3.75 linear feet (9 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Jack Kirkland papers, *T-Mss 1981-012. 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.

Mostly manuscripts by playwright and producer Jack Kirkland. Also a small amount of production material and legal and personal papers.

Biographical/historical information

Playwright, producer, director and screenwriter, Jack Kirkland was born on July 25, 1902 in St. Louis, Missouri and died on February 22, 1969 in New York City. His biggest success was the play Tobacco Roadwhich he adapted from the novel by Erskine Caldwell. The original production ran for over 3000 performances on Broadway, 1933-1941. Kirkland went on to produce three more revivals of the show on Broadway and various productions toured the country for seventeen years. One production with an all-black cast was banned from Chicago and Detroit but played in London.

Kirkland began his career as a journalist. His first play, Frankie and Johnnie, opened in Chicago in 1928 and on Broadway in 1930. Other plays written by Kirkland include Tortilla Flat, adapted from the novel by John Steinbeck, I Must Love Someone, Suds in Your Eye, Georgia Boy, Strange Boarders, Mr. Adam, Man with the Golden Armand Mandingo. He was the producer for a number of shows including Bright Honor, Forbidden Melody, Suzanna and the Elders, Tanyard Streetand The Moon Vine. He also wrote or collaborated on screenplays including Now and Forever, The Golden Coach, with Jean Renoir, and Fifth Avenue Folly.

Jack Kirkland was married five times and had six children including the ballerina Gelsey Kirkland.

Scope and arrangement

The bulk of the collection is manuscripts by Kirkland including many drafts written in longhand. Includes scripts and story ideas for works that were ultimately produced and others that never were. The single box of personal and other papers includes everything else: a small amount of non-script material relating to productions, correspondence, legal papers and personal material including autobiographical writing.

The Jack Kirkland papers are arranged in two series:

  • Series I. Manuscripts by Kirkland
    1928-1969, n.d
    8 boxes

    Contains handwritten manuscripts and typescripts of plays and screenplays by Kirkland from first drafts and heavily revised versions to clean copies and publications. Includes various drafts of produced plays such as Frankie and Johnnie, Man with the Golden Arm, Mandingo,Suds in Your Eyeand Tobacco Road, but also story ideas and manuscripts that may never have been produced.

  • Series II. Personal and other papers
    1932-1969
    1 box

    Contains an autobiographical manuscript (chapter 1), legal papers pertaining to Kirkland's suit against the city of Chicago for closing down Tobacco Road, a small amount of correspondence, various papers pertaining to productions such as telegrams, contracts, financial papers, programs and clippings, a Kirkland obituary, pilot log, and a transcript of his memorial service.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Gift of his widow, Nancy Kirkland Salisbury in December 1981.

Processing information

Processed by Elisabeth Elkind; Machine-readable finding aid created by Elisabeth Elkind.

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.