William Gaxton papers

circa 1937-1961

William Gaxton (1893-1963) was a writer and performer in vaudeville and musical comedy. His papers date from about 1937 to 1961, and consist primarily of scripts that he wrote or performed, including scripts for stage comedies, musicals, and radio and television sketches. Many of the sketches are for Gaxton and his long-time comedy partner, Victor Moore. The collection contains multiple versions of They Do or They Don't, a musical comedy that Gaxton co-wrote with Wallace Sullivan; and a script, synopses, and a fundraising letter for If I Were Queen, a musical comedy with a book by Gaxton and Polan Banks and lyrics by Ogden Nash. There are scripts and other materials related to a proposed television program called The Liars' Club, an audience-participation show that Gaxton developed in the 1950s. Other scripts include And No Birds Sing, Paradise Island, and The Big Shot. The collection includes some lyrics, monologues, and a small number of letters to Gaxton about his performances and writings.