Scope and arrangement
The Hugh Fordin collection, dated from 1908 to the 2000s, documents the career of writer and record producer Hugh Fordin. The collection holds correspondence; daybooks; a ledger; photographs; printed matter; scripts; sheet music; the transcripts of oral interviews; writings; and audio and moving image materials.
This collection mostly focuses on Fordin's research for the publications, Getting to Know Him: A Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II; and The World of Entertainment! Hollywood's Greatest Musicals.
The book Getting to Know Him: A Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II, was documented with interviews of Dorothy Hammerstein, their son William, and notable individuals in the entertainment industry. Some of these interviews are available in the Transcripts files and the Audio and Moving Image materials. Other supporting materials for the biography are letters from Dorothy Hammerstein to Hugh Fordin; photographs of the Hammerstein family; and a "setting copy" draft with extensive editing of Getting to Know Him: A Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II. A second draft of the book lacks the front matter and the first forty-nine pages.
There are files about the lawsuit "Mary Wescher et al. vs Random House and Arthur Fordin." The files are not complete; however, it does indicate that this case was active between the years of 1978 and 1979. These documents include Fordin's response to the lawsuit and correspondence with his legal counsel.
Files concerning Fordin's other publication, entitled: The World of Entertainment! Hollywood's Greatest Musicals include the final galley proof under the draft title Hollywood's Royal Family, The Freed Unit. Other files hold research materials utilized by Fordin in preparation for this publication. This includes the production scripts for the MGM musicals The Band Wagon; Funny Face; Gigi; and Singin' in the Rain. It should be noted that the production scripts include scripts not related to this publication. For example, House of Flowers, written by Truman Capote and Harold Arlen and several scripts based on Fordin's work as a producer.
Printed Matter is primarily publicity material generated by MGM to promote their movies. The MGM material was printed on oversize card stock that featured their leading actors. The files also include more current productions that Fordin was involved with as a producer or possibly to promote his record company.
The Sheet Music files mostly document the MGM musicals. While most of the sheet music was published, several contain handwritten scripts. The sheet music includes music from The Barkleys of Broadway; Broadway Melody of 1937; Easter Parade; and Singin' in the Rain.
The Photograph files closely mirror the Sheet Music files with many commercially produced publicity photographs, including candid and backlot pictures. The files also hold "behind-the-scenes" shots of Audrey Hepburn preparing for her role in the production Funny Face taken by MGM photographer Bill Avery.
Fordin utilized some personal and business files of Arthur Freed for his research. These files include Freed's daybooks; letters to Freed; and communications regarding the productions of The Bandwagon and Carnival.
The Audio and Moving Image section holds audio recordings of Dorothy and William Hammerstein for the biography of Oscar Hammerstein. Several of the audio and moving image materials include other entertainment projects that Freed was involved with.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into the following groups: Correspondence; Writings; Interviews; Production Scripts; Printed Matter; Photographs; Freed Business files