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Creator
American Play Company
Call number
*T-Mss 1966-002
Physical description
49.14 linear feet (117 boxes)
Preferred Citation

American Play Company records, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The American Play Company was a New York theatrical agency which represented authors and rights-holders and assisted in the negotiation of theatrical and film licensing. The American Play Company records contain administrative files, contracts, literary department correspondence, and scripts relating to the theatrical rights management business.

Biographical/historical information

The American Play Company was a New York theatrical agency which represented authors and rights-holders and assisted in the negotiation of theatrical and film licensing. The company originated in the 1880s, when Elisabeth Marbury became the protégée of Daniel Frohman and began representing authors and managing their various productions on Broadway, the national tour circuit, and regional amateur productions. She became the representative of Frances Hodgson Burnett, George Bernard Shaw, Jerome Kern, Guy Bolton, and P.G. Wodehouse. She was also the sole representative of the French Society of Authors.

In 1914, Marbury merged with Selwyn and Company to form the American Play Company. By 1930, the company had also absorbed the De Mille company and the John Rumsey Company. The company continued producing and managing properties until the early 1960s, when it was purchased by Sheldon Abend.

Scope and arrangement

The American Play Company records contain administrative files, contracts, literary department correspondence, and scripts relating to the theatrical rights management business.

The American Play Company records are arranged in four series:

  • Series I: Administrative Files
    1908-1965
    11 boxes

    The Administrative Files hold the company's by-laws and a limited selection of financial documents, as well as administrative correspondence relating to various properties and individual representatives. The correspondence mostly concerns payment agreements and pre-contract negotiations. The American Play Company listed properties by their title rather than by author or rights holder due to often complicated rights situations. Alphabetical by subject.

  • Series II: Contracts
    1892-1966
    73 boxes

    Series II holds contracts between the American Play Company or related individuals (Elisabeth Marbury, John Rumsey) and various properties and rights holders. The American Play Company often filed properties by their title rather than by author or rights holder due to complicated rights situations. For example, an individual property may have a book writer, lyricist, and composer who would all receive royalty payments, as well as an initially involved producer, such as the Shubert family, who would receive compensation as well. In some cases, the rights holder has inherited the rights (such as the child of an author) and the property is also listed by title to avoid confusion. When individual rights holders are listed, it is often because they have an individual multi-play agreement with the American Play Company. Files contain contracts, correspondence related to contract issues, and receipts of payment. In some cases, the contract itself is missing and files note that it was returned to a rights holder. Some contracts were originally ordered by contract number, and these numbers are retained on the folder where available.

    Items of interest include Frances Hodgson Burnette's contract for Pretty Sister of Jose, which was sold to the Famous Players Motion Picture company, and then sold again to Universal. American Play Company acted as the middle man in both these transactions. These files also hold Guy Bolton and Cole Porter's agreements for Anything Goes licensing and P.G. Wodehouse's contracts to write the Century Theatre Musical Attraction. Alphabetical by title or rights-holder.

  • Series III: Literary Department
    1921-1937
    2 boxes

    The Literary Department files hold correspondence concerning rights and royalties disputes. Unauthorized productions, under-payment, illegal changes to properties and other issues were handled by this separate department within the company. Chronological by date.

  • Series IV: Scripts
    1900-1951
    34 boxes

    Series IV contains draft scripts sent to the American Play Company for consideration. Scripts are often undated and contain handwritten edits and changes. Many of these scripts never received a production, and some do not list an author. Alphabetical by title.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by the American Play Company, 1966.

Processing information

Compiled by Lea Jordan.

Collection alphabetized and rehoused.

Related Material

American Play Company collection, 1800s-1950s. University of Miami Special Collections. American Play Company Records, 1924-1934. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, New York Public Library.

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.