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Finding aid created by: RT
Date: Nov 1968
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| 8 May 2010 | converted to EAD (MRC) |
Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Chodorov, Jerome. |
| Title: | Jerome Chodorov Papers |
| Dates: | 1941-1967 |
| Quantity: | 9 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | American playwright, director, short story author and librettist. Collection contains manuscripts of plays, screenplays, teleplays, and a few short stories; also a small amount of biographical material, correspondence and ephemera. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Jerome Chodorov (1911-2004) was an American playwright, librettist and director.
Born in New York City to Harry and Lena (Simmons) Chodorov, Jerome attended George Washington High School and then began his writing career as a journalist in the 1930s. By 1942 he had written at least seven plays or screenplays. Following a three-year hiatus from 1942 to 1945, during which time he served as a captain in the United States Air Force, he returned to writing, producing plays, screenplays, teleplays and short stories. His Wonderful Town won the 1953 New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Outer Circle Award. Chodorov also collaborated on several productions with Joseph Fields, as well as one with novelist and playwright Joseph Heller ( Spy Story) and another with cartoonist Mell Lazarus ( The Boss Is Crazy Too).
The Jerome Chodorov Papers consists primarily of manuscripts of plays, screenplays, teleplays, and a few short stories, many with extensive revisions. The collection also contains a small amount of biographical material, correspondence and ephemera.
In many cases the title of a play changed in the course of writing and revising. Where it was possible to determine dates, the latest title was chosen under which to group the manuscripts of a single play. Earlier titles are given in the inventory below, with a cross-reference to the final title chosen for grouping.
Personal correspondence related to a particular play is filed with the manuscripts for that play. Items of interest include correspondence between Chodorov and Pearl S. Buck (Box 2, Christine), between Chodorov and Joshua Logan (Box 1, Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole; Box 18, personal correspondence, 1961), and a letter from Chodorov to Otto Preminger (Box 18, personal correspondence, 1962).
Manuscripts are in alphabetical order by title and within that chronologically by date of creation, where possible to determine (e.g., outline followed by drafts followed by final versions). Correspondence and notes relating to a particular play are filed with the manuscripts.
Access Restrictions:
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions:
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Persons
Chodorov, Jerome.
Subjects
Dramatists, American -- 20th century.
Librettists -- United States.
Genres and Forms
Correspondence.
Manuscripts (document genre)
Scripts (documents)
Occupations
Dramatists.
Librettists.
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Jerome Chodorov Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Unspecified, 1967.
Biographical information
Manuscripts
Correspondence
Ephemera
Duplicates
| Biographical information | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Manuscripts | |||||||||||
| An Amazing Event | |||||||||||
| See Three Bags Full | |||||||||||
| An Astounding Event | |||||||||||
| See Three Bags Full | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Barnaby and Mr. O'Malley 1962 - typescript, correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Barnum May 1963 - typescript and handwritten early and final drafts, outlines, many with revisions (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Bascom Barlow | |||||||||||
| See Three Bags Full | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | The Big Ditch 1954 - outline typescript; Act I typescript with revisions; notes (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole 1961, 1963 - carbon copy; correspondence | ||||||||||
| The Blue Coast | |||||||||||
| See Chez Francois | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | The Boss is Crazy Too undated - carbon copy of first draft with revisions | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Chez Francois 1960 - mimeo; carbon copy (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Christine 1959-1960 - fragments; carbon copies with revisions; correspondence | ||||||||||
| Cote d'Azur | |||||||||||
| See Chez Francois | |||||||||||
| Duchess and the Smugs | |||||||||||
| See Chez Francois | |||||||||||
| Dumas and Son | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Outlines, notes and correspondence 1964 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Outlines, drafts, notes and correspondence 1964-1966 - typescript, carbon and manuscript drafts both complete and of individual acts and scenes, many with revisions (12 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Drafts and fragments 1966 - typescript, carbon and manuscript drafts, many with revisions (10 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Fragments 1967, undated - typescript, many with revisions (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | The French Touch circa 1946 - bound volume | ||||||||||
| Fun and Games | |||||||||||
| See Three Bags Full | |||||||||||
| A Funny Game | |||||||||||
| See Three Bags Full | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | The Girl in Pink Tights 1953 - mimeograph copy | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | The Great Waltz 1965, undated - typescripts and xerox and mimeograph copies, many with revisions; Wright and Forrest rehearsal script, with annotations; notes and correspondence (7 folders) | ||||||||||
| A Hero's Life | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | Revisions and rewrites, notes 1960, 1962, undated - carbon, xerox and thermofax copies | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | Early versions, fragments undated - typescripts and carbon copies, many with revisions (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| How Like a God | |||||||||||
| See Olympus 7-0000 | |||||||||||
| Box 7 | I Had a Ball 1964 - mimeo of 2d draft; fragments; 2 carbon copies with revisions; carbon copy of album narration (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | Idiot's Delight undated - notes | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | Impasse de la fidelite 1961 - rough copy; carbon copy; typescript (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Junior Miss | |||||||||||
| Box 7 | Manuscript 1941 - carbon copy | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Bound volume 1944 | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Junior Miss Goes to War undated - carbon copy | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Kitty 1963-1964, undated - Act III with revisions; carbon copy of Act III; fragments; correspondence; notes (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | The Major and the Private 1964, undated - drafts; fragments; many with revisions (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| A Mother's Kisses | |||||||||||
| Box 9 | Drafts, fragments 1965-1966 - carbon copies, typescripts, many with revisions (9 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Drafts, fragments 1966 - typescripts, handwritten and mimeo copies, many with revisions (9 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 11 | Drafts, fragments 1966-1967 - typescripts, mimeo and carbon copies, many with revisions (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| My Indian Family | |||||||||||
| See Christine | |||||||||||
| Box 11 | My Sister Eileen circa 1946 - bound volume | ||||||||||
| An Officer and a Gentleman | |||||||||||
| See The Major and the Private | |||||||||||
| Box 11 | Oh Men! Oh Women! 1966 - drafts of pilot script; typescripts, handwritten, carbon copies (5 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 11 | Olympus 7-0000 1966 - 2nd and final drafts, fragments; typescripts and carbon and mimeo copies, many with revisions | ||||||||||
| Panama Sweepstakes | |||||||||||
| See The Big Ditch | |||||||||||
| Box 12 | The Ponder Heart 1956, 1962, 1966 - drafts of teleplay, many with revisions; published material, clippings; bound volume (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 12 | Profile undated - outline for story; typescript, handwritten | ||||||||||
| Box 12 | Ride the Wind undated - story; carbon copy | ||||||||||
| Box 12 | Ring Lardner undated - typescript | ||||||||||
| Sailor Beware | |||||||||||
| See The Big Ditch | |||||||||||
| Box 12 | Spy Story 1963, undated - outlines, drafts, treatments (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| The Student Prince | |||||||||||
| Box 13 | Drafts, fragments, correspondence, notes, sketches 1966 - handwritten, typescript, and carbon copies, many with revisions | ||||||||||
| Box 14 | Drafts, fragments, correspondence 1966 - typescripts, also xerox, mimeo and carbon copies, many with revisions | ||||||||||
| That Prince Wales | |||||||||||
| See Spy Story | |||||||||||
| Box 14 | That Side of Him undated - story; handwritten and typescript, manuscripts with revisions | ||||||||||
| Three Bags Full | |||||||||||
| Box 14 | Drafts 1965 - includes alternate titles An Astounding Event, An Amazing Event; handwritten and typescript manuscripts and carbon copies, many with revisions (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Drafts 1965 - includes alternate titles An Astounding Event, An Amazing Event, Bascom Barlow; typescripts and mimeo and carbon copies, many with revisions (7 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 16 | Drafts 1966 - includes alternate titles A Funny Game, Fun and Games, and Oscar; typescripts and mimeo and carbon copies, many with revisions (5 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 16 | Three Little Girls at School 1941 - carbon copy | ||||||||||
| Box 16 | Weismann on Weizmann 1962-1963 - mimeo copy with revisions; fragments; notes; correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 16 | Wonder Wheel undated - mimeo copy | ||||||||||
| See also I Had a Ball | |||||||||||
| Box 16 | Wonderful Town 1962-1963 - mimeo copy; correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | The World's Biggest Caper (and How It Grew) 1966 - story; typescript with revisions, also xerox copy; correspondence | ||||||||||
| The World is Mine | |||||||||||
| See Dumas and Son | |||||||||||
| Box 17 | Zero Hour — One Half 1963 - typescripts as well as carbon, xerox and mimeo copies of outline and numerous drafts, many with revisions; notes; correspondence (10 folders) | ||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box 17 | Personal 1959-1962 | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Personal 1963-1964, 1966 | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Of others 8 Jan 1944 | ||||||||||
| Ephemera | |||||||||||
| Box 18 | Clippings Aug 1962, Aug 1963 | ||||||||||
| Duplicates | |||||||||||
| Box 18 | Miscellaneous duplicate material (4 folders) | ||||||||||