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Jerome Chodorov Papers

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: RT
Date: Nov 1968



Biographical History

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).


Scope and Contents of the Collection

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).


Arrangement of the Collection

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.


Restrictions

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.


Subject Headings

Persons

Chodorov, Jerome.

Subjects

Dramatists, American -- 20th century.
Librettists -- United States.

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Manuscripts (document genre)
Scripts (documents)

Occupations

Dramatists.
Librettists.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Jerome Chodorov Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Unspecified, 1967.


Table of Contents

Biographical information

Manuscripts

Correspondence

Ephemera

Duplicates


Inventory