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Series II: Personal, circa 1950-1965

William Friedberg papers, 1950-1965

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Series I: Writings and Work of Billy Friedberg, 1950-1965, undated

This series consists of Friedberg's writings, organized by genre, and documents that supported the creative process and production of his dramatic work (drafts, notes, contracts, budgets, etc.). Also included are production documents of the television programs that he produced. Material in this series is arranged alphabetically. When multiple episodes of a program are included, they are arranged in chronological order.

Subseries I.1: Television, 1950-1965

This subseries contains Friedberg's television scripts arranged in alphabetical order by the show's title, together with documents such as Friedberg's notes, intra-staff memos, budgets, and other records of production.

Allen King Show


Box 1 Notes and Memos, 1960

Box 1 Folder 2-3 Script Drafts, undated, (2 Folders)

Box 1 Folder 4 Script, Shooting, and Documentation, 1960

As Time Goes By

Box 1 Folder 5 Notes and Scenario, circa, 1960-1961

Box 1 Folder 6 Script--Early Drafts, undated

Box 1 Folder 7 Script--Pilot, 1961

Bob and Ray Show, The


Box 2 Folder 1 Scripts, 1952 March-April

Box 2 Folder 2 Scripts, 1952 May-June

Box 2 Folder 3 Scripts, 1952 July

Box 2 Folder 4 Scripts, 1952 July-August

Box 2 Folder 5 Scripts, undated

Box 2 Folder 6 Buick Circus Hour, The --Scripts, 1953

Car 54, Where Are You?


Box 3 Folder 1 Scripts # 31-38, circa, 1962

Box 3 Folder 2 Scripts # 42-45, undated

Box 3 Folder 3 Scripts # 46-47, undated

Box 3 Folder 4 Correspondence, 1962

Box 3 Folder 5 Colgate Comedy Hour, The --Script, 1952 December

Box 3 Folder 6 Drumbeater, The --Scripts, circa, 1959

Box 3 Folder 7 Harry's Girls --Documentation, 1963

Jack Carson Review, The


Box 4 Folder 1 Scripts, 1950 October-November

Box 4 Folder 2 Scripts, 1950 December

Box 4 Folder 3 Scripts, 1951 January-February

Box 4 Folder 4 Scripts, 1951 April-May

Box 4 Folder 5 Scripts, 1951 June-September

Box 4 Folder 6 Scripts, undated

Box 4 Folder 7 Law and Mr. Jones, The --Scripts and Documentation, 1960

Leave it to Larry


Box 5 Folder 1 Scripts # 1-2, 1952 October

Box 5 Folder 2 Scripts # 3,4, and 6, 1952 October-November

Box 5 Folder 3 Scripts # 7, 9, 1952 December

Box 5 Folder 4 Magnificent Montague, The --Pilot Script, circa, 1957

Martha Raye Show, The

Box 5 Folder 5 Scripts, undated

Box 5 Folder 6 Scripts, 1951

Box 5 Folder 7 Scripts, 1952


Box 6 Folder 1 Scripts, 1952

Box 6 Folder 2-3 Scripts, 1953, (2 Folders)

Box 6 Folder 4-5 Scripts, 1954, (2 Folders)

Max Liebman Presents

Box 6 Folder 6 Script, 1954 October 10

Box 6 Folder 7 Script, 1954 October 23


Box 7 Folder 1 Script, 1954 November

Box 7 Folder 2 Script, 1955 January

Box 7 Folder 3 Script, 1955 April 9

Box 7 Folder 4 Script, 1955 April 24

Box 7 Folder 5 Script, 1955 May

Box 7 Folder 6 McKeever and the Colonel --Shooting Schedules, 1962

Box 7 Folder 7 NBC News Broadcast--Script, 1954 April

Box 7 Folder 8 NBC Presents Betty and Jane Kean --Script, undated

Old Man Webster

Box 7 Folder 9 Notes and Correspondence, circa, 1961

Box 7 Folder 10 Script Drafts, undated


Box 8 Folder 1 Perry Como Show, The --Script, 1960 April

Box 8 Folder 2 Peter Loves Mary --Shooting Schedule, undated

Box 8 Folder 3 Phil Silvers Show, The (aka "Sergeant Bilko")--Documentation, 1957-1961

Box 8 Folder 4 [ Satin and Spurs ]--Script, circa, 1954

Box 8 Folder 5 Shirley --script, 1964

Box 8 Folder 6 Three's Company --Scenarios and Notes, undated

Box 8 Folder 7 U.S. Rubber Company Presents U.S. Royal Showcase --Script, 1952 January

Subseries I.2: Radio, 1950-1951

Included in this subseries are the scripts of fifty-one episodes of the radio serial "The Magnificent Montague" in chronological order. These aired in 1950-1951, and several years later (circa 1957) Friedberg wrote a pilot script for an adaptation of the series into a television program, included in Subseries I.1. The series title is also the name of a popular African-American disc jockey of the late 1950s and the 1960s; however, they seem to be unrelated.

Magnificent Montague, The

Box 8 Folder 8 Scripts # 1-4, 1950 November-December, 1950

Box 8 Folder 9 Scripts # 5-9, 1950 December - 1951 January, 1950 December, 1951 January

Box 8 Folder 10 Scripts # 10-14, 1951 January-February

Box 8 Folder 11 Scripts # 15-19, 1951 February-March


Box 9 Folder 1 Scripts # 20-24, 1951 March-April

Box 9 Folder 2 Scripts # 25-29, 1951 April-May

Box 9 Folder 3 Scripts # 30-34, 1951 June

Box 9 Folder 4 Scripts # 35-39, 1951 June-August

Box 9 Folder 5 Scripts # 40-44, 1951 August-September

Box 9 Folder 6 Scripts # 45-49, 1951 September-October

Box 9 Folder 7 Scripts # 50-51, 1951 October

Subseries I.3: Other Writings and Work, 1953-1963, undated

This subseries comprises all other genres of writing by Friedberg, including plays, musicals, and short stories, and unidentified writings and fragments, in alphabetical order by genre. Included are writings generated in the creative process: ideas for future projects that either did not come to fruition or are not included here in their finished form, and clippings that he used for inspiration. The subseries contains a group of memos from director Robert Soderberg, who collaborated with Friedberg on the television programs "Peter Loves Mary" and "McKeever and the Colonel." Also present is the text for a course on acting in commercials, titled "TV Commercials University" -- it is unclear whether Friedberg taught this class (and thus, wrote this text) or participated as a student.


Box 10 Folder 1 Clippings--Inspiration, undated

Box 10 Folder 2 Memos--Soderberg, Robert, 1960-1962

Box 10 Folder 3 New Projects--Notes and Scenarios, undated

Box 10 Folder 4 Plays--Scripts and Supporting Documentation

Box 10 Folder 5 Scripts--Other Authors, 1953-1963

Box 10 Folder 6 Short Stories--Drafts, undated

Box 10 Folder 7 T.V. Commercials University --Classroom Text, circa, 1958


Box 11 Folder 1 Untitled Writings and Script Fragments, undated

Series II: Personal, circa 1950-1965

This series holds a folder of letters from Neil Simon, written circa 1964 when Simon was in London; most of the contents are personal, chronicling Simon's experience living in England, but he also occasionally touches on various professional projects, both his own and Friedberg's. This series contains a "General" folder of personal papers such as letters, contracts, clippings about Friedberg, and a resume. Series II also includes two unidentified photos, probably of Friedberg, and a caricature of him by an unknown artist. Lastly, it houses three sketchbooks of pencil drawings, artist unknown, although two are marked "Hope" on the cover, suggesting that they may have belonged to Friedberg's wife, Hope Cameron. Items are arranged alphabetically by material type, after the General folder.

Box 11 Folder 2 General--Correspondence, Documents, and Clippings, undated


Box 12 Folder 1 Caricature of Billy Friedberg, undated, artist unknown


Box 11 Folder 3 Photographs, undated

Box 11 Folder 4 Simon, Neil--Correspondence, circa, 1964

Box 11 Folder 5 Sketchbooks (3), undated