Clifford Odets papers, 1937-1964, bulk 1945-1963

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Series I: Plays and Screenplays, 1938-1963

Series I consists of original and copied plays and screenplays written or adapted by Clifford Odets. The works range in date from Waiting for Lefty from 1938 to the scripts he did for The Richard Boone Show in 1963. Present in this series are first, second, and third drafts as well as final versions of plays and screenplays.


The Big Knife



Box 1 1948, undated, 2 folders


Box 1 Third Draft, (copy) circa, 1948-1949, 3 folders


Box 1 Partial (copy), undated


Box 1 Screenplay by James Poe (from the play by Clifford Odets), undated, 2 folders


Box 1 The Children's Story (working title), 1945 May, 1945


Country Girl


Box 1 Second Draft, (copy), 1949, 2 folders


Box 1 Third Draft (copy), 1949 October 25, 1949


Box 1 Third Draft (copy), undated, 2 folders


Box 1 Fourth Draft (copy), 1950 August, 1950


Box 1 Fourth Draft (copy), undated, 2 folders


Box 1 Final, As Being Played (copy), 1949, 2 folders


Box 1 Uncut Version, 1949 October 17, 1949, 2 folders



Box 2 Uncut Version (copy), 1949 October 17, 1949, 2 folders


Box 2 Early Notes and Scenes (copy), 1949, 3 folders


Box 2 Notes (copy), undated


Box 2 Production Notes (copy), 1950, 2 folders


Box 2 Deadline at Dawn--Final Script, 1945 April 16, 1945, 2 folders


The Greatest Gift


Box 2 1945 January 25, 1945, 2 folders


Box 2 undated, 2 folders


Box 2 Incomplete, 1945 February26, 1945


Joseph and His Brethren


Box 2 First Estimating Draft, 1954 May 10, 1954, 2 folders


Box 2 Second Estimating Draft, 1954 December 30, 1954, 2 folders


Box 2 The Murder Story (working title)--First Draft,, undated, 2 folders


Box 2 Night Music , 1940, 3 folders



Box 3 Night Music , 1940


Box 3 None but the Lonely Heart (adapted from Richard Llewellyn's novel)--Second Draft Continuity (revised), 1943 December 18, 1943, 2 folders


North Star (The Richard Boone Show)


Box 3 1963 April 10, 1963


Box 3 First Revision, 1963 April 26, 1963


Box 3 The Olympian--Drafts, Notes, Typescript (copy),, 1963


Box 3 A Piece of the Action--Notes and Reviews (copy),, 1962


Box 3 Russian People by Constantine Simonov (acting version by Odets),, 1942


Box 3 The Show Must Go On-- Radio Original (copy),, 1939


The Story on Page One (temporary title)


Box 3 1958 October 1, 1958, 10 folders


Box 3 1958 April 27, 1958, 2 folders



Box 4 First Draft Revised, undated, 3 folders


Box 4 Final Draft, circa, 1959, 2 folders


Box 4 Waiting for Lefty , 1938


Walk on the Wild Side (from the novel by Nelson Algren)


Box 4 Final Draft, 1961 March 14, 1961, 3 folders


Box 4 undated


The Way West


Box 4 First Draft, 1956 April, undated, 1956, undated, 3 folders


Box 4 Notes on Treatment by Walter Newman, 1955 November 9, 1955


Box 4 Research Notebook, 1956-1957, 2 folders


Box 4 Research Notebook (compiled by Lelia Alexander), undated, 2 folders


Box 4 Section I, undated, 2 folders


Box 4 Section II, undated, 2 folders


Box 4 Step Outline by Walter Newman, 1955 December 12, 1955



Box 5 Typescript, 1957 September-October (11 folders), 1957


Box 5 Welcome to the City!, 1944 September 6, 1944, 3 folders


Box 5 The Whispering Cup, 1947 January 10, 1947, 2 folders


A Winter Journey


Box 5 Early Draft (copy), 1948, 2 folders


Box 5 First Draft (copy), undated, 2 folders


Box 5 Third Draft (copy), 1948