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Series 6. Miscellaneous, 1916-1992
1.7 linear feet (5 boxes)
RPA 00629-00632 (boxes 160-163); RPU 00034 (box 364)
The Miscellaneous series contains biographical material such as entertainment industry magazine articles, principally on Oboler but also about Oboler family members. There is biographical information on his assistant Jerry Kay (whose original name was Geraldine Klancke), and there are Oboler materials Kay evidently compiled for sales efforts after his death. Scrapbooks kept by Oboler as a youth show his early interests in nature. A number of folders entitled “Ideas” from his career in radio and afterwards, in general chronologically arranged, show his creative processes at work.
Also included is an E-V model 650 microphone.
Miscellaneous biographical, family, and personal materials, 1936-1987
BOX 160 FOLDER 1 Arch Oboler biographical and other newspaper and magazine clippings, 1936 June-1942 May
BOX 160 FOLDER 2 NBC publications about Oboler, 1938 March-1942 January
BOX 160 FOLDER 3 Radio Life magazine article: "Arch Oboler: A Master Dramatist Readies New Shocker," 1940 August 18
BOX 160 FOLDER 4 Joint will of Arch Oboler and Eleanor Helfand Oboler, 1941 March 8
BOX 160 FOLDER 5 Pic magazine article: "Arch Oboler with the Gnome-like Puss," 1941 March 4
BOX 160 FOLDER 6 New York Times newspaper article: "The Radio Scene: Some Opinions, Bulletins: Mr. Oboler Again," 1942 November 15
BOX 160 FOLDER 7 Radio Life magazine article: "Arch Oboler Tells How to Get into Radio," 1942 November 22
BOX 160 FOLDER 8 Tune In magazine article: "Lights Out: Arch Oboler's Blood Chilling Dramas Are Full of Technical Innovations," 1943 August
BOX 160 FOLDER 9 Radio-Television Life magazine article: "Photocade of a Decade," 1950 March 3
BOX 160 FOLDER 10 Arch Oboler biographies, circa 1956-circa 1973
BOX 160 FOLDER 11 Guy Oboler - Ridgewood Military Academy promotion certificate, 1957 June
BOX 160 FOLDER 12 Oboler family tree, compiled by Alfred Oboler, 1971 April
BOX 160 FOLDER 13 Newspaper article: "Persistence Has Paid Off for Minnie Pearlstein, M.D.," circa 1976
BOX 160 FOLDER 14 Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom obituary for Eli M. Oboler, 1915-1983, 1983 September
Eli M. Oboler was Arch Oboler's brother.
BOX 160 FOLDER 15 Los Angeles Times newspaper article: "Radio Dramatist Oboler: the Plot's the Thing," 1986 September 30
BOX 160 FOLDER 16 SPERDVAC Radiogram obituary for Arch Oboler, 1987 April
SPERDVAC is the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama Variety and Comedy.
BOX 160 FOLDER 17 Polaroid photograph, possibly of Eleanor Oboler and grandchild, undated
Ideas, 1932-1965
BOX 160 FOLDER 18 Ideas, 1932-1938 and undated
BOX 160 FOLDER 19 Scripts - new ideas, 1937 March-1965 October
BOX 160 FOLDER 20 Ideas, 1937 April-1943 December
BOX 160 FOLDER 21 "Ideas" spiral notebook, 1939
BOX 160 FOLDER 22 Ideas, 1940 May-1946 April
BOX 161 FOLDER 1 Ideas - motion pictures, 1941 December and undated
BOX 161 FOLDER 2 Ideas, loose material, 1943-1949
BOX 161 FOLDER 3-5 Mutual Broadcasting System material, 1944-1945
Jerry Kay materials, 1952-1990
BOX 161 FOLDER 6 Jerry Kay, background, 1952-1990
BOX 161 FOLDER 7 Jerry Kay, Chicago International Film Festival, 1952- 1990
BOX 161 FOLDER 8 Battle for a Three Dimensional World, 1982
Comic book and 3-D glasses.
BOX 161 FOLDER 9 Jerry Kay creditor's claims on Oboler estate, 1987 August-1989 March
BOX 161 FOLDER 10 Jerry Kay letter to NBC general attorney regarding Lights Out, 1990 August 9
BOX 161 FOLDER 11 Arch Oboler's Bwana Devil press and exploitation book, undated
BOX 161 FOLDER 12 Domo Arigato, undated
BOX 161 FOLDER 13 Space Vision process used in The Bubble, undated
Includes four black-and-white photographs.
Materials from Jerry Kay to Hitchcock, Allan Barnette, 1992 and undated
BOX 162 FOLDER 1 Letter to Rachelle Blaine care of Allan Barnette, 1992 November 18
BOX 162 FOLDER 2 Three by Oboler, undated
An outline for television.
BOX 162 FOLDER 3 Arch Oboler's The Borgia Emerald, undated
"Preferably photographed in 3-D."
BOX 162 FOLDER 4 Big Ben, undated
A television play included in the Arch Oboler's Plays syndicated series.
"Female and male versions."
BOX 162 FOLDER 5 "What the Devil," "Dog's Eye View," "The Old Boy," "Chicken Heart," undated
"What the Devil" and "Chicken Heart" were episodes of Lights Out; "Dog's Eye View" was an episode of Oboler Comedy Theatre.
BOX 162 FOLDER 6 The Devil and Mr. O, Arch Oboler biography, undated
The Devil and Mr. O was a syndication of original Lights Out broadcasts, 1970-1973.
BOX 162 FOLDER 7 "The Old Boy," "Dog's Eye View," "What the Devil," "Big Ben," Three by Oboler, undated
BOX 162 FOLDER 8 Point a Fiery Finger, undated
BOX 162 FOLDER 9 Version two, four, six, seven presentations, undated
BOX 162 FOLDER 10 "Dog's Eye View," "What the Devil," "Big Ben," Three by Oboler, "Chicken Heart," undated
Miscellaneous, 1941-1950
BOX 163 FOLDER 1 Other people's scripts, 1941, 1944 and undated
BOX 163 FOLDER 2 Property inventories, circa 1944
BOX 163 FOLDER 3 Miscellaneous Arch Oboler materials, 1945 November- 1948 August
Includes materials on African trip preparation.
BOX 163 FOLDER 4 Arnelo Affair survey cards, 1946
BOX 163 FOLDER 5 Future purchase, 1947- 1950
BOX 364 Electro-Voice 650 microphone, [1940s?]
Scrapbooks and notebooks, 1916-circa 1945
BOX 163 FOLDER 6 Complete record of nature collection, 1916-1940
BOX 163 FOLDER 7 Complete record of nature collection contest items, 1922 January 31-1927
BOX 163 FOLDER 8 University School series composition book, circa 1920- 1930
BOX 163 FOLDER 9 Shorthand spiral notebook, circa 1945
Series 7. Night of the Auk, 1946-1968
2.5 linear feet (6 boxes)
RPA 00633-00638 (boxes 164-169)
This series documents Night of the Auk, Oboler’s only staged play, which in late 1956 opened in Washington, D.C., and then moved on to Broadway, where its short run was greeted with much negative criticism. Information on its production in 1956 and a later off-Broadway staging is contained in the papers, including scripts, contracts, promotional materials, and newspaper and magazine reviews. Its television treatment as a Play of the Week show in 1960 is also documented.
Arrangement of the Night of the Auk series is generally chronological within folders that retain their original file folder names.
Book, 1956-1967
BOX 164 FOLDER 1 Book preface, undated
BOX 164 FOLDER 2 Book requests, 1956 December-1961 August
BOX 164 FOLDER 3 Miscellaneous correspondence, 1956 June-1967 September
BOX 164 FOLDER 4 Publicity, 1958 October-December
BOX 164 FOLDER 5 Thank-you's, 1958 October-1964 February
BOX 164 FOLDER 6 Books sent to small theaters, 1959 March-1962 May
Broadway stage play, 1946-1968
Business, 1956-1957
BOX 164 FOLDER 7 Contracts, 1956 July-1957 January
BOX 164 FOLDER 8 Production money, 1956 August-1957 February
BOX 164 FOLDER 9 Expenses, 1956 June-1957 November
Production and publicity, 1956-1966
BOX 164 FOLDER 10 Rehearsal notes, 1956 October-November
BOX 164 FOLDER 11 Cast correspondence, 1956 June-1957 April
BOX 164 FOLDER 12 Congratulations, 1956 November-1961 June
BOX 164 FOLDER 13 New York production correspondence, 1956 June-1957 March
BOX 164 FOLDER 14 Photostats of reviews, 1956 November-December
BOX 164 FOLDER 15 Stage pictures, 1957 July
BOX 164 FOLDER 16 Playbills, 1956 November
BOX 164 FOLDER 17 Publicity, 1956 July-1966 May
BOX 164 FOLDER 18 Reviews, 1956 November-December
Scripts, 1946-1957
BOX 165 FOLDER 1-4 Moonride: town file, 1955 May-1956 May
BOX 165 FOLDER 5-6 Originals written in the 1940s, undated
BOX 165 FOLDER 7 Moonride synopsis: town file, 1946-1956
BOX 166 FOLDER 1 Moonride: town file, extra pages, 1955 May-1956 March
BOX 166 FOLDER 2 Inserts: town file, 1955 August-1956 May
BOX 166 FOLDER 3-5 Night of the Auk scripts, 1956
BOX 166-167 Mimeographed copies: town file, 1956
BOX 167 FOLDER 3-4 Pre-stencil script, 1956
BOX 167 FOLDER 5-6 Original rough draft notes: town file, 1956 February-October
BOX 167 FOLDER 7 Original sent to mimeograph: town file, 1956 May
BOX 167-168 Revisions: town file, 1956 June-September
BOX 168 FOLDER 2 Master used for June 6, 1957, script, circa 1957
Off Broadway stage play, 1956-1968
BOX 168 FOLDER 3 Night of the Auk: off Broadway, 1956 August-1968 February
BOX 168 FOLDER 4 Contracts: Samuel French, Inc., 1957 November-1962 September
BOX 168 FOLDER 5 Penny Productions, 1962 April-1963 May
BOX 168 FOLDER 6 Penny Productions: contracts, 1962 September
BOX 168 FOLDER 7 Reviews, 1963 May
Television, 1960-1967
Miscellaneous, 1960-1967
BOX 168 FOLDER 8 Contracts: NTA-TV, 1960 February-July
BOX 168 FOLDER 9 Contract: Prominent Film, 1966 November-1967Aug
BOX 169 FOLDER 1 Contracts: WNTA, 1960 February-1967 February
BOX 169 FOLDER 2 Uses, 1960 November-1961 May
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