Scope and Content Note
The papers of Joshua Lockwood Logan (1908-1988) span the years 1723-1992, with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period 1940-1980. The collection documents Logan's career as a director, producer, and author of stage and film productions. Included are family papers, correspondence, business papers, financial papers, production records, writings, and scrapbooks.
The Family Papers series contains correspondence between Logan and his family, primarily his mother, Sue Nabors Noble, his wife, Nedda Harrigan Logan, and his stepsister, Lois Noble Smith. Logan's early years are reflected in his school and military papers. A group of files labeled “mental health” document his struggle with manic depression and his involvement with Merrill Moore, a noted psychiatrist. A small genealogical section contains photocopied records of the Lee, Lockwood, and Logan families as well as a few original eighteenth and nineteenth century letters and documents.
The General Correspondence series in the collection contains letters from Logan's friends, colleagues, and the general public. Notable are Zinn Arthur, Irving Berlin, Bennett Cerf, Oscar Hammerstein, Leland Hayward, William Inge, Mary Martin, James A. Michener, Jo Mielziner, Richard Rodgers, Rosalind Russell, James Stewart, and Emlyn Williams. Additional correspondence from individuals can be located in the Production File under the shows with which they were associated. For example, letters from Mary Martin appear with material on South Pacific and the production of Miss Moffat in 1974.
The Business Papers reflect Logan's multifaceted involvement in the theater world as well as his personal business matters. Correspondence with agents includes management of Logan's career in addition to employment inquiries from authors and actors. The financial papers include Logan's investments in theater productions and the stock market. Correspondence with Logan's entertainment lawyers in the legal section contains much information on the preparation of his shows, as do the interoffice memoranda and office diaries. The projects section contains idea files and material related to the many properties on which Logan held or negotiated an option but never actually mounted. Shows staged with his active participation are represented with various materials in the Production File.
The Production File consists of papers relating to the preparation and management of shows in which Logan was personally connected as director, producer, author, or actor. Also included are productions for which Logan was hired but from which he resigned before the show opened. In cases where Logan was involved in both the stage and screen version of a work, separate files have been maintained. Subjects relate to casting, financial management, legal matters, derivative productions such as touring companies and amateur performances, publicity, research, reviews, and tickets, including benefit shows. The working papers sections contain correspondence and notes on rehearsals, performance quality, plot development, script revisions, costumes, set design, location arrangements, equipment, and editing. The amount of material on each show varies greatly. Some productions, such as South Pacific, are well documented, while others, such as By Jupiter, have very little information. Related material can be found in the Business Papers under legal papers, interoffice memoranda, and office diaries. The Miscellany series contains scrapbooks for most of the major shows with which Logan was associated.
The Writings File, arranged alphabetically by author, includes scripts submitted to Logan for his consideration or advice. The scripts listed under Logan's name are those in which he was actively engaged in writing or revising. Logan's writings also include articles, books, poetry, short stories, song lyrics, and speeches. Related material, such as contracts, correspondence, outlines, notes, publicity, reviews, and royalty statements, accompany Logan's drafts.
The Miscellany series primarily contains newspaper and magazine clippings about Logan and his family. Pamphlets relating to Konstantin Stanislavsky are filed with autographs and printed material. Other material includes awards, certificates, memoranda, scrapbooks for many of Logan's best-known productions, and a scrapbook containing original artwork from Logan's military school days.