Ray Evans Papers Ms
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Ray Evans papers Ms. Coll. 860 Finding aid prepared by Finding aid prepared by Juliette L. Appold; additions and editing by John F. Anderies. Last updated on June 23, 2020. University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts 2011 Ray Evans papers Table of Contents Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3 Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 5 Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 6 Related Materials........................................................................................................................................... 7 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................7 Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 9 Correspondence........................................................................................................................................9 Sheet music............................................................................................................................................ 30 Lyrics, speeches, and other writings..................................................................................................... 41 Scripts.....................................................................................................................................................44 Press clippings....................................................................................................................................... 46 Programs and tickets..............................................................................................................................51 Photographs............................................................................................................................................57 Memorabilia........................................................................................................................................... 65 Recording catalogs, song lists, and song earnings................................................................................72 Commercial audio recordings [RESTRICTED]....................................................................................73 Non-commercial audio-visual recordings [RESTRICTED]................................................................151 Awards................................................................................................................................................. 198 Art works............................................................................................................................................. 205 Miscellaneous materials.......................................................................................................................206 Oversize materials................................................................................................................................207 - Page 2 - Ray Evans papers Summary Information Repository University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Creator Evans, Ray, 1915-2007 Title Ray Evans papers Call number Ms. Coll. 860 Date [inclusive] 1921-2012 Extent 155 boxes Language English Abstract The Ray Evans papers comprise materials documenting his career as the lyricist for the songwriting team of Livingston and Evans. The collection contains correspondence, sheet music, lyrics and scripts, press clippings, audio and visual recordings, photographs, programs, awards, memorabilia, and art work. Also included are personal mementoes, including some from his time as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. Researchers will find online access to selected material via the Ray Evans Resource Guide. Cite as: Ray Evans papers, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania. - Page 3 - Ray Evans papers Biography/History Ray Evans (4 February 1915-15 February 2007) was the lyricist of the songwriting team Livingston & Evans. They composed more than 700 songs, most of which were written for movies and TV shows. They won Oscars for the songs "Buttons and bows," "Mona Lisa," and "Que sera, sera." They also composed "Silver bells," as well as the theme songs for the television series Bonanza and Mr. Ed. Ray Evans was born and grew up in Salamanca, New York. His parents were Philip and Frances (Lisitz) Evans; he had one sister, Doris, who was married to Alexander Feinberg. Evans graduated first from his high school. His eloquence and affinity for words was noticed early on. The Seneca High School yearbook from 1931 states: "His original themes and brilliant oral talks are the despair of his classmates. Ray's quite a humorist, too. At times, his satire is positively killing." In 1931 Evans enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business (W'36). His songwriting partner Jay Livingston entered the University one year later to study journalism (C'37). They met at the Beta Sigma Rho fraternity and at the University's college dance orchestra, "The Continentals." This orchestra was engaged by international cruise ships during vacation times. Evans played the clarinet and the saxophone; Livingston played the piano and conducted. They started improvising songs together. After graduating, Livingston and Evans continued their musical endeavors and aimed for a career as a songwriting team on New York's Tin Pan Alley. Their first success came with an audition for the comedians Olsen and Johnson in 1939. Livingston and Evans's song "G'Bye now," copyrighted in 1940, made it into the successful Broadway show Hellzapoppin’. The song became a hit in 1941 and proved to be the starting point of a successful songwriting career. Hollywood followed. After a temporary interruption due to the war, Livingston and Evans moved to Los Angeles in 1944. They signed a contract with Paramount Studios in 1945 and wrote songs for movies, such as To each his own ("To each his own," 1946), The paleface ("Buttons and bows," 1948), The lemon drop kid ("Silver bells," 1950), Captain Carey, U.S.A. ("Mona Lisa," 1950), and The man who knew too much ("Que sera, sera," 1956). They later worked for Universal Studios, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Universal International. They also collaborated on two Broadway musicals, Oh, captain! and Let it ride!. Oh, captain! opened on Broadway on 4 February 1958, and closed after five months. Let it ride! opened October 1961 and closed after 68 performances in December of the same year. Ray Evans and Jay Livingston, who died in 2001, were a song-writing team for life. They continuously received honors and awards, among which were three Oscars and four more nominations for the Academy Award. About twenty-six of their songs sold over one million copies. Livingston and Evans were honored with the prestigious Aggie Award. Their song "Mona Lisa," as performed by Nat "King" Cole, was voted into The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. For "Silver bells" and "Mona Lisa" they received special awards by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Livingston and Evans each received a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. The Young Musicians Foundation presented them with "A Lifetime Achievement Award." Many more honors and awards were given to them, including the key to the city of Los Angeles. - Page 4 - Ray Evans papers On a personal level, probably in 1945, Evans met his wife Wyn Ritchie. Wyn was the daughter of English musical actors. She worked in the film industry, acted, and was interested in the arts and in writing. Wyn and Ray were married 19 April 1947. In the early 1950s the couple built a house; it received much attention in the press and earned them and the architect William Sutherland Beckett an "Architectural Record Award of Excellence for House Design." Wyn was fourteen years older than Ray. The childless couple was married for fifty-six years until Wyn's death in 2003. Ray Evans died in Los Angeles in 2007. Scope and Contents The Ray Evans papers comprise a variety of materials dating from circa 1921 to 2007. Most documents span the years 1940 to 2007 and reflect his professional life as a songwriter. The papers were part of Evans's legacy as preserved by the Ray and Wyn Ritchie Evans Foundation. The University of Pennsylvania acquired them in 2011. Researchers should consult the Ray Evans Resource Guide which contain online access to selected material. The core of the papers revolves around Ray Evans's lyrics in the form of sheet music, recordings, press clippings, awards, and correspondence. The collection of sheet music is truly comprehensive; it consists of individual printed scores and copies of each score bound in several volumes. The theme song for "Bonanza," "Que sera, sera," "Silver bells," "Tammy," and other works are available in different arrangements, varying