The Inventory of the Orson Welles Collection #1226

The Inventory

of the

Orson Welles

Collection

#1226

Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center Welles, Orson 1919-1985

#145B

Purchase from Elizabeth Derby, Feb. 22, 1995.

A small collection of papers (2 manuscript boxes) containing many versions of the beginning of an aborted autobiography "My Father Wore Black Spats"; and several film scripts, each in variant drafts with corrections in Welles' hand. These include "The Big Brass Ring" which was published in 1987 after his death, but never filmed; "The Cradle Will Rock", a never-finished semi-autobiographical film script; and "The Dreamers" based on a short story by Isak Dinesen. "Mercy," is a fragment of a script with many corrections in Welles' hand. The story and film play are attributed to Oja Kodar who retains the copyright to it.

These papers were purchased from a woman who typed Mr. Welles' manuscripts. Several notes to her, usually addressed as "Liz" are included.

I. AUTOBIOGRAPHY

A. MY FATHER WORE BLACK SPATS

Typescript with many holo. corr. of several drafts ca. 85 p. total. (#1)

II. FILM SCRIPTS

A. "The Big Brass Ring"" An orginal screenplay by Orson Welles and Oja Kodar. Santa Barbara, Santa Teresa Press, 1987.

1. Typescript, 128 p. (#2)

2. Typescript with many holo. corr., p. 1-130, 140- 148. With 5 notes from OW: 4 to Liz Derby and 1 to Sidney Beckerman. (#3)

3. Typescript with many holo. corr., p 32-100; p 62- 132. (#4)

4. Typescript, 130 p. date 6/22/82. (#5)

B. "The Cradle Will Rock" Script about WPA production of the Marc Blitzstein opera. Includes Welles and his friends as characters.

1. Several scenes in two drafts each. Typescript with many corr. (#1)

2. Typescript with a few corr. 104 p. (#2)

3. Revised typescript 104 p. with 5 notes to Liz Derby. (#3)

4. Fragments of various scenes. Typescript with holo. corr. (#4)

5. Continuity breakdown. Typescript, 95 p. (#5)

Box 2

C. "The Dreamers" Based on Isak Dinesen's Danish Gothic tale of the same title.

1. Typescript, 45 p. Oct. 1982. (#6)

2. Typescript, 54 p. with bill for typing 1/6/83. (#7)

3. Draft. Typescript heavily corrected. (#8)

4. Scenes. Typescript, p. 12-20. (#9) p. 1-17.

5. Ninth Revised Screenplay. Typescript with holo. corr. Not in sequence. (#10)

D. "Mercy" A Film by Orson Welles. Story and Screenplay by Oja Kodar.

1. Typescript with many holo. corr. in Welles' hand. 10 p. and title page. (#11)

III. LETTERS (#12)

OW to Liz Derby TL., about "The Dreamers". Cody, Sebastian and Rigamonti, Flandina TL to Orson Welles

Smith, Tony TL to Orson Welles. Both letters about financing of Lear film.

IV. PRINTED (#13)

Photocopy of check to Liz Derby from Orson Welles Sept. 24, 1985.

Mathew, Jack "A Big Brass Ring the Eluded Welles' Grasp" Photocopy of article from Los Angeles Times [1985]

"Once Moor with Feeling: Orson Welles' daughter Beatrice restores his lost masterpiece, Othello". Magazine clip.