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Flo Ziegfeld - Billie Burke Papers, *T-Mss 1987-010, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
This collection was presented to the Billy Rose Theatre Division by Patricia Ziegfeld Stephenson, the only daughter of Billie Burke and Florenz Ziegfeld, in 1974 and was processed in 2000. The papers relate to Billie Burke and to Florenz Ziegfeld when their lives intersected not merely personally but professionally. A large part of the collection deals with Burke's career after Ziegfeld's death in 1932.
Florenz Ziegfeld (1867-1932) has become a mythical figure in the annals of American show business. Born in Chicago, the son and namesake of a classical musician and music teacher, he opted for a career in popular entertainment, first as a booker of vaudeville acts and later, as the producer of a number of plays mainly to showcase the talents of his first wife Anna Held. He found his true niche as the synthesizer of a form of revue which became known as the Follies. Produced without a thought to expense, the Follies were the benchmark against which other producers' revues were measured. From the first Follies in 1907 to the last lavishly produced under his aegis in 1931, he succeeded in perfecting the form and making his shows the launching pad for such talented performers as Nora Bayes, Marilyn Miller, W. C. Fields, Will Rogers, Eddie Cantor, Bert Williams, Fanny Brice, amid countless others. In addition to the Follies, Ziegfeld presented a number of book musicals, the most famous of which was Show Boat, long considered the watershed in the development of the American musical form.
Billie Burke (1885-1970) was born Mary William Ethelburt Burke in Washington, D.C., the daughter of a charismatic singing clown with the Barnum and Bailey Circus named Billy Burke and a fortyish widow with four children. Their only child was a red-headed girl, who was nicknamed "Billie" for her father. Mrs. Burke became the quintessential stage mother, pushing her daughter on the stage at an early age. After attending school in England and France, Billie made her debut at the age of 14 in a London musical titled The School Girl. Gradually getting more and more substantial parts, she was spotted by American producer Charles Frohman, who lured her and her mother to New York with an offer to play opposite the matinee idol John Drew in the play My Wife. From this point on, she starred in a number of Broadway productions under Frohman's management, but after her marriage to Florenz Ziegfeld in 1914, her husband became her manager. In 1916, she began a movie career simultaneously with her stage performances and by the arrival of talking pictures, she shuttled back and forth from the movies to the stage during the rest of her career. Her most famous movie roles were as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz and as the wife of Cosmo Topper in the famous film series Topper. She wrote her autobiography With a Feather on my Nose in 1949 and a book of self-improvement With Powder on My Face in 1959.
The Florenz Ziegfeld-Billie Burke Papers covers Burke's career approximately from the time when she first went on the stage in the early years of the twentieth century until her retirement, and superficially covers that portion of Ziegfeld's career and life after Burke and he were married. Although there are scripts included that represent Ziegfeld productions, most of them concern Burke's career as a stage actress and later, as a radio and film actress. The business papers are especially noteworthy because they include several contracts between Ziegfeld and A. L. Erlanger and other producers and also because there are financial records of some of the Ziegfeld productions.
The collection is organized in four series and four sub-series:
The entire series comprises typescripts of various stage plays, "sides" or running parts, radio scripts, and several copies of the film script for the movie The Great Ziegfeld.
Alphabetical
This series includes many but not all of the play scripts from Burke's career on the New York stage. In some instances, only her "sides" from the plays exist-without the full script.
Side for the part of Gladys Mosby in the play Accidentally Yours.
Side for the part of Thomasin in the play The Amazons.
Script for the play Annabelle.
Side for the title character in the play Annabelle.
Script for the musical Annie Dear.
Annotated script for the musical Betsy.
Clean script for the musical Buy Buy Betty, produced as Betsy.
Annotated script for the musical Bitter Sweet.
Side for the part of Violet in the play Caesar's Wife.
Heavily annotated side for the part of Estelle Wheaton in the play Family Affairs.
Script for the play Good Gracious, Annabelle. See also under the title Annabelle.
Side for the role of Dot Rendell in the play The Happy Husband.
Side for the play Intimate Strangers.
Acts II and III for the play Intimate Strangers.
Act III with changes and annotations for the play Intimate Strangers.
Clean script for the play Intimate Strangers.
Side for the role of Jerry in the play Jerry.
Script for the play Jerry.
Script for the musical Kid Boots.
Outline for a play entitled The Kid McCoy.
Side for the play Lady of the House.
Script for the play Lady of the House.
Side for the role of Norah Marsh in the play The Land of Promise.
Script of Acts I & IV for the play The Land of Promise.
Side for the role of Vinnie in the play Life With Father.
Script for the one act play The Likes o' Me.
Side for the role of Lavinia in the play Listen to the Mocking Bird.
Heavily annotated script for the play Listen to the Mocking Bird.
Clean script for the play Listen to the Mocking Bird.
Side for the role of Lily Parradel for the play The Mind-the-Paint Girl.
Act II of an earlier version for the play The Mind-the-Paint Girl.
Script for the play The Mind-the-Paint Girl.
Side for the play Mother Was a Bachelor.
Side for the role of Mrs. Worthley in the play Mrs. Dot.
Script for the play Mrs. Dot.
Script for the play Mrs. January and Mr. Ex.
Heavily annotated side for the role of Mrs. Partridge.
Script for the play Olivia.
Script for the play 'Op O' Me Thumb.
Script for the play A Pair of Silk Stockings.
Script for the play Peaches.
Script for the play Penelope.
Script for the play The Pest.
Side for the role of May in the play The Philosopher in the Apple Orchard.
Outline for a movie or television program called Phyllis.
Script for a one act play entitled Poor Jo.
Script for a revue sketch entitled The Psycho-Analyst.
Side for the role of Angela Deming in the play The Rescuing Angel.
Script including variant version of Act II and prop, costume and light plots for the musical Rio Rita.
Side for the role of Colette in the play The Runaway.
Script for the play Sally of the Alley by Guy Bolton.
Script for the play Sazy's Lovers by Romain Coolus.
Two scripts for the musical Show Boat by Jerome Kern.
Two scripts, including prop, costume and light plots for the musical Show Girl, music by George Gershwin, script by William Anthony McGuire.
Script for the musical Simple Simon, music by Richard Rodgers, script by Guy Bolton and Ed Wynn.
Script for the play Solid Gold Cadillac by Howard Teichmann.
Side for the role of Suzanne in the play Suzanne adapted by C. Haddon Chambers.
Script for the play The Swallows' Nest by Zoë Akins.
Side for the role of Sophie Van Eyck in the play The Swallows' Nest by Zoë Akins.
Script for the play This Rock by Walter Livingston Faust.
Annotated script for the musical The Three Musketeers by Rudolf Friml. Includes property, costume and light plots.
Side for the role of Laura Merrick in the play The Vinegar Tree.
Scenario with a note to Billie Burke from the author.
Acts II and III for the play What Woman Wills by Gladys Unger.
Fragment of the revue sketch When Dad Came Back.
Sides for the roles of Mary Custer and Sally in the musical Whoopee.
Chronological
This series covers two years of Fashions in Rations, a wartime radio program, in which Billie Burke dispensed helpful hints and suggestions for homemakers and others for coping with the war shortages.
Scripts for the radio program Fashions in Rations.
Scripts for the radio program Fashions in Rations.
Scripts for the radio program Fashions in Rations.
Undated drafts, scripts and miscellaneous pages for the radio program Fashions in Rations.
Alphabetical
Another group of radio scripts covers Burke's appearances mainly during the 1940s and 1950s as guest on many radio shows, including Milton Berle, Eddie Cantor, Rudy Vallée, and others.
Unidentified portions of radio guest spots for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke for the New Zealand episode of The Anzac Hour.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke for the episode Mrs. President.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spots for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke. Program #45 & 107.
Radio guest spots for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spots for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spots for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spots for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Radio guest spot for Billie Burke.
Chronological
The film script (and copies) of the movie The Great Ziegfeld comprise this entire series.
Script for the motion picture The Great Ziegfeld.
Script for the motion picture The Great Ziegfeld.
Script for the motion picture The Great Ziegfeld.
Alphabetical
This series includes contracts between Billie Burke and producers for her appearances in plays and one for a TV appearance as well as contracts between Ziegfeld and co-producers, writers, etc. Also included are financial statements concerning Ziegfeld productions.
Business papers belonging to Flo Ziegfeld. Includes statements and salary lists.
Contract between Charles B. Dillingham and Flo Ziegfeld.
Contract for Billie Burke appearing on the Ed Wynn Show.
Contract between Flo Ziegfeld and Mischa Elman.
Correspondence to Billie Burke from the office of A. L. Erlanger concerning Intimate Strangers. Includes costume inventory.
Contract between Flo Ziegfeld and Famous Players-Lasky Corporation.
Contract between Flo Ziegfeld and George and Ira Gershwin for the production East Is West.
Statements for the production Hot-Cha!
Contracts and correspondence with Raymond Hubbell regarding Ziegfeld Follies of 1917.
Statement for the production The Intimate Strangers.
Statements for the play Jerry.
Statements and salary lists for the Kid Boots.
Contracts belonging to Billie Burke for the touring production of Life with Mother.
Statements and salary lists for the production Louie the 14th.
Correspondence between Jesse Lasky and Flo Ziegfeld.
Contract between Flo Ziegfeld and William Anthony McGuire for the production East Is West.
Contract belonging to Billie Burke for the play The Man.
Contract belonging to Billie Burke for the play The Marquise.
Contract belonging to Billie Burke for the play The Merry Mrs. Hope.
Statements [1/4/1929-2/1/1929] for Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic.
Contracts belonging to Billie Burke for the play Mother Was a Bachelor.
Contract belonging to Billie Burke for the play Plans for Tomorrow.
Business statement for the musical Rio Rita.
Salary lists for the Ziegfeld production of Show Boat.
Signed contracts for the Ziegfeld production of Show Girl.
Signed contracts belonging to Billie Burke for the play Solid Gold Cadillac.
Salary lists for the Ziegfeld production of The Three Musketeers.
Contract between Flo Ziegfeld, Charles Dillingham and Ned Wayburn.
Statements for the Ziegfeld production of Whoopee.
Contract between Flo Ziegfeld and Vincent Youmans.
Salary list for the Ziegfeld production of Rosalie.
Statements for Ziegfeld Follies and Danse de Follies.
Statements for the Ziegfeld Follies of 1925.
Contracts for the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927.
Statements for the 1927-1928-1929 season.
Correspondence to and from Flo Ziegfeld.
Manuscript copies of press releases written by Flo Ziegfeld.
Ahnentafel of the Ziegfeld family.
Business statement and an invitation to the laying of the cornerstone of the Ziegfeld Theatre.
Alphabetical
Reviews of Billie Burke in both her stage and film roles plus feature articles about her life and career form the core of this series. Noteworthy is the file containing Ziegfeld obituaries and tributes. A slipcased album of clippings from her appearances in 1944 is also included. Files relating to the Ziegfeld Follies produced after Ziegfeld's death are also included.
Clippings for the production Annie Dear.
Clippings for the motion picture Bitter Sweet.
Clippings for the motion picture Blondie of the Follies.
Clippings about the play Caesar's Wife.
Clippings for the motion picture The Great Ziegfeld.
Clippings for the musical Hot-Cha!
Clippings for the play Jerry.
Clippings for the musical Kid Boots.
Clippings for the musical Louie the 14th.
Clippings for the motion picture Mind-the-Paint Girl.
Clippings for the play The Runaway.
Clippings for the musical Sally.
Clippings for the musical Show Boat.
Clippings for the musical Simple Simon.
Clippings for the play The Vinegar Tree.
Clippings about the Follies name purchase.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1915.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1924.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1927.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1931.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1932.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1933-1934.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1936.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1943.
Clippings about the motion picture Ziegfeld Follies.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of 1956.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld girls.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Follies of the Air.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Theatre opening as a motion picture theater.
Clippings about the Ziegfeld Theatre.
Clippings about Flo Ziegfeld.
Clippings about Flo Ziegfeld.
Clippings including reviews of Wanted: A Husband, Bringing Up Father and The Make-Believe Wife.
Clippings including reviews of Mrs. Dot, Family Affairs and Intimate Strangers.
Scrapbook of images of Billie Burke.
Scrapbook of clippings about Billie Burke.
Alphabetical and by size
Many photographs of Billie Burke in both her stage and movie roles as well as publicity portraits comprise this series. Also included are miscellaneous pictures of performers who appeared in Ziegfeld productions and one separate oversized picture of Burke.
Headshots, informal photographs and publicity portraits of Billie Burke.
Photographs of Billie Burke and Charles Hawtrey in Mr. George.
Photographs of Billie Burke in The Marquise.
Photographs of Agatha DeBussay, Beatrice Hughes, Winifred Hunter, Lillian Mansfield and Betty Williams in the Ziegfeld production of Sally.
Photographs of Billie Burke in The Solid Gold Cadillac.
Photographs of Billie Burke in the road tour of The Vinegar Tree.
Photograph of Eddie Cantor in the motion picture Whoopee.
Photograph of Billie Burke in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1918.
Photograph of the band on Ziegfeld Roof atop the New Amsterdam Theatre.
Photographs of Fay Bainter in The Lady Cristilinda.
Portraits of Billie Burke.
Includes photographs with David Belasco and Gilbert Miller.
Billie Burke in Intimate Strangers.
Billie Burke in Mind-the-Paint Girl.
Billie Burke in Mrs. Dot.
Photograph of Leon Errol with two unidentified show girls.
Photographs of Leon Errol with others including Gene Buck.
Photograph of Teddy Knox in the Museum Ballet.
Photograph of Joseph Macauley, Detmar Poppen and Douglas Dumbrille in Ziegfeld's The Three Musketeers.
Photographs of Joseph Urban sets for Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic.
Photograph of the Painted Butterfly number from Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic.
Photograph of the exterior of the Ziegfeld Theatre.
Portrait of Billie Burke in Annie Dear.
Robert Baral Papers - *T-Mss 1983-001
Shadows (1826). NYPL Art and Architecture Collection.
One of 700,000 pictures in the NYPL Digital Gallery
