The Shop at Sly Corner

UUM_Accn1468.xml Inventory of the Keene Curtis papers Curtis (Keene) papers Finding aid prepared by Lisa Townsend. J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections

1996 (last modified: 2019)

295 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 special@library.utah.edu https://lib.utah.edu/collections/special-collections/index.php

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-07-25. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Keene Curtis papers Curtis, Keene, 1923-2002 ACCN 1468 36 linear feet 1929-1996 The bulk of the Keene Curtis papers (1929-1996) consists of theater, film, and television scripts. The collection also includes programs, playbills, and theater posters as well as correspondence, notebooks, essays, reports, a diary, and artwork. Curtis was a stage, film, and television actor. He was a graduate of the University of Utah, founding member of the Association of Producing Artists (1960), winner of a Tony Award for best supporting actor in a musical (1971), and played a recurring role on the television series "Cheers." English .

Keene Curtis (born 1923) graduated from the University of Utah with a B.A. in 1943 and M.A. in 1947. He launched a successful stage managing and acting career around 1949 when he served as understudy to Jay Robinson in the role of Archie in the Broadway production of The Shop at Sly Corner. He subsequently became stage manager and production stage manager for several United States and European tours performing The Constant Wife, The Male Animal, Four Winds, Twelfth Night, and Silent Night, Lonely Night, among others, from 1949-1959. In 1971, Curtis won the Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for his supporting role in the musical The Rothschilds. Curtis appeared in many films and television shows. He is well-known for his recurring role in the television series, "Cheers," but also played recurring roles in "Amanda's By the Sea," "Benson," "Hart to Hart," "Lou Grant," and "One in a Million." He also appeared on episodes of "Earth 2," "Eight is Enough," "Full House," "Hawaii Five-O," "The Lady's Not For Burning," "Murder She Wrote," "Coach," and "ER." Keene Curtis died in 2002 in Bountiful, Utah.

The bulk of the Keene Curtis papers (1929-1996) consists of theater, film, and television scripts. The collection also includes programs, playbills, and theater posters as well as correspondence, notebooks, essays, reports, a diary, and artwork. Curtis (born 1923) graduated from the University of Utah with a B.A. in 1943 and M.A. in 1947. Reports, artwork, and notes resulting from art and speech classes he took at the university are located in boxes 1-3. Also located in box 1 are letters concerning Curtis's scarlet fever as a child, his diary, a scout notebook, the first play he wrote, and high school essays and artwork. These materials date from 1929-1940.

Curtis launched a successful stage managing and acting career around 1949 when he served as understudy to Jay Robinson in the role of Archie in the Broadway production of The Shop at Sly Corner. This script is located in box 28, folder 5. He subsequently became stage manager and production stage manager for several United States and European tours performing The Constant Wife, The Male Animal, Four Winds, Twelfth Night, and Silent Night, Lonely Night, among others, from 1949-1959. Set designs for productions Curtis managed are located in box 4. In 1960, Curtis became a charter member of the Association of Producing Artists (APA) thus appearing (and reappearing) in many of its productions in the United States, Europe, and Australia. He performed in Man and Superman, The Taming of the Shrew, The Seagull, Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, The Tavern, Much Ado About Nothing, War and Peace, and Annie. The collection contains many of these as well as other theater, play, and musical scripts from productions Curtis managed, performed in, auditioned for, or was offered a role in. They are located in boxes 5, 20-29, and 31-34 and date from the 1950s-1990s. In 1971, Curtis won the Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award for his supporting role in the musical The Rothschilds. Correspondence regarding this award is located in box 2, folders 4-6.

Curtis has also appeared in many films including I.Q., Blade, Sliver, Annie, and The Wrong Damn Film. These scripts, dating from 1977-1995, are located in boxes 6-8 and 31-34. His television appearances have also been numerous. Curtis is well known for his recurring role in the television series, "Cheers," but has also played recurring roles in "Amanda's By the Sea," "Benson," "Hart to Hart," "Lou Grant," and "One in a Million." He also appeared on episodes of "Earth 2," "Eight is Enough," "Full House," "Hawaii Five-O," "The Lady's Not For Burning," "Murder She Wrote," "Coach," and "ER." Boxes 9-19 and 30-34 contain most of these, and other scripts, and date from 1974-1994. Curtis has also performed the voices for television cartoon characters in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Laverne and Shirley," and "Swat Kats." These scripts are located in box 6 and date from 1990-1994.

The collection also contains programs and playbills, located in boxes 35-47, collected by Curtis from theaters in Los Angeles, London, New York, and Washington, D.C. They are arranged alphabetically by the city in which they were performed, then by production title. They date from 1956-1993. Also included in the collection are theater posters for various productions. The posters, dating from 1956-1993, are signed by Curtis and cast members and are located in box 48.

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

An oversize pen sketch of Curtis from The Cocktail Hour has been placed in the Manuscripts Division map case. Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0647).

Boxes 1-48 were donated by Keene Curtis in 1994 and 1996 (25 linear feet).

Boxes 49-66 were donated by Keene Curtis in 2000 (11 linear feet).

Processed by Lisa Townsend in 1996 and 2000.

Curtis, Keene, 1923-2002--Archives Actors--United States Motion picture actors and actresses--United States Television actors and actresses--United States American drama Motion picture plays Television plays, American Performing Arts Diaries Scripts (documents) Programs (Publications) Theater programs Posters Correspondence Personal Information Correspondence 1935 1 1

Letters written to Curtis when he was quarantined with scarlet fever.

Diary 1937-1941 1 1 Scout Notebook 1938 1 2 Davis High School Scholarship Speech Group 1939 1 3 High School Essays 1939-1940 1 4 "Penny Holds the Keys" 1940 1 5

First play written by Curtis.

University of Utah 1940-1941 1 6-8

Book of notes and themes, animated cards, and reports for speech and art classes.

University of Utah 1941-1951 2 1-2

Reports by Curtis on speech and the arts.

Edition of Screenland, 1947; Prospectus for the Association of Producing Artists 1960 2 3 Correspondence 1971 2 4-6

This correspondence is in reference to Curtis' acceptance of the Antoinette Perry (Tony) Award.

Artwork 1929-1937 2 7-10 Artwork 1937-1940 3 Set Designs Martha Graham Production 4 1-2

Includes drawings for sets and props as well as cue sheets for dance numbers.

The Desk Set 4 3

Electrical plot.

Richard II, Midsummer Night's Dream, and Merchant of Venice 4 4

Dance notations.

Theater Scripts

Curtis was the stage manager for these productions.

Script List; Four Winds 5 1

This folder includes a list of 203 scripts donated by Keene Curtis to the Marriott Library and a script of Four Winds.

Much Ado About Nothing 1959 5 1 Silent Night, Lonely Night 1959 5 2-4

Production scripts, technical information, and prop checks.

Cartoon and Film Scripts

Box 6, folders 1-5 contain cartoon scripts. Box 6, folders 6-9 hold film scripts.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, "A Most Excellent Roman Holiday" 1990 6 1 Laverne and Shirley, "The Invasion of the Booby Hatchers" 6 2

Also includes cartoon strips.

Swat Kats 1993-1994 6 3-5

Episode titles include "The Deadly Pyramid," "The Pastmaster Always Rings Twice," and "The Radical Squadron."

I.Q. 1994 6 6 Annie 1979 6 7 Blade 6 8 Broken Trust 1994 6 9 Film Scripts The Buddy System 1982 7 1-2 Lambada 1990 7 3 Left-Handed Submarine 7 4 Rabbit Test 1977 7 5 Second Thoughts 7 6 Sliver 1992-1993 8 1-3 The Wrong Damn Film 8 4 Television Scripts "The Cocktail Hour" radio script 1994 9 1 "The Adventures of Freddie" 1976-1977 9 2 Amanda's By the Sea 1983 9 3-6

Episode titles include "Amanda's Number One Son," "Aunt Sonia," "I Ain't Got No Body," and "I Was Wild About Harry."

Amanda's By the Sea 1983 10 1-6

Episode titles include "I'm Dancing as Close as I Can," "Last of the Red Hot Brothers," "The Man Who Came On Wednesday," "My Cheatin' Staff," "Oh, Promise Me," and "One Passionate Night."

Benson, "Death in a Funny Position" 1982 10 7-8 Boone, "Words and Music" 1983 10 9 Cannon, "The Quasar Kill" 1975-1976 11 1 Cassie and Company, "Replay" 1982 11 2 Cheers, "Achilles Hill" 1990 11 3-4 Cheers, "The Bar Manager, The Shrink, His Wife and Her Lover" 1993 11 5-6 Cheers, "Crash of the Titans" 1991 11 7 Cheers Television Scripts "Honor Thy Mother" 1990 12 1-2 "Ill-Gotten Gaines" 1992 12 3 "It's A Wonderful Wife" 1991 12 4-5 "Loathe and Marriage" 1993 12 6 Television Scripts Cheers, "Loathe and Marriage" 1993 13 1 Cheers, "Look Before You Sleep" 1993 13 2 "The Clone" 1974 13 3 "Earth 2" 1994 13 4 Eight is Enough, "Just the Ten of Us" 1979 13 5 Ellery Queen, "The Blunt Instrument" 1975 13 6 "Empire" 1983 13 7

Includes episodes 4-5.

Foul Play, "He Flies Through the Air" 1980 14 1 Full House, "A House Divided" 1994 14 2-3 Hart to Hart 1981-1982 14 4-5

Episode titles include "Homemade Murder" and "With This Heart I Thee Wed."

Hawaii Five-O, "Bones of Contention" 1974 14 6 "The Hoboken Chicken Emergency" 1984 14 7 The Jeffersons, "Tennis Anyone?" 1976 14 8 "Karen" 1974 15 1 Knight Rider, "K.I.T.T. The Cat" 1983 15 2 "The Lady's Not For Burning" 1974 15 3 "Logan's Run" 1977 15 4 Lou Grant 1977-1981 15 5-7 M.A.S.H., "Iron Guts Kelly" 1974 15 8 Matt Houston, "The Crying Clown" 1983 15 9 "Million Dollar Baby" 1979 15 10 "Modesty Blaise" 1982 16 1

Pilot.

Murder She Wrote, "Final Curtain" 1992 16 2 Newhart, "I Like You Butt..." 1989 16 3 Night Court, "Mac's Millions" 1988 16 4 One In A Million 1980 16 5-9

Episode titles include "The Chairman Baby Sits," "The Committee," "Cushing Quits," "Executive Dad," and "The Italian Connection."

One In A Million 1979-1980 17 1-8

Episode titles include "Lost Weekend," "Max Falls in Love," "On the Cuff," "Over the Hill," "Pilot," "Shirley's Prince of a Guy," "Stone vs. Simmons," and "Suddenly Single."

Partners in Crime, "Paddles Up" 1984 17 9 Picket Fences, "High Tidings" 1992 17 10 Quark, "May the Source Be with YOU" 1977 17 11 Quincy, "No Deadly Secret" 1977 18 1 The San Pedro Beach Bums, "Sweepstakes Bums" 1977 18 2 Sanford and Son, "The Over-The-Hill Gag" 1975 18 3 Star Wars 1980 18 4

Episode titles include "The Case For Rebellion," "Death Star's Transit," "Force and Counterforce," and "The Jedi Nexus."

Strange New World, "Animaland, Clones" 1974 18 5 Struck By Lightning, "The Movie" 1979 18 6 "There Goes the Neighborhood" 1983 18 7 Three's Company 1979 18 8

Episode titles include "Chrissy's Hospitality" and "Make Room For Daddy."

Trapper John, M.D., "Maybe Baby" 1982 18 9 Triangle 1990 19 1-2

Episode titles include "The New Wiley" and "The Return of the King."

Unit 4 1981 19 3

Pilot.

Whiz Kids, "The Sufi Project" 1984 19 4 The Wizard, "Daydream Believer" 1986 19 5 Wonder Woman, "Fausta, The Nazi Wonder Woman" 1976 19 6 Theater, Play, and Musical Scripts Anatol 1958 20 1 Annie 1977 20 2 Autumn Canticle 1992 20 3 The Baker's Wife 1976 20 4 Bingo 1979 20 5 Blood-Red Roses 1967 20 6 Checkov in Yalta 1981 21 1 The Cocktail Hour 1987-1990 21 2-4 Colette 1970 21 5 Comedians 21 6 Division Street 1980 22 1-2 Flags of Convenience 1993 22 3 A Flea In Her Ear 1982 22 4 The Fortune Seekers 1979 22 5 Geniuses 1981 23 1 Gypsy 1993 23 2 The Heiress 1991 23 3 Herakles 23 4 Indians 1969 23 5 La Cage aux Folles 1984, 1986 23 6-7 La Cage aux Folles 1983-1984 24 1-3 Lenya-Life to Legend 1983 24 4 Alan J. Lerner 1989-1990 24 5 Life on a Limb 1975 24 6 Light Comedies: Black Comedy, A Farce in One Act 1984 24 7 Light Comedies: Black Comedy, A Farce in One Act 1993 25 1-2 Madman At Stalingrad 1982 25 3 Manhattan Story 1991 25 4 The Mating Call 1982 25 5 Medicine Show 1980 25 6 Merlin 1982 25 7 Middle Ages 26 1 The Misanthrope 1982 26 2 My Dear Watson 1993 26 3-4 Mysteries and Transitions 1981 26 5 Nick and Nora 1990 26 6 Night Watch 1972 27 1 A Patriot For Me 1969 27 2 President Wilson in Paris 27 3 The Ride Across Lake Constance 1970 27 4 Rosebud 1994 27 5 The Rothchilds 1969 27 6 The Rothchilds 1970 28 1-2 The Royal Family 1977 28 3 Saint Joan 28 4 The Shop At Sly Corner ca. 1949 28 5 Too Much Johnson 1975 29 1 Twelfth Night 29 2 The Value of Names 1988 29 3 Via Galactica, A Musical of the Future 1972 29 4

Music sheets are included.

The West Street Gang 1977 29 5 Cheers Television Scripts "I Hate Leases to Pieces" 1990 30 1 "Bad Neighbor Sam" 1990 30 2-5

Versions 2-5.

Television Scripts Adventure from the Book of Virtues, "Compasion" 1995 31 1 "After All" 1995 31 2 "All New All Star T.V. Bloopers" 1996 31 3

Release form.

American Gothic, "Potato Boys" 1995 31 4 Babylon 5, "A Day in the Strife" 1995 31 5 "The Broadway" 1995 31 6

Television advertisement.

Brotherly Love, "The Driving Lesson" 1995 31 7-9 Caroline in the City, "Caroline and the Gift" 1994-1995 31 10-15 The Client, "Happily Ever After" 1995 31 16 Coach, "Close Encounters of the Worst Kind" 1994 31 17-18 Drew Carey Show, "There is no Scientific Title for a Show About God" 1995 32 1-4 ER, "Happy New Year" 1994 32 5 Hope and Gloria, "Sisyphus, Promethus, and Me" 1995 32 6-9 "Island Fever" 1995 32 10 Lois and Clark, "Ordinary People" 1995 32 11 "Pen and Teller's Phobophilia" 1995 32 12 Star Trek Voyager, "Sacred Ground" 1996 32 13-15 "Thanksgiving" 1995 32 16 Theater and Film Scripts Autumn Canticle 1992 33 1 Busker Alley 1994 33 2 Candide 1988 33 3 China Doll 1996 33 4 Hercules 1995 33 5 Hiroshima 1995 33 6 Much Ado About Nothing 1994 33 7 Nutty Professor 1995 33 8 Screen Actor, vol. 34 no. 1 1995 34 1 The Trigger Effect 1995 34 2 Truman 1995 34 3 White Liars 1993 34 4 Theater Programs Los Angeles Theater Programs, A-Me 35 Los Angeles Theater Programs, Me-Y 36 London Playbills 37 New York Playbills, A-Ca 38 New York Playbills, Ch-Do 39 New York Playbills, Dr-Ha 40 New York Playbills, He-Mag 41 New York Playbills, Maj-On 42 New York Playbills, On-Sei 43 New York Playbills, Ser-Tra 44 New York Playbills, Tri-Y 45 Washington, D.C. Playbills 46 The Apple Tree; The Belle of Amherst 47 1 Blood Brothers; Charles Aznavour 47 2 Dylan Thomas Growing Up; Follies 47 3 Funny Girl; Hello, Dolly 47 4 Illya Darling; Kilroy is Here 47 5 Mamie; Man of La Mancha 47 6 Manuela Vargas; Richard II and Henry IV 47 7 Shakespeare Festivals 47 8 Show Boat; Sweet Charity 47 9 Time of Your Life; Twelfth Night 47 10 West Side Story 47 11 Oversize Materials Theater Posters 1956-1993 48 Theater, Film, and Television Scripts Ally McBeal, "The Dirty Joke" 1997 49 1 Ally McBeal, "One Hundred Tears Away" 1997 49 2 Betting on Bertie 1996 49 3 The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man 1995 49 4 The Drew Carey Show, "Volunteer" 1997 49 5-6 The General from America 1997-1998 49 7 The Gregory Hines Show, "Catcher on the Train" 1997 50 1 Hoover 1996 50 2 I Love Trouble 1993 50 3 The Importance of Being Ernest 50 4 Inconvenienced 1998 50 5 Inspector Gadget 1998 50 6 The Jeff Foxworthy Show, "Foxworthy Shall Rise Again" 1997 50 7-8 "The King of Queens" 1998 50 9 Legalese 1998 51 1-2 Lois and Clark, "Twas the Night before Mxymas" 1996 51 3 Lucky in the Rain 1994 51 4 "Madwoman" 1997 51 5 Men Behaving Badly, "The Gift of the Jami" 1997 51 6-7 Michael Hayes, "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" 1998 51 8 Michael Hayes, "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" 1998 52 1 "Middle Man" 1995 52 2 The Minutes 1995 52 3 Mother Theresa: In the Name of God's Poor 1997 52 4-5 Ned and Stacey, "The Errand Girl" 1996 52 6 Pandora's Clock 1996 53 1 Paramour 1995 53 2 Party of Five, "Empty Shoes" 1997 53 3 Penzance 1994 53 4 Picasso at the Lapin Agile 53 5 The Practice, "The Blessing" 1997 53 6 The Pretender 1998 53 7-8

Includes episodes entitled "Bank" and "Bloodlines."

The Pretender, "Hope and Prey" 1998 54 1 Quartermaine's Terms 1997 54 2 For Reasons that Remain Unclear 54 3 Richie Rich's A Christmas Wish 1998 54 4 Seven Days 54 5 The Single Guy, "Johnny Hollywood" 1997 54 6-7 The Single Guy 1997 55 1-4

Includes "Just Friends" and "Mother Love."

Sketches for the HBO Comedy Arts Festival by Steve Martin 55 5 Stargate SGI-1, "The Torment of Tantalus" 1997 55 6 Sunset Beach 1997 55 7-9

Includes episode numbers 0223, 0229, and 0230.

Sunset Beach 1998 56 1-2

Includes episode numbers 0433 and 0434.

That Darn Cat 1995 56 3 Three, "Uncontrollable Urge" 1998 56 4 Time and Again 1995 56 5-6 Tom Sawyer 1994 56 7 Touched by an Angel, "My Dinner with Andrew" 1997 56 8 Trilogy of Terror II 1995 57 1 Tyler Madison's Coming to Town 1998 57 2 Wintertime 57 3 Scrapbooks Scrapbooks A-D 1923-1955 58 Scrapbooks E-H 1955-1967 59 Scrapbooks I-L 1967-1977 60 Scrapbooks M-P 1977-1984 61 Scrapbooks Q-U 1985-1989 62 Scrapbooks V-Y and Untitled 1989-1994 63 General Materials Letters to Keene Curtis 1953-1990 64 1 Founders Day Script 1990 64 2 Play Reviews 1964-1965 64 3 Production Lists 64 4 Production Advertisements 1990 1994 64 5 Italian Tour Information Package 1996 64 6 Vacation Notes 64 7 News Clippings 1988 1992 64 8 Oversize Materials Award Plaques 1973 1986 65 Theater Broadsides 66 1-3 Pioneer State Theater Hall of Fame Certificate 1975 66 4