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Albert Maltz Papers, 1910-1985

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Maltz, Albert, 1908-1985
Title
Albert Maltz Papers
Dates
1910-1985 (inclusive)
Quantity
65.53 cubic ft. (70 boxes)
Collection Number
02675
Summary
Papers of novelist and screenwriter Albert Maltz, who was blacklisted by the House Un-Amerian Activities Committee in the 1950s. Included in the collection are materials on Maltz's testimony before HUAC in 1947, as well as published and unpublished writings, personal correspondence, research, and biographical materials.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Albert Maltz (1908-1985) was a movie screenwriter, playwright, and novelist during the twentieth century. Born in Brooklyn, New York and educated at Columbia University and Yale University, Maltz started his show business career as a playwright and wrote several plays during the 1930s, including the Broadway play "The Black Pit" (1935). He turned to screenwriting during the 1940s and wrote scripts for a number of movies between the 1940s and 1970s, including "The Robe" (1953). Maltz's screenwriting career was interrupted in 1947. He was a member of the "Hollywood Ten", a group of Hollywood figures who refused to answer the questions of the House Committee on Un-American Activities concerning alleged communist influence in the movie industry. For this, he was jailed for contempt of Congress and was blacklisted by the movie industry until the mid 1960s. In addition to his work in theater and movies, Maltz was author of a number of novels, including "The Journey of Simon McKeever" (1949) and "A Long Day in a Short Life" (1957), and numerous short stories.

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Content Description

This collection contains material pertaining to the "Hollywood Ten" and Maltz's blacklisting from Hollywood during the 1940s-1960s, including photos, correspondence, court documents, advertisements, and pamphlets. Reel to reel audio tapes of Maltz's testimony before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (1947) is also included. The collection also contains Maltz's play and screenplay manuscripts (original and copies) including "The Black Pit" and "The Robe." Unproduced screenplays include "The Spy" and "Shattered Silence." Collection also holds Maltz's short story and novel manuscripts such as "Bel Canto." Correspondence covers Maltz's personal and professional life and includes letters to family members and publishers. Biographical material includes published journals and newspaper clippings, diaries, an oral history transcript and biographical manuscript, and miscellaneous items from traveling. Photos include headshots of Maltz, family and wedding pictures and pictures of theater sets.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Preferred Citation

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection has been arranged into six series, and each series has varying levels of organization.

Related Materials

Related Materials

There are other archival collections created by Albert Maltz at the Wisconsin Historical Society, the University of California - Los Angeles, the New York Public Library, the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University, and Columbia University.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information

Esther Maltz donated the Albert Maltz collection to the American Heritage Center in 1986.

Processing Note

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Keith Reynolds and Laura Uglean Jackson, September 2008.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Container List

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Blacklisting of authors.
  • Dramatists -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Literature -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Motion picture authorship -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Motion picture industry -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Motion pictures -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Novelists, American -- 20th century.
  • Plays -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Playwriting.
  • Screenwriters -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Theater -- United States -- 20th century.

Corporate Names

  • United States. Congress. House. Committee on Un-American Activities.

Processed by Keith Reynolds
2008

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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