Collection Summary
Blacker, Irwin R.
Irwin R. Blacker papers
1829-1986 (bulk 1900-1986)
09415
40 cubic
ft. (40 boxes)
University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
English
This collection contains materials by and about Irwin R. Blacker, an American author during the twentieth century. There are manuscripts, research files, screenplays, clippings, books and book reviews created by Blacker. The collection also contains correspondence and legal documents about Blacker's personal and business life.
Arrangement of the Collection
This collection has not been organized, but described in the order it was received.
Biography of Irwin R. BlackerIrwin R. Blacker (1919-1985) was an American author during the twentieth century. He was born in Cleveland and earned a Ph.D. from Case-Western Reserve in 1983. Blacker wrote a number of novels between the 1950s and 1970s, including "Westering" (1958), "Taos" (1959), "Standing on a Drum" (1968), and "The Middle of the Fire" (1971). He also wrote a number of non-fiction works, including "Behind the Lines: Twenty-Eight Stories of Irregular Warfare" (1956), "The Old West in Fact" (1961), "Cortez and the Aztec Conquest" (1965), and "The Elements of Screenwriting: A Guide for Film and Television Writers" (1986). In addition to his books, Blacker wrote scripts for the western television shows "Bonanza" (1959) and "The Virginian" (1962). He also wrote the screenplay for the motion picture "Brush Fire" (1962). From 1961 to 1977, Blacker was a professor of cinema at the University of Southern California.
Scope and ContentCollection contains manuscripts, research files (which contain correspondence, notes, clippings, legal documents, and printed materials), correspondence, galley proofs, notes, audio recordings of lectures, and clippings concerning Blacker's fiction and non-fiction works, including "Taos", "Standing on a Drum", "The Old West in Fact", and "The Elements of Screenwriting: A Guide for Film and Television Writers". Collection also contains Blacker's business and personal correspondence, legal files, clippings of reviews of Blacker's books, and book reviews written by Blacker. Collection also holds Blacker's scripts for "Bonanza" and "The Virginian", a press kit for the movie "Brush Fire", and books written by Blacker.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes,
and the collection is open to the public.
Copyright Information
Donor retains copyrights. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright,
property, and libel laws as they apply.
Related Materials
There is one other Irwin R. Blacker collection preserved at Stanford University's Hoover Institute of War, Revolution, and Peace.
Acquisition Information
The Irwin R. Blacker papers were donated to the American Heritage Center by Ethel H. Blacker and Nellie Blacker-Hanson during the years 1987-2007.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Laura Uglean Jackson and Jamie Greene in July 2008.
Preferred Citation
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection
Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Access Terms
Novelists, American -- 20th century.
Literature --Novelists, American -- 20th century. United States -- 20th century.
Authors -- United States -- 20th century.
Western stories.
Screenwriter's -- United States -- 20th century.
Motion picture authorship -- United States -- 20th century.
Motion pictures -- United States -- 20th century.
Television writers -- United States -- 20th century.
Television authorship -- United States -- 20th century.
Television programs -- United States -- 20th century.
Western television programs.
Literature.
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
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Container List
Accretion 09415-87-04-16, 1950-1986
This material has been archivally housed but has not been organized. This accretion contains manuscripts of novels both fiction and non-fiction, drafts, screenplays, and scripts for the television series "Bonanza" and "The Virginian" written by Irwin R. Blacker. This accretion also contains correspondence, legal documents, books, book reviews, and newspaper clippings about Blacker's personal and business life. In addition there is a production packet for the movie "Brushfire."
1
1
Manuscript- Yemen
1
2
The Hakluyt Society
1
3
Assignment Underwater: "The Secret of the Reef"
1
4
Arabia
1
5
Bonanza, "The War Comes to Washo"
1
6
Bobbs Merrill
1
7
Brash Banker (screenplay)
1
8
Elba (screenplay)
Sept. 10, 1952
1
9
Traffic in Arms (manuscripts)
1
10
Burn Down the Sky
1
11
The Other Stream
1
12
Brushfire (screenplay)
1
13
Changin Sky (script)
1
14
Prescott, Viking Press
1
15
Publisher correspondence
1
16
Irregulars, Partisans, and Guerrilla Warfare in Abyssinia permissions
1
17
The Old West
1
18
Book of Books
1
19
Israel novel
1
20
Reviews by Blacker
2
1
Taos (script)
2
2
Days of Gold (novel)
2
3
The Day Returns too Soon (novel)
2
4
Text Magazine
2
5
Short Stories
2
6
Satan in Salem (script and associated material)
2
7
CIA manuscript
2
8
Byron (screenplay)
2
9
Smell of Burning Leaves and Streets of Home (drafts)
3
1
American Heritage- Cortes (manuscripts)
3
2
Yemen
3
3
Suez- 56
3
4
Tel Aviv (draft)
3
5
Search and Destroy (manuscirpt)
3
6
Standing on a Drum (manuscript)
4
Hard and soft cover books by Blacker
4
Journals with notes
5
1
Untitled mansucript (Israel novel?)
5
2
State of Siege (manuscript)
5
3
Untitled manuscripts
5
4
Model Wife (script)
5
5
Melody Inn (script)
5
6
Merrick's Island (manuscript)
5
7
Love is Not Love (script)
5
8
Of Rebel Angels (script)
5
9
High Tension, Lux TV
5
10
Jazz Play
5
11
A Jurisdictional Dispute (script)
5
12
Lonely Village (script)
5
13
Justice at Way-Hole
5
14
The High Pamirs (script)
5
15
Golden Fleece (script)
Oct. 28, 1953
5
16
Gallu, Sam
5
17
The Funeral (script)
5
18
Five Percent Covert (script)
5
19
The Far Lonesome (script)
6
1
Smell of Burning Leaves
6
2
Human Events
6
3
Simon du Gard novel
6
4
Maps
6
5
Books by others
6
6
Tyree Letters, A Bible, A Rifle, and Seed
6
7
Dan Ullman
6
8
Virginian (manuscripts)
6
9
Starlings on the Negev (script)
6
10
Sweet Beulah Land
6
11
T-P Trucking, Inc.
6
12
Untitled mansucripts
7
The Golden Conquistadors and untitled manuscripts
8
1
Search and Destroy proofs
8
2
Wagon Train (manuscript)
8
3
They Don't Build Them Like This Anymore
8
4
Standing on a Drum (manuscript)
8
5
Welcome Home Rick (TV Outline)
8
6
Snow Merchant (script)
8
7
Sergeant Eager Beaver (script)
8
8
Self-starter (script)
8
9
Town Beat and The Fury (scripts)
8
10
Return of Ulysses (script)
8
11
Radio Plays
8
12
Double Opposite (script)
8
13
No Train to Illinois, by Barden and Blacker (script)
8
14
Queen Bee (script)
8
15
Portofino, The Gambler's Gambit (script)
8
16
Parker Ranch, Richard Smart
8
17
Paper Peddler, by Barden and Blacker (script)
8
18
On the Side of Angels by Barden and Blacker (script)
8
19
On the Morning Tide (by Barden and Blacker)
9
1
Standing on a Drum (manuscript)
9
2
Proofs: Days of Gold, Taos, Westering
9
3
Hard cover books (The Old West in Fiction and The Old West in Fact)
9
4
Untitled manuscripts
10
1
Of Rebel Angels (manuscript)
10
2
Correspondence
1964-1971
10
3
Hernan Cortes (manuscript)
11
1
Lowlands (manuscript)
11
2
Norway
11
3
Untitled manuscript and related material
11
4
The Opening Campaign in the Mediterranean and North Africa
11
5
The Battle of the Atlantic II (manuscript)
11
6
Correspondence- Battles and Leaders
11
7
Dunkirk (manuscript)
11
8
France
11
9
Battle and Leaders- Prospectus
11
10
Russia (manuscript)
11
11
Research material
11
12
Britain (manuscript)
12
1
Taos manuscripts and proofs
12
2
Days of Gold (manuscript)
12
3
Chain of Command (manuscript)
12
4
Untitled manuscript
13
1
Books by others
13
2
Proofs
13
3
Days of Gold (uncorrected proofs)
13
4
To Hell in a Hand Basket (manuscript)
13
5
Standing on a Drum (manuscript)
14
1
Books by other people
14
2
Scrapbook pages on Blacker's writing
14
3
The Bold Conquistadors
14
4
Blacker projects- unpublished
15
1
Battles and Leaders material
15
2
North Africa II
15
3
Russia - Moscow
15
4
Research material
15
5
Lowlands
15
6
Airwar
15
7
Case Against Wade Tyree (play)
15
8
Brushfire (script)
15
9
The Achilles Force (manuscript)
15
10
The Return of Ulysees (script)
15
11
Assignment Underwater: The Secret of the Reef (screenplay)
1960
15
12
Jazzman (script)
15
13
The Homecoming
15
14
Notes for a Checkmate
15
15
Dinner Date
15
16
The Irregulars
15
17
The Kilroy Gambit
15
18
High Tension
16
1
Yemen
16
2
Untitled manuscripts (Battles and Leaders?)
17
1
To Hell in a Handbasket (manuscript)
17
2
Essays by other people on carbon paper
17
3
Notes
18
1
Smell of Burning Leaves (manuscript)
18
2
Days of Gold (manuscript)
18
3
Byron (screenplay)
18
4
Traffic in Arms (manuscript)
18
5
Time and Time Again (manuscript)
19
1
Tear Down the Sky (script)
19
2
Middle of the Fire- Reviews and Publications
19
3
Best Films Yearbook
19
4
High Tension
19
5
Standing on a Drum proofs
19
6
Publicity materials
19
7
Battles of France, Sicily, and Britain (Battles and Leaders)
19
8
Research Notes for Middle of the Fire
1966-1967
20
1
Books by Blacker
20
2
Westering (manuscript, proofs, and book)
21
Research material for Israel book
21
1
Africa (manuscript)
21
2
Greece and Crete (manuscript)
21
3
Battle of Britain
22
1
"Elements of Screenwriting" correspondence
22
2
Elements of Screewriting (manuscript)
22
3
North Africa (manuscript)
22
4
Lowlands
22
5
Battles and Leaders (manuscript)
22
6
South France and the Drive North in Italy (manuscript)
22
7
Atlantic (manuscript)
22
8
Civilization of the Jews (television prospectus)
22
9
Dunkirk (manuscript)
22
10
Mediterranean and North Africa (manuscript)
22
11
North Africa (manuscript)
22
12
Rebel Angels (manuscript)
22
13
P.E.N.
22
14
Mishkenot, Sha'ananim
22
15
Synopses by Blacker students
22
16
Brazen Sky, Arizona
22
17
Max Gartenberg correspondence
1961-1964 and 1972-1976
23
1
Untitled manuscripts
23
2
To Hell in a Hand Basket (manuscript)
23
3
The Battle of the Atlantic II (manuscript)
23
4
Italy (manuscript)
23
5
The Invasion of Normandy (manuscript)
23
6
Guggenheim Project Proposal
23
7
ASOR Freeman TV Show Proposal
23
8
Toward a Theory of Film Book Proposal
23
9
The Fate of Nations Book Proposal
23
10
Magazine articles by Blacker
23
11
Commencement Speech- USC
23
12
Pretorius- Film Synopsis
23
13
Russian Novel Outline
23
14
Outline for a novel and notes (not written)
23
15
Book Reviews by Blacker
23
16
Lowlands
23
17
The Conquest of Poland (manuscript)
23
18
Greece and Crete (manuscript)
24
19
Research for Israel novel
25
1
Research material
25
2
Battles and Leaders (manuscript)
26
1
Untitled screenplay synopsis
26
2
Preliminary notes for "Ben Casey"
26
3
Standing on a Drum (manuscript)
26
4
To Hell in a Hand Basket (manuscript)
26
5
OPS Kilroy (manucript)
26
6
Book of Books Correspondence
26
7
The Trail Journal of Stith Hibbard (manuscript)
26
8
The Elements of Screenwriting
26
9
Search and Destroy proofs
26
10
The Irregulars (script)
26
11
Merrick's Island Synopsis
26
12
The Silver Fox (manuscript)
26
13
Standing on a Drum Synopsis
26
14
Assignment: Underwater, The Secret of the Reef
1960
27
2
Kilroy Gambit (manuscript)
27
3
Taos
27
4
Westering
27
5
Untitled manuscript
Accretion 09415-01-06-21
28
1
The Day Returns Too Soon (manuscript)
28
2
Book Reviews by Blacker
28
3
Look of a Professional Script (chapter)
28
4
Untitled manuscript
28
5
Digs and Documents (manuscript)
28
6
Scriptwriting book
29
1
The Venosa Tapestry (manuscript)
29-30
2
Untitled manuscript
30
1
Digs and Documents (manuscript)
30
2
Standing on a Drum (manuscript)
30-31
3
Traffic in Arms (manuscript)
30
4
The Man Most Likely To (manuscript)
31
1
The Venosa Tapestry (manuscript)
31
2
Military Mind (manuscript)
31
3
Research Material
31
4
Elements of Screenwriting (manuscript)
31
5
Mailing lists and memorable poems, quotes, and prayers
32
1
Verse, by Emily Blacker Simon
1953
32
2
Macmillan Text book
32
3
Ethel Blacker correspondence and other material
32
4
Publisher/book sales and professional correspondence
32
5
Contracts
32
6
Research materials and notes
33-35
1
Digs and Documents: A Rediscovery of the Holy Land (manuscript)
33
2
The Four of Hearts
33
3
Human Events
33
4
August Telford
33-34
5
Research notes
34
1
Traffic in Arms (manuscript)
34
2
Napolean (manuscript)
34
3
Strange Blockade: Poems by Blacker
36
Hard cover books by Blacker
Accretion 09415-07-08-03
37
Taos Sequel- Santa Fe Rough Draft
38-39
Digs and Documents (manuscript)
38-39
Four of Hearts (manuscript)
38
Time and Time Again
39
Human Events
39
Byron (script)
39
Strange Blockade (manuscript)
39
August Telford
39-40
Untitled manuscript
40
The Day Returns Too Soon (manuscript)
40
Adobe Kingdom / Santa Fe (manuscript)
40
Lecture tapes
Additional Container Lists
The American Heritage Center is in the process of converting its older container lists to a more accessible format. This link is to an older version of a container list.
Link to Accessioning Worksheet (PDF)