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William Dozier papers, 1941-2008

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Dozier, William, 1908-1991
Title
William Dozier papers
Dates
1941-2008 (inclusive)
Quantity
32.11 cubic ft. (60 boxes) + 17.34 GB
Collection Number
06851
Summary
William McElroy Dozier was an American film and television producer, writer, and actor. This collection includes his personal papers and manuscripts, materials related to his television work, and materials for his work on the Batman tv series.
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

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

William McElroy Dozier was an American film and television producer, writer, and actor. Dozier is best known for his work on two television series, Batman, and The Green Hornet. William was born in Nebraska in 1908, and graduated from Creighton University in 1929, where he had studied law. His television career began as a television writer, before moving to production and occasionally acting. He and his second wife, actress Joan Fontaine, co-founded Rampart Productions, which was responsible for the Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) and Harriet Craig (1950). In the early 1950s, Dozier was also an executive producer for CBS-TV, working on programs like You are There, Ben Hecht’s Tales of the City, and Suspense. In 1959, he left CBS behind and moved briefly to Screen Gems as vice-president in charge of production.

In 1964, William Dozier founded a new company, Greenway Productions, and then took on the development of the Batman television series that ran from 1966-1968. He was both executive producer and narrator. He performed the same functions for The Green Hornet television show. Dozier also appeared in the Batman series as more than the uncredited narrator, he appeared on screen in the first and last episodes of the series- “Hi Diddle Riddle,” and “Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires.” Additionally, during his time with the series, William co-created the character of Barbara Gordon, who would become a prominent character in both the television series and the DC Batman comic books the show was based on.

In 1967, Dozier made a screen test for the later abandoned Wonder Woman and produced and unsold Dick Tracy. In 1979, he appeared in The Paper Chase television series for one episode. William Dozier passed away at 83 (1991), in California, leaving behind his third wife, Ann Rutherford, as well as a son and a daughter.

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Content Description

This collection contains the personal papers of William Dozier, including personal and business correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks and artifacts such as awards that he collected during his lifetime. There is also material related to legal cases and documents dealing with William Dozier, his businesses, and his work. Also included are manuscripts either created by or related to Dozier’s work in the Television and Film industry. The collection also includes material related to his Television work on shows such as The Green Hornet, Dick Tracy, and Batman.

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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.

Restrictions on Use

Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in Collections

The American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.

Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.

Preferred Citation

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

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

Greenway Productions Records, Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library.

Archives of Popular Culture: Screenplay Collection, APC-2018-07. CSUF University Archives & Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

This material was received from William Dozier in 1978 and Deborah Dozier Potter in 2012-2013, and 2018.

Processing Note

The collection was processed by Brittany Heye in October-November of 2023.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Popular culture.
  • Television -- Production and direction -- United States.
  • Television producers and directors.
  • Television programs -- United States.
  • Television scripts.

Personal Names

  • Dozier, Robert.
  • Hoffman, Charles.
  • Lee, Bruce, 1940-1973.
  • Potter, Deborah Dozier.
  • Ross, Stanley Ralph.
  • Semple, Lorenzo.
  • West, Adam.

Corporate Names

  • Greenway Productions.

Titles within the Collection

  • Batman (Television program: 1966-1968)
  • Dick Tracy (Television program)
  • Green hornet (Television program)
  • Loner (Television program)
  • Tammy Grimes show (Television program)

Processed by Brittany Heye
2023

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

About Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West

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