Lawrence Klee papers, 1936-1994

Lawrence Klee (1915-1957) was a writer for radio and television programs during the 1940s and 1950s and authored the 1947 documentary "The Roosevelt Story." The comic book character Mike Barnett was based on his television program "Man Against Crime."

Klee was the son of vaudeville performer Mel Klee, whose act he joined at the age of 10. He began writing for radio in 1940 although he was then a pre-med student at the University of Alabama. His professional writing career was launched by writing gags for comedian Jack Gilford. He then shifted to daytime radio serials and soon became a prolific writer, at times working on three different daily shows per week. Klee also wrote the narration for the docu-drama "The Roosevelt Story," a story of the life of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Klee's work included daytime dramas, mysteries, and a special series for the WWII war effort, "Chaplain Jim...U.S.A." He developed the television series "Man Against Crime" which ran from 1949 to 1956. Klee married former actress Jane Weldon. The couple had two children, Margaret and Paul. Lawrence Klee died in 1957 from a heart attack at the age of 42.