A Christmas Carol

AHJ_ah09627 Inventory of the Leonard St. Clair paperscirca 1918-1986 St. CLair (Leonard) papers Processed by John Hanks The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.

American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/

2006

University of Wyoming

Finding aid encoded by Ann Mulfort April 2006 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary St. Clair, Leonard Leonard St. Clair papers circa 1918-1986 09627 13 cubic ft. (28 document boxes) University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English The Leonard St. Clair collection includes biographical material, correspondence, source material, photographs, diaries, manuscripts, radio scripts, and published books and stories. The largest part of the collection consists of scripts for radio and TV, and manuscripts for historical suspense novels like "The Seadon Fortune." Biography of Leonard St. Clair

Leonard St. Clair was born in 1918 in San Francisco and continued to live in California, although he traveled extensively and lived for awhile in Paris. He attended the Choinard Institute of Arts in Los Angeles but did not earn a degree. He was a self-educated man. He became a popular writer for radio shows during the 1940s and 1950s, and produced the famous A Christmas Carol script for Lionel Barrymore. His regular radio shows included Mayor of the Town, Lux Radio Theatre, Hallmark Playhouse and Mike Shayne. He wrote over 250 radio scripts in all. St. Clair also wrote scripts for TV, especially Four Star Playhouse. In the 1960s and 1970s he wrote magazine stories and adventure-mystery novels including Fortune in Death, The Emerald Trap, The Seadon Fortune, and Obsessions.

Scope and Content

The Leonard St. Clair collection includes biographical material, correspondence, source material, photographs, diaries, manuscripts, radio scripts, and published books and stories from his commercial writing career.

The biographical file includes resumes, membership cards, and a pamphlet about an oil tanker named for St. Clair’s father. Most of the correspondence relates to St. Clair’s writing history. Source material includes clippings for ideas and notes relating to history and characters. The photographs date from childhood and St. Clair’s radio career. The diaries extend from 1927 to 1943, and they consist mainly of comments about travel, weather, politics, and career. There are a few gaps in a substantial collection of bound and unbound radio and TV scripts from the 1940s and 1950s. The largest part of the collection consists of manuscripts for novels, short stories, radio dramas, outlines, and a few articles. Some of the novels, like The California Saga (later renamed The Seadon Fortune) involved many re-writes so their manuscripts are extensive.

Access Restrictions

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

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

Related Materials

There are no other known archival collections created by Leonard St. Clair at the date of processing.

Acquisition Information

The Leonard St. Clair papers were given to the American Heritage Center in one shipment by Mrs. Catherine St. Clair in 1988.

Processing Information

The collection was processed by John Hanks in February 2002. The papers were received in good condition and partial order. They have been arranged by type, chronologically within series. Where original folder titles existed they have been maintained. Where none existed, a descriptive title was created.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Leonard St. Clair papers, circa 1918-1986, Collection Number 09627, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Access Terms Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Literature. Radio scripts. Television scripts. Radio writers. Television writers. Novelists. <?xm-replace_text {Title as Subject}?> Container List Series I. Biographical Material, Clippings, Photographs circa 1918-1986 0.20 cubic ft. (3 folders)

Arranged alphabetically. Resumes, membership cards, clippings for ideas, youth and professional photographs.

1 1 Biographical Resumes, Obituaries, Membership Cards 1941-1986 1 2 Clippings (Background Inspiration, Research) 1975-1978 1 3 Photographs (Baby, Youth, Radio Career) circa 1918-circa 1940s Series II. Correspondence 1933-1982 0.25 cubic ft. (4 folders)

Arranged chronologically. Most of this correspondence is professional, involving agents, publishers, and friends.

1 4-7 Correspondence 1933-1982 Series III. Diaries 1927-1942 1 cubic ft. (2.1 document boxes)

Arranged chronologically. A daily chronical of events from childhood through early adulthood.

2 Diaries 1927, 1929-1934 3 Diaries 1935, 1937-1941 4 Diary 1942 Series IV. Radio and Television Scripts (Bound) 1943-1954 4.5 cubic ft. (10 document boxes)

Arranged chronologically. Scripts by St. Clair for popular radio and early television programs.

4 Vol. 1. Radio – Mayor of the Town, Amos and Andy, Lux Theatre, etc. 1943 4 Vol. 2. Radio – Lifebuoy Show, Mayor of the Town, Stars Over Hollywood, Results Incorporated, etc. 1944 5 Vol. 2. Television – The Wreck, Rebound, Decision, etc. 1953 5 Vol. 3. Radio – Michael Shayne, etc. (Part 1) 1944 5 Vol. 3. Radio – Michael Shayne, (Part 2) 1945 6 Vol. 4. Radio – Michael Shayne 1945 6 Vol. 5. Radio – Michael Shayne 1945 6 Vol. 5. Television - Death Bed, Make Room for Daddy, etc. 7 Vol. 6. Radio – Michael Shayne 1946 7 Vol. 7. Radio – Michael Shayne 1947 7 Vol. 8. Radio – Mayor of the Town, Hollywood Preview, etc. 1946 8 Vol. 9. Radio – Mayor of the Town 1947 8 Vol. 10. Radio – Mayor of the Town, U.S. Army, etc. 1947 8 Vol. 10. Radio – Mayor of the Town, (Part 2) 1948 9 Vol. 11. Radio – Mayor of the Town 1949 9 Vol. 12. Missing 9 Vol. 13. Radio – Anacin Hollywood Star Theatre 1949-1950 9 Vol. 14. Radio – Charles Boyer, Hollywood Star Playhouse 1950 10 Vol. 15. Radio – Hallmark Playhouse 1951 10 Vol. 16. Radio – Stars Over Hollywood, The Man Upstairs 1951 10 Vol. 17. Radio – Hallmark Playhouse 1951-1952 11 Vol. 18. Radio – Hallmark Playhouse 1952 11 Vol. 19. Missing 11 Vol. 20. Radio – Hallmark Playhouse 1952 11 Vol. 21. Radio – Hallmark Playhouse 1953 12 Vol. 22. Radio – Tums Hollywood Theatre, Stars Over Hollywood, Romance 1952-1953 12 Vol. 23. Radio – Meet Mr. McNutley, Romance 1954 12 Vol. 24. Radio – Lux Radio Theatre 1954 13 Vol. 25. Radio – Lux Radio Theatre, War of the Worlds 1955 13 Vol. 26. Radio – Lux Radio Theatre 1955 13 Vol. 27. Radio – Lux Radio Theatre, Sunday Theatre 1955 Series V. Radio Scripts (Unbound) 1950-1957 0.80 cubic ft. (2 document boxes)

Arranged alphabetically.

14 1 Four Star Playhouse, Grampy, The Silent Partner, Halls of Ivy, Until Death Do Us Part, The Supreme Moment 1950 14 2 Hallmark Playhouse (A-0) 1952-1956 14 3 Hallmark Playhouse (P-Z) 1950-1952 14 4 Hollywood Star Playhouse (A-M) 1950-1952 14 5 Hollywood Star Playhouse (N-Z) 1951 14 6 Hollywood Star Theatre (Hollywood Theatre, Stars Over Hollywood) 1949-1953 15 1 The Mayor of the Town, Michael Shayne – Private Detective undated 15 2 Mystery Time, etc. 1950-1957 15 3-4 Romance 1953-1954 15 5 Untitled Fragments undated Series VI. Publications 1955-1980 0.65 cubic ft. (1.5 document boxes)

Arranged alphabetically. Books and an article by St. Clair.

16 1 Book, The Emerald Trap 1975 16 2 Book, Famile-arven, (The Seadon Fortune) 1978 16 3 Book, A Fortune in Death 1976 16 4 Book, Obsessions 1980 17 1 Book, The Seadon Fortune 1977 17 2 Periodical, Esquire – “Hollywood on the Couch,” August 1955 Series VII. Manuscripts 1953-1983 5.4 cubic ft. (12 document boxes)

Arranged alphabetically. Complete and partial manuscripts, fragments and narrative outlines.

Sub-series 1. California Saga (Seadon Fortune) 1967-1983 17 3 Finished Typed Manuscript, Pages 1-321 undated 17 4 Finished Typed Manuscript, Pages 171-End undated 17 5 Volume 1 undated 18 1 Volume 2 undated 18 2 Vol. 2, 1st Half undated 18 3 Vol. 2, 2nd Half undated 18 4 Oil Industry Theme – Fragments 1967 19 1 Outline, Chapter Seven – Fragments undated 19 2 Chapter Three – Fragments undated 19 3 Fragments undated 19 4 6th Revision – Fragments undated 20 1 Revisions, Notes undated 20 2 Chapter 16, Los Angeles, Fragments 1973 20 3-4 Fragments 1973 21 1 Fragments undated 21 2 Chapter 11 (Final) undated 21 3 Fragments undated 21 4-5 Manuscript (Partial) undated 21 6 The California Story 1983 22 1 Notes, Manuscript undated Sub-series 2. Embezzled Lives (The Glory Hole) 1964-1970 22 2 Finished Typed Manuscript undated 22 3 Fragments (The Glory Hole) undated 22 4 Fragments 1965-1969 23 1 Fragments 1966-1969 23 2 Fragments (The Glory Hole) 1967-1969 23 3-4 Fragments 1964-1970 24 1 Fragments 1968-1969 Sub-series 3. Emerald Trap (Enigma) 1961-1972 24 2-3 Fragments 1961-1972 24 4 Chapters, Fragments undated 25 1 Enigma Variations undated Sub-series 4. Obsession 1979 25 2-3 Obsession, Chapters 1-17 undated 25 4-5 Obsession, Fragments 1979, undated Sub-series 5. Short Manuscripts and Fragments 1961-1983 25 6 Damnation of Luis (The Place Called Hope) 1961 25 7 The Eagle and the Snake 1982 26 1 Here There Be Dragons undated 26 2 Hollywood on the Couch undated

(Article)

26 3 Memory of the Future 1977 26 4 Portable Crucifix 1970 26 5 Prelude (World War I) undated 26 6 Violent Delights 1983 Sub-series 6. Notes and Fragments 1959-1982 26 7 Brain Storming 1982 26 8 Chihuahua 1972-1979 26 9 Family Themes 1959-1971 26 10 George Themes 1959 26 11 Jewell Trade Themes 1976-1982 26 12 Kiev/15th Novel Themes 1977-1981 27 1 Oil – Western Themes 1969-1973 27 2 The Paris Story 1982 27 3 Romanovs 1977 27 4 South African Themes 1979-1982 27 5 Uncle Louis Themes 1959-1981 27 6-7 Various Themes 1959-1982 27 8-9 Various Themes (Handwritten) 1969-1977 Sub-series 7. Outlines of Stories undated 28 1 Black Out, The Bridge, Damnation, The Day of Wrath, Double You, East Is East, Eve Had Two Sons, Flute in the Night, High Card - Low Card, The High Cost of Living undated 28 2 The High Cost of Living, Julia Had No Plans, Jack of Diamonds, The Local, The Kingdom, Memory of the Future undated 28 3 No Greater Love, No One Will Ever Know, The Show Down, Three Wishes, Unscheduled Stop, Volcano Series VIII. Notes 1923-1980 0.25 cubic ft. (3 folders)

Arranged alphabetically. Notes on writing, Source notes for writing projects.

28 4 Literary 1968-1980 28 5 Source – Inspirational, Factual undated 28 6 Source – Inspirational, Factual (Chronological) 1923-1979 Series IX. Subject Files 1974-1984 0.20 cubic ft. (2 folders)

Arranged alphabetically. Authors’ professional organizations and miscellanous source pamphlets.

28 7 Authors Guild, Authors League of America 1974 28 8 Miscellaneous Pamphlets 1981-1984 Series X. Oversize Materials 1920s-1970s 0.10 cubic ft. (1 folder)

Family photographs and an advertising galley proof.

Oversize CBS TV Film, Telephone Time 1950s

(16mm)

Phonograph Records of Radio Shows: 1-4 Mayor of the Town – KECA, Parts 1-8 February 11, 1948 5 Lionel Barrymore – In Memorium, Parts 1 and 2 November 21, 1954 6-8 Charles Boyer, Parts 1-6 July 11, 1950 9-11 Hollywood Star Playhouse, Parts 1-6 (?) August 28, 1950 12 Dorothy Lamour Show – Allan Ladd Spot (Parts 1 and 2) August 24, 1947 13-14 Dorothy Lamour Show – Barrymore Spot (Parts 1-4) July 27, 1947, undated 15-16 CBS Radio Workshop (Parts 1-4) March 9, 1956 Two childhood photographs and one advertising galley proof 1920s-1970s