L. Wolfe Gilbert papers, 1907-1971

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Gilbert, L. Wolfe (Louis Wolfe), 1886-1970
Title
L. Wolfe Gilbert papers
Dates
1907-1971 (inclusive)
Quantity
21.5 cubic ft. (35 boxes) + 1 oversized box
Collection Number
04374
Summary
Contains the papers of L. Wolfe Gilbert, a Russian-born American songwriter known for his work as part of the Tin Pan Alley group.
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
Sponsor
The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid has been made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

L. Wolfe Gilbert (1886-1970) was an American lyricist and composer during the twentieth century. Known as the "Dean of Tin Pan Alley", Gilbert was born in Odessa, Ukraine and immigrated to the United States with his family as an infant. He later moved to New York City and started working in vaudeville as a teenager. Gilbert wrote his first hit song, "Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee" in 1912 and went on to write more than 250 songs, including "Down Yonder" (1921), "Lucky Lindy" (1927), and "Peanut Vendor' (1931). His songs were performed and recorded by numerous performing artists, including Fred Waring, Count Basie, and Xavier Cugat. Gilbert also wrote lyrics and composed for radio, motion pictures, and television, and his work included writing music for the "Eddie Cantor Show", writing the lyrics for the song "Ramona" (which became the first ever motion picture theme song for the movie "Ramona" in 1936), and writing the lyrics for "Hopalong Cassidy March" (which became the theme song for Hopalong Cassidy's movies and television show during the 1940s and 1950s). In addition to his musical activities, Gilbert was an active member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, serving as its director from 1941 to 1944. He was also the author of his autobiography Without Rhyme or Reason (1956).

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Collection contains L. Wolfe Gilbert's correspondence (business and personal), song lyric notes (handwritten, typed, and mimeographed), and subject files (containing clippings, sheet music, and printed materials). Collection also contains photographs (mostly of Gilbert and other show business personalities), original manuscripts of Gilbert's autobiography Without Rhyme or Reason, and several scrapbooks (which contain clippings, correspondence, and song lyrics). Numerous 78 rpm phonograph records of L. Wolfe Gilbert songs recorded by various artists (including Fred Waring, Count Basie, and Xavier Cugat), published sheet music of Gilbert's songs, award plaques and certificates, and a handful of original musical scores are also present in the collection.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

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.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Related Materials

Related Materials

The Theodore Dreiser papers at the University of Pennsylvania contain correspondence with Gilbert, The Lilac Domino [collection]: Operetta in Three Acts at the University of Wisconsin contains works by Gilbert, and an oral history with Gilbert resides at Columbia University.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition Information

This material was received from Rose Wolfe Gilbert (spouse) from 1972 to 1991 and the UNC Charlotte, J. Murrey Atkins Library in 2018.

Processing Note

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Kathryn Brooks in August 2012 and updated by Jamie Greene in April 2019.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I. CareerReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Sub-series 1. General
Box
5
ASCAP Membership Meeting reports
1952-1955
6
ASCAP printed materials
1939-1969
5
ASCAP West Coast Membership Meeting reports
1950-1952
6
ASCAP West Coast Membership Meeting reports
1955-1957
2
ASCAP
1925-1971
5
ASCAP
1930-1968
31
Plaque - "To Wolfie with much affection and gratitude for devoted service from the West Coast 'Guys and Gals' of ASCAP,"
1961
31
Plaque - To a Great American for the Millions of Happy Hours You Have Given Countless People from The Larry Finley Show, KFWB
1953 July 24
31
Plaque - To L. Wolfie Gilbert on his Seventieth Birthday, the Members of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers salute him:…
1956 August 31
31
Plaque of appreciation from West Coast Membership of ASCAP
1959 February 25
10
Radio scripts - Art and Dotty Todd
1954 April 23
10
Radio scripts - Ed Lowry Show
undated
9
Radio scripts - Eddie Cantor
1933-1934, undated
10
Radio scripts - Eddie Cantor
1932-1934, undated
9
Radio scripts - Jack Benny
1952 February 3
12
Without Rhyme or Reason manuscripts
undated
13
Without Rhyme or Reason manuscripts
undated
14
Without Rhyme or Reason manuscripts
undated
Sub-series 2. Lyric notes
Box
17
A Garden in Encino
1940
18
A Life Time, Is No Time
undated
18
A Mender of Broken Hearts
undated
19
A Waltz in the Clouds
undated
17
A Weepin' and a Wailin' Song
undated
17
Are You Going to the Texas Oil Man's Ball?
undated
17
As Love Goes Marching On
undated
17
At Journey's End
undated
17
At the Double Diamond Ranch
undated
17
Baby, You Slay Me
undated
17
The Bells of Montebello
undated
17
Benny the Bow-Legged Bowler
undated
17
Bless Your Little Heart My Dear
undated
17
Bo Weevil
undated
17
Bouncin' on the Bayou
undated
17
Broken Dolly and Me
undated
17
Broken Dreams to Mend
undated
17
Calling All Cars
undated
17
Child Wonder
undated
17
Chiquita
1926, 1928
17
Colorado Sunset
undated
17
The Cosmopolitan
undated
17
Cotton Moon
undated
17
The Cross Roads of the World
undated
17
Cry Baby
undated
17
Cry of a Soul
undated
17
The Cry of the Wolf
undated
17
Cuttin' Corners
undated
17
Dancing with an Angel
undated
17
The Dartmouth Twirl
undated
17
Don't Let Me Down
undated
17
Down Yonder
1951-1952
17
Entre Nous
undated
17
Ess Ess Mein Kindt (notes, score, and 45 RPM vinyl record)
1966
17
Eternally Yours
undated
17
Forever and a Day
1929
17
Funny Paper Capers in a Dream
undated
17
Gimme a Girl
undated
17
The Greatest Enemy of Love
undated
17
Hotcha Yascha Lovanoff
1938
17
I Can't Say Manyanna
undated
17
I Could Be Wrong
undated
17
I Laughed at Love
undated
17
I Live for You
undated
17
I Lost My Way
undated
17
I Miss My Swiss
1925
17
I Smiled at the Moon
undated
17
If I Were You and You Were Me
undated
17
I'm Buying a Bond for My Baby
1942-1944
17
I'm the Best Bad Gal in Town
undated
17
I'm Winding Up My Affairs
undated
17
In a Wistful Vista
undated
17
In My Corral
undated
17
In My Network Nightmare Dream
undated
17
In the Cradle of Your Arms
undated
17
Is That Asking too Much?
undated
17
It's Always a Waltz
undated
18
Junior Auxiliary
1950-1961
18
The Kiss that was Stolen
undated
18
Labels
undated
18
Laffs and Lies
1959
18
The Land I Love
undated
18
Land of Glamorous Girls
1939 July 27
18
Last Night I Missed You in My Dreams
undated
18
The Last Time I Saw Paris (recitation)
undated
18
Let Doctor Cantor Worry for You
undated
18
Lips Like the Rose
undated
18
Listening
undated
18
Little Bronze Lady in the Harbor
1940
18
London's Truckin' Now
undated
18
Lost a Man's Best Pal
undated
18
Love Called Me This Morning
undated
18
Lucky Lindy
1927-1971
18
Mama Don't Want No Peas an' Rice an' Cocoanut Oil
1952
18
Man Behind the Badge
1955
18
Maria, My Own
undated
18
The Masquers
1960
18
Meet the Family
undated
18
The Meeting at the Summit
undated
18
Mio Rio de Janeiro
1936
19
Miscellaneous
1926-1942, undated
18
Mister Publisher
undated
18
Music, Wine, an Old Bouquet
undated
18
My Absent Lover
undated
18
My Diary
undated
18
My Midnight Cinderella
undated
18
My Mother's Eyes
undated
18
My Pillow
undated
18
My Smoke Dream Lady
1936
18
My Son, My Son
1939
18
Neath California Skies
undated
18
Neath the Moon at Saskatoon
1937
18
Nobody's Lost on the Wholesome Trail
undated
18
Octogenarian
undated
18
The Old Arm Chair
undated
18
On Christmas Day
undated
18
One More Smile
undated
18
One of a Kind
undated
18
Only the Brave
undated
18
Over Yonder Hills
undated
18
Peanut Vendor
undated
18
Ramona
1955-1970
18
Rather do Without You Baby
undated
18
Ringing the New Year In
undated
19
Shades of Night
undated
19
She's a Gypsy from Brooklyn
undated
19
Song of Mojave
undated
19
The Song of the Rabbit
undated
25
Songwriting scrapbook
1925, undated
19
The Sweetest Day
undated
19
Take Good Care of My Baby
undated
19
Take It with a Grain of Salt
undated
19
There Goes My Sugar Girl
undated
19
There's No Song Like an Old Song
undated
19
There's No Substitute for Love
undated
19
There's Nobody Else But You
1942
19
The Things That Count
undated
19
The Things We Love Will Live Again
undated
19
This Belongs to You
undated
19
Three Blind Mice
undated
19
Three Little Sugar Girls are We
undated
18
Tournament of Roses
1952-1961
19
Two Against One - 'Taint Fair
1938
19
Two Hearts in Silhouette
undated
19
Waiting for the Robert E. Lee
1929-1968
17
We Went to Work in the Morning
undated
19
We're Gonna Hit - Hit - Hitler
undated
19
When a Latin Falls in Love
undated
19
Who Do You Belong to?
undated
19
Why am I the Way, I am About You
undated
19
You're Only Fooling Yourself
undated
Sub-series 3. Articles
Box
22
Anesthesia Hit Parade, Best Hypo to a Songwriter
1963 January 9
22
Does Practical Payola Pay Off?
1960 November
22
Down in Melody Row
1925-1926
22
Hits That Almost Missed
1960 January 6
22
I Tangled with Sime
undated
22
The Illiteracy Test
1965
22
Miscellaneous
circa 1926-1959
22
The Original Giveaway Program
1956 November 19
22
The Penny Arcade
1961 November 14
22
Rubbed Elbows with -
1961 January 8
22
The Song Belters
1963 November
22
They're Playing Our Song
undated
22
Truly a Yankee Doodle Dandy
undated
22
What Have You Written Lately?
1961 January 4
22
Who Wrote That Song?
undated
22
With His Hat in His Hand
1956 January 4

Series II. Audiovisual materialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
34
ASCAP group photograph, Coliseum, Treasure Island (3)
1940 September 24
36
Phonograph record album
1948-1949, undated
27
Phonograph record albums (2)
1926-1942, undated
25
Phonograph record albums (4)
1912-1957, undated
26
Phonograph record albums (5)
1937-1955, undated
29
Phonograph record albums (6)
circa 1915-1955, undated
30
Phonograph record albums (6)
circa 1912-1936, undated
28
Phonograph record albums (6)
1923-1966, undated
34
Phonograph records - ASCAP on Parade (8)
undated
32
Phonograph records - assorted (3)
1951-1955
33
Phonograph records - Cavalcade of Music Concert (8)
1940 September 24
32
Phonograph records - Greek Relief Fund Show (6)
1941 February 25
34
Phonograph records - Let's Write a Song (2)
1940 June 7
33
Phonograph records - Men of Music - Shakespeare (2)
undated
34
Phonograph records - Ridin' the Range (2)
undated
34
Photographs (some signed)
1929-1953, undated
9
Photographs
undated
11
Photographs
1936-1968, undated
26
Reel-to-reel tape recordings of Gilbert's work (2)
undated

Series III. Printed materialsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
3
The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors, & Publishers, edited by Daniel I. McNamara (contains Gilbert)
1952
4
The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors, & Publishers, edited by Daniel I. McNamara (contains Gilbert)
1948
3
The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors, & Publishers, Second Edition, edited by Daniel I. McNamara (contains Gilbert)
1952
3
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Biographical Dictionary, compiled and edited by The Lynn Farnol Group, Inc. (contains Gilbert)
1966
21
Binder - sheet music in English & Chinese
1929, undated
22
Birthday - 65th
1951 August
22
Birthday - 70th
1956-1957
22
Birthday - 71st
1957-1968
22
Birthday - 72nd
1958 August
22
Birthday - 73rd
1959
22
Birthday - 74th
1960 August
22
Birthday - 75th
1961
22
Birthday - 76th
1962-1963
22
Birthday - 77th
1963
22
Birthday - 78th
undated
22
Birthday - 79th
undated
22
Birthday - 80th
1966
22
Birthday - 81st
1967
22
Birthday - 82nd
1968
22
Cole Porter
1956
1
Deep in My Heart by Elliott Arnold (inscribed by author)
1949
22
Eddie Cantor
1950 April 3
23
Elson's Pocket Music Dictionary
1909
23
Examiner Christmas Benefit Show
1954 December 17
22
Ferde Grofe
1967 April 3
23
Friars' Club
1949-1964
35
Galley proofs of The Zionist Record Annual on Gilbert
1952 September
22
George Jessel
1946, undated
22
The Guardian
1962-1971
22
Gus Edwards
1955, undated
1
Harmony and Harmonics by Arthur Lange, Mus. D. (inscribed by author's wife)
1958
4
A History of Popular Music in America by Sigmund Spaeth (inscribed by author)
1948
23
The Hollywood Reporter
1965 November 16
4
I Ring Doorbells by Russell Birdwell (inscribed by author)
1939
4
I'll Cry Tomorrow by Lillian Roth (inscribed by author)
1954
22
Irving Berlin
1936 January 20
22
Jimmy McHugh
1954
22
Jules Bledsoe
1941 May 15
3
The Mirth of a Nation by Jimmy Lyons (inscribed by author)
1953-1954
23
Legal material
1949-1969
24
Miscellaneous clippings
1921-1969
23
Miscellaneous programs
1925-1969
1
More Poems by Nick Kenny (inscribed by author)
1948-1951
15
Music books
1915-1949, undated
16
Music books
1915-1943
23
Music charts
1951-1961
35
News clippings scrapbook
1936-1937
27
News clippings scrapbook
circa 1917-1924
27
News clippings scrapbook
circa 1930-1938
36
News clippings scrapbook
circa 1937-1942
23
Palace Theater
1923
3
Passport to Paris by Vernon Duke (inscribed by author)
1955
22
Paul Whiteman
1913-1928
4
The Politician by Stephen and Ethel Longstreet (inscribed by author)
1959
35
Press book
1907-1922
14
Publicity for Without Rhyme or Reason
1955-1958
19
Sheet music - A
1917-1961
19
Sheet music - B
1931-1952
19
Sheet music - C
1914-1961
20
Sheet music - D
1920-1955
20
Sheet music - E
1966, undated
20
Sheet music - F
1929-1954, undated
20
Sheet music - G
1919-1952
20
Sheet music - H
1912-1951
20
Sheet music - I
1914-1955
20
Sheet music - J
1928
20
Sheet music - L
1917-1966
20
Sheet music - M
1911-1956
21
Sheet music - miscellaneous
1936-1953
21
Sheet music - N
1927-1954
21
Sheet music - O
1915-1962
21
Sheet music - P
1915-1958
21
Sheet music - R
1927-1953
21
Sheet music - S
1916-1950
21
Sheet music - T
1912-1952
21
Sheet music - U
undated
21
Sheet music - W
1926-1954
21
Sheet music - XYZ
1913-1958
19
Sing-along sheets
1927-1954
1
They All Had Glamour by Edward B. Marks (inscribed by author)
1944
23
Travel
1955-1957
35
Variety
1940-1969
1
Vaudeville by Joe Laurie, Jr. (inscribed by author)
1958
22
W.C. Handy
1954
22
William Boyd - Hopalong Cassidy
1950-1965
1
Without Rhyme or Reason by L. Wolfe Gilbert
1956
23
Young Americans
1969

Series IV. Personal itemsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
34
Certificates (4)
1959-1968
27
Certificates (4)
1960-1968
10
Certificates
1938-1967
7
Correspondence
1938-1951
8
Correspondence
1952-1969, undated
6
Gilbert family material
1920-1970
31
Plaque - Appreciation from the Conference of Jewish Women's Organizations, Los Angeles
1963 May 23

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Composers -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Lyric writing (Popular music)
  • Lyricists -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Popular music -- United States -- 20th century.
  • Popular music -- Writing and composing -- United States.

Corporate Names

  • American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Phonograph records.
  • Scrapbooks.