Title: Broadway in Hollywood: film producer David O. Selznick and his theatrical ties in the 1940s
Source document: Theatralia. 2023, vol. 26, iss. 2, pp. 157-174
Extent
157-174
-
ISSN1803-845X (print)2336-4548 (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/TY2023-2-10
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/digilib.78988
Type: Article
Language
License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
Rights access
open access
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
This article examines the theatrical activities and connections of famed Hollywood film producer David O. Selznick. Based on a study of archival materials and articles in the contemporary U.S. press, the author reconstructs Selznick's relationship to the theatre and argues that it was characterised by ambiguity. On the one hand, the producer used the theatre as a source of acting talent and a training ground for honing the skills of his contract actors; on the other hand, the theatre represented a burden in terms of time and financial resources, and its positive impact on Selznick's business and creative activities was limited, given its relatively modest audience appeal, especially compared to the mass appeal of mainstream Hollywood cinema.
Note
Research for this article was funded by a grant of The Czech Science Foundation (GA ČR), reg. no. 17-06451S, 'Starmaker: David O. Selznick and the Hollywood Star System, 1935–1957'.
References
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[2] BASINGER, Jeanine. 2007. The Star Machine. New York: Vintage Books, 2007.
[3] BOURDIEU, Pierre. 1984. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.
[4] FISHGALL, Gary. 2002. Gregory Peck: A Biography. New York: Scribner, 2002.
[5] GREEN, Paul. 2011. Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films. Jefferson/London: McFarland, 2011.
[6] HAIN, Milan. 2021. V tradici kvality a prestiže: David O. Selznick a výroba hvězd v Hollywoodu 40. a 50. let [In the Tradition of Quality and Prestige: David O. Selznick and the Production of Stars in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s]. Praha: Casablanca, 2021.
[7] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia, box 292, file 2, memo from David O. Selznick, 4 June 1941.
[8] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia, box 292, file 2, memo from David O. Selznick, 16 June 1941.
[9] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Gregory Peck – Correspondence 1945, box 568, file 5, memo from Kay Brown, 3 February 1941.
[10] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Personal Appearances – Paul Small Co. – Selznick Stars 1950, box 568, file 8, telegram from David O. Selznick, 5 November 1949.
[11] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Shirley Temple – Correspondence 1944, box 584, file 5, telegram from David O. Selznick, 22 January 1948.
[12] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Talent, box 617, file 1, memo from David O. Selznick, 25 June 1948.
[13] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia – Casting, box 855, file 5, telegram from Robert Stevenson, 13 March 1941.
[14] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia – Correspondence 3 1 of 3, box 855, file 12, telegram from Kay Brown, 13 February 1941.
[15] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Anita Colby – Correspondence, box 856, file 19, memo from Anita Colby, 30 August 1944.
[16] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Gene Kelly – Correspondence, box 911, file 4, memo from Kay Brown, 28 January 1941.
[17] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Talent, box 985, file 9, memo from David O. Selznick, 1 October 1943.
[18] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Margaret Tallichet – Correspondence, box 985, file 13, letter from Kay Brown, 3 March 1937.
[19] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Margaret Tallichet – Correspondence, box 985, file 13, memo from Kay Brown, 24 November 1937.
[20] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman, box 3335, file 14, memo from David O. Selznick, 17 June 1940.
[21] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman 1941, box 3335, file 16, memo from David O. Selznick, 21 August 1941.
[22] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman – Picture Suggestions etc., box 3336, file 2, memo from David O. Selznick, 6 February 1940.
[23] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman 1942 (2 of 2), box 3336, file 4, memo from David O. Selznick, 28 January 1941.
[24] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Vivien Leigh Miscellaneous, Part 1 of 2, box 3340, file 6, memo from David O. Selznick, 15 January 1942.
[25] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Gregory Peck 1941–1947, box 3344, file 3, memo from David O. Selznick, 11 March 1941.
[26] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Shirley Temple 1943, box 3345, file 12, memo from David O. Selznick, 19 October 1944.
[27] HOPPER, Hedda. 1941. Hedda Hopper's Hollywood. Los Angeles Times (6. 9. 1941): 9.
[28] KUNZE, Peter C. 2017. Belles are Singing: Broadway, Hollywood, and the Failed Gone with the Wind Musical. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television 38 (2017): 4: 787–807.
[29] LOOK, 1945. They Keys of the Kingdom: LOOK's Movie Review. LOOK 9 (6. 2. 1945): 3: 64–68.
[30] MALLORY, Mary. 2015. Hollywood Heights: Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre David O. Selznick's Summer Playhouse [online]. The Daily Mirror (8. 6. 2015). [accessed on 31.5.2023]. Available online at https://ladailymirror.com/2015/06/08/mary-mallory-hollywood-heightssanta-barbaras-lobero-theatre-david-o-selznicks-summer-playhouse/.
[31] MODERN SCREEN. 1941. Party of the Month. Modern Screen 23 (November 1941): 6: 30–31.
[32] MOLYNEAUX, Gerard. 1995. Gregory Peck. A Bio-Bibliography. Westport/London: Greenwood Press, 1995.
[33] O'SHEA, Kathy. 1950. Peck's 10-Year-Plan. Modern Screen 41 (October 1950): 5: 56–58, 86.
[34] POSTLEWAIT, Thomas. 1993. Sojourning in Never Never Land: The Idea of Hollywood in Recent Theatre Autobiographies. In Ron Engle and Tice L. Miller (eds.). The American Stage: Social and Economic Issues from the Colonial Period to the Present. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993: 235–249.
[35] SCOTT, Marcia. 1942. Kelly – But Not Green. Movieland 1 (April 1943): 3: 36–37.
[36] SMYTH, J. E. 2018. Nobody's Girl Friday: The Women Who Ran Hollywood. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.
[37] TIME, 1949. The Theater: Stagestruck. Time 54: 6 (8. 8. 1949): 59.
[38] VARIETY, 1941. Strawhatting At Santa Barbara To Season Players, Ferret Pic Yarns. Variety (18. 6. 1941): 2.
[39] VERTREES, Alan. 1997. Selznick's Vision: Gone with the Wind and Hollywood Filmmaking. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997.
[40] WATERS. 1942. The Morning Star. Variety (9. 9. 1942): 42.
[41] WILSON, Steve. 2014. The Making of Gone with the Wind. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2014.
[42] WIKIPEDIA CONTRIBUTORS. 2022. Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll [online]. Wikipedia. [accessed on 31.5.2023]. Available online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Ten_Money_Making_Stars_Poll.
[2] BASINGER, Jeanine. 2007. The Star Machine. New York: Vintage Books, 2007.
[3] BOURDIEU, Pierre. 1984. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1984.
[4] FISHGALL, Gary. 2002. Gregory Peck: A Biography. New York: Scribner, 2002.
[5] GREEN, Paul. 2011. Jennifer Jones: The Life and Films. Jefferson/London: McFarland, 2011.
[6] HAIN, Milan. 2021. V tradici kvality a prestiže: David O. Selznick a výroba hvězd v Hollywoodu 40. a 50. let [In the Tradition of Quality and Prestige: David O. Selznick and the Production of Stars in Hollywood in the 1940s and 1950s]. Praha: Casablanca, 2021.
[7] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia, box 292, file 2, memo from David O. Selznick, 4 June 1941.
[8] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia, box 292, file 2, memo from David O. Selznick, 16 June 1941.
[9] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Gregory Peck – Correspondence 1945, box 568, file 5, memo from Kay Brown, 3 February 1941.
[10] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Personal Appearances – Paul Small Co. – Selznick Stars 1950, box 568, file 8, telegram from David O. Selznick, 5 November 1949.
[11] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Shirley Temple – Correspondence 1944, box 584, file 5, telegram from David O. Selznick, 22 January 1948.
[12] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Talent, box 617, file 1, memo from David O. Selznick, 25 June 1948.
[13] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia – Casting, box 855, file 5, telegram from Robert Stevenson, 13 March 1941.
[14] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Claudia – Correspondence 3 1 of 3, box 855, file 12, telegram from Kay Brown, 13 February 1941.
[15] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Anita Colby – Correspondence, box 856, file 19, memo from Anita Colby, 30 August 1944.
[16] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Gene Kelly – Correspondence, box 911, file 4, memo from Kay Brown, 28 January 1941.
[17] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Talent, box 985, file 9, memo from David O. Selznick, 1 October 1943.
[18] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Margaret Tallichet – Correspondence, box 985, file 13, letter from Kay Brown, 3 March 1937.
[19] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Margaret Tallichet – Correspondence, box 985, file 13, memo from Kay Brown, 24 November 1937.
[20] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman, box 3335, file 14, memo from David O. Selznick, 17 June 1940.
[21] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman 1941, box 3335, file 16, memo from David O. Selznick, 21 August 1941.
[22] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman – Picture Suggestions etc., box 3336, file 2, memo from David O. Selznick, 6 February 1940.
[23] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Ingrid Bergman 1942 (2 of 2), box 3336, file 4, memo from David O. Selznick, 28 January 1941.
[24] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Vivien Leigh Miscellaneous, Part 1 of 2, box 3340, file 6, memo from David O. Selznick, 15 January 1942.
[25] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Gregory Peck 1941–1947, box 3344, file 3, memo from David O. Selznick, 11 March 1941.
[26] Harry Ransom Center, Austin, Texas (HRC), Selznick Collection, Shirley Temple 1943, box 3345, file 12, memo from David O. Selznick, 19 October 1944.
[27] HOPPER, Hedda. 1941. Hedda Hopper's Hollywood. Los Angeles Times (6. 9. 1941): 9.
[28] KUNZE, Peter C. 2017. Belles are Singing: Broadway, Hollywood, and the Failed Gone with the Wind Musical. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television 38 (2017): 4: 787–807.
[29] LOOK, 1945. They Keys of the Kingdom: LOOK's Movie Review. LOOK 9 (6. 2. 1945): 3: 64–68.
[30] MALLORY, Mary. 2015. Hollywood Heights: Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre David O. Selznick's Summer Playhouse [online]. The Daily Mirror (8. 6. 2015). [accessed on 31.5.2023]. Available online at https://ladailymirror.com/2015/06/08/mary-mallory-hollywood-heightssanta-barbaras-lobero-theatre-david-o-selznicks-summer-playhouse/.
[31] MODERN SCREEN. 1941. Party of the Month. Modern Screen 23 (November 1941): 6: 30–31.
[32] MOLYNEAUX, Gerard. 1995. Gregory Peck. A Bio-Bibliography. Westport/London: Greenwood Press, 1995.
[33] O'SHEA, Kathy. 1950. Peck's 10-Year-Plan. Modern Screen 41 (October 1950): 5: 56–58, 86.
[34] POSTLEWAIT, Thomas. 1993. Sojourning in Never Never Land: The Idea of Hollywood in Recent Theatre Autobiographies. In Ron Engle and Tice L. Miller (eds.). The American Stage: Social and Economic Issues from the Colonial Period to the Present. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993: 235–249.
[35] SCOTT, Marcia. 1942. Kelly – But Not Green. Movieland 1 (April 1943): 3: 36–37.
[36] SMYTH, J. E. 2018. Nobody's Girl Friday: The Women Who Ran Hollywood. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.
[37] TIME, 1949. The Theater: Stagestruck. Time 54: 6 (8. 8. 1949): 59.
[38] VARIETY, 1941. Strawhatting At Santa Barbara To Season Players, Ferret Pic Yarns. Variety (18. 6. 1941): 2.
[39] VERTREES, Alan. 1997. Selznick's Vision: Gone with the Wind and Hollywood Filmmaking. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997.
[40] WATERS. 1942. The Morning Star. Variety (9. 9. 1942): 42.
[41] WILSON, Steve. 2014. The Making of Gone with the Wind. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2014.
[42] WIKIPEDIA CONTRIBUTORS. 2022. Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll [online]. Wikipedia. [accessed on 31.5.2023]. Available online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Ten_Money_Making_Stars_Poll.