Finding Aid for the Arthur B. Friedman Turning Point Interviews, 1957-1962

Processed by Saundra Taylor; Additions by Lorain Wang and Catherine Lee, February 2002; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library

Box 951575

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575

Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Finding Aid for the Arthur B. Friedman Turning Point Interviews, 1957-1962

Collection number: 173

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Los Angeles, CA

Contact Information

Manuscripts Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Processed by:: Saundra Taylor, October 1970
Additions by:: Lorain Wang and Catherine Lee, February 2002
Encoded by:: Caroline Cubé, April 2003
Online finding aid edited by:: Josh Fiala, April 2003

Descriptive Summary

Title: Arthur B. Friedman Turning Point Interviews,

Date (inclusive): 1957-1962

Collection number: 173

Creator: Friedman, Arthur B.

Extent: 23 boxes (11.5 linear ft.) 7 oversize boxes

Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.

Los Angeles, California 90095-1575

Abstract: Arthur B. Friedman (1919- ) taught acting and radio in the UCLA Theater Arts Department, acted in films, television, and plays, developed sports broadcasting training program at UCLA, and conducted over 100 interviews with pioneers of entertainment in the program, Turning Point, as part of the UCLA Oral History Project. Friedman was also the founding curator of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/UCLA Television Archives, which became the UCLA Film Archives. The collection consists of 53 reels of 22 taped interviews, some with typed transcripts, of theater and film representatives conducted by Friedman.

Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Collection may not be copied.

Restrictions on Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.

Additional Physical Form Available

A copy of the original version of this online finding aid is available at the UCLA Department of Special Collections for in-house consultation and may be obtained for a fee. Please contact:

Public Services Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Gift of Arthur B. Friedman, 1970.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Arthur B. Friedman Turning Point Interviews (Collection 173). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Biography

Friedman was born in 1919 in Gary, Indiana; attended University of Wisconsin; earned a BA at UCLA (1941), where he majored in Sociology and Economics and acted in 18 plays; wrote and produced documentary programs for the Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II; MA, University of Southern California; became instructor in acting and radio in the UCLA Theater Arts Dept.; Ph.D, University of Southern California, 1955; acted in films, television, and plays; developed sports broadcasting training program at UCLA; with his students, produced series of documentary films on the California prison system; conducted over 100 interviews with pioneers of entertainment in the program, Turning Point, as part of the UCLA Oral History Project; was founding curator of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences/UCLA Television Archives, which became the UCLA Film Archives; he retired in 1990.

Scope and Content

Collection consists of 53 reels of 22 taped interviews, some with typed transcripts, of theater and film representatives conducted by UCLA Theater Arts professor Arthur B. Friedman. Interviewees include: William Demarest, Kenneth Macgowan, Robert Preston, Edward G. Robinson, Buster Keaton, Stan Laurel, Victor Moore, and Mack Sennett.

Organization and Arrangement

Arranged in the following series:

Original reels of taped interviews (Boxes 1-4, and 6-19).
Typed transcripts of some interviews (Box 5).
Preservation master reels of taped interviews (Boxes 19-24).
Cassette tape copies of taped interviews (Boxes 25-30).

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Friedman, Arthur B.--Archives.

University of California, Los Angeles--Dept. of Theater Arts--Faculty--Archival resources.

Motion picture producers and directors--United States--Archival resources.

Motion picture actors and actresses--United States--Interviews.

Audiotapes.

Container List

Boxes 1-4 and 6-24

[Original Reel-to-Reel Tapes and Preservation Copies]

Note

[Unavailable for use].

Box 25

Ackerman, Harry

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Ackerman, Irving

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Anderson, Bronco Billy

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Atkinson, Brooks

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Baker, Dorothy

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Barr, Ida

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Barthelmess, Richard

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1 of 2).

Box 25

Barton, James

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1 of 2).

Box 25

Calvin, Wyn

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Capra, Frank

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (3).

Box 25

Cerf, Bennett

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Conklin, Chester

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 25

Connelly, Marc

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Boxes 25, 26

Cranston, Edward

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 26

Danvers, Billy

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 26

Demarest, William

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 26

Dowling, Eddie

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 26

Elliot, G.H.

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 26

Elton, Arthur, Sir

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 26

Freedley, George

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 26

Freedly, Vinton

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 26

Garmes, Lee

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 26

Gaxton, William

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 26

Gielgud, John

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 26

Gish, Dorothy

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 26

Gish, Lillian

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 27

Gleason, James

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 27

Hail Variety

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 27

Henlere, Hershel

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 5

Hodkinson, W.W.

Physical Description: Transcripts (2).

Box 5

Keaton, Buster

Physical Description: Transcript (1).

Box 27

Keaton, Buster

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 27

Lane, Alfred W.

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 5

Laurel, Stan

Physical Description: Transcript (1).

Box 27

Laurel, Stan

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 27

Lawrence & Lee

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 27

Lewin, Albert

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 27

Lloyd, Harold

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 27

Lord, Del

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 27

Lupino, Barry

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (3).

Box 5

Macgowan, Kenneth

Physical Description: Transcript (1).

Boxes 27, 28

Macgowan, Kenneth

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 28

Mantz, Paul

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 28

Marsh, Mae

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 28

Mayer, Arthur

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 5

McGiveney, Owen

Physical Description: Transcript (1).

Box 28

McGiveney, Owen

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 28

Metropolitan Music Hall

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 28

Miller, Max

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (3).

Box 5

Moore, Victor

Physical Description: Transcript (1).

Box 28

Moore, Victor

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 28

Parsons, Louella

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Boxes 28, 29

Pickford, Mary

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (4).

Box 29

Poultney, George

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 29

Preston, Robert

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 29

Quigley, Martin

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 29

Reicher, Frank

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 29

Ritchard, Cyril

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 29

Roach, Hal

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 29

Rodgers, Richard

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 29

Rotha, Paul

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 5

Schary, Dore

Physical Description: Transcript (1).

Box 29

Schary, Dore

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 29

Schildkraut, Joseph

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 29

Scott, Arthur

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 29

Seitz, John

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 29

Sennett, Mack

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 5

Sennett, Mack

Physical Description: Transcript (1).

Box 30

Skinner, Cornelia Otis

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 30

Smith, Albert

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (5).

Box 30

Sutton, Randolph

Physical Description: Cassette tape (1).

Box 30

Trinde, Tommy

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 30

Wood, Wee Georgie

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

Box 30

Zukor, Adolph

Physical Description: Cassette tapes (2).

[Summaries of Select Recordings]

Barthelmess, Richard

Physical Description: (2 Cassette tapes, total time: 1 hour, 17 minutes)

Box 25

Richard Barthelmess.

Scope and Content Note

Reel no.1

0.00 Introduction
1.45 The way Mr. Barthelmess began his career
8.00 His first film experience
9.30 The Clair Kimball Young Film Corporation and Louis J. Selznick, Hal Brennan, and Miss Immova, War Brides (film)
15.15 Margurite Clark, Florence Reed The Eternal Sin (film)
16.30 The names of some of the pictures he did
17.15 Hal Brennan as a director
18,30 His opinion of and experience with D.W. Griffith
20.00 Broken Blossoms (film - 1919)and Hearts of the World (film)
28.14 End of Reel no.1

Reel no.2

0.00 Broken Blossoms admission price and the way Mr. Griffith taught Mr. Barthelmess to study a part
4.50 Scarlet Days (film - July 1919)
6.00 The Love Flower and The Idle Dancer (films)
7.15 Way Down East (film)
10.15 Joseph Fergeshammer and Tol'able David (film)
11.30 Experience (film)
15.45 Inspiration Studios and Tol'able David directed by Henry King (film - 1921)
19.15 The names of studios then in New York and the reason they moved to California (1926)
21.30 The reason Mr. Barthelmess should have stayed with Inspiration Studios
25.45 The Patent Leather Kid and The Enchanted Cottage (film)
27.12 End of Reel no.2

Reel no.3

0.00 Dawn Patrol (film-1930) and what sound pictures did at Warner Brothers Studios
2.15 Weary River (film) his first talking picture
5.25 Dawn Patrol and Son of the Gods (films) and how Douglas Fairbanks Jr. became a success
7.35 Mr. Barthelamess' more recent pictures
8.15 His George Eastman House Award
18.21 End of Interview

Freedly, Vinton

Physical Description: (1 Cassette tape, total time: 28 minutes)

Box 26

Vinton Freedley.

Scope and Content Note

0.00 How he got started in show business
6.45 The role of the producer in the early 20's
10.50 Why he worked so much with musical comedy
11.20 In what ways the role of the producer has changed in the last 30 years
12.20 He discusses how a show was financed in the 20's and how it is done now
13.45 He talks about what has happened to musical comedy in the last few years and of the people he has worked with
22.45 What has happened to Browdway and the audiences
25.55 How his years in the theatre can be summed up
26.50 His plans for the future

Keaton, Buster

Physical Description: (1 Cassette tape, total time: 44 minutes)

Note

[Transcript in Box 5]

Box 27

Buster Keaton.

Note

Directed by Arthur B. Friedman, Associate Professor, Department of Theatre Arts, UCLA.

Scope and Content Note

Reel no.1

0.00 Introduction
0.40 Mr. Friedman's Introduction
1.25 When Mr. Keaton got started

a. Hoodini and Keaton

b. Mother and father act at age 4 in Vaudeville
4.15 Child Welfare Agency trouble
5.00 Keaton's schooling
6.30 Hammerstein's Theater
6.45 Brothers and sisters of Keaton
7.15 How Keaton developed his comics
8.15 How Keaton got the names stone-face and Buster
8.40 How Keaton got into the movies

a. Fattie Arbuckle
10.15 Where Keaton got his plots (material)

a. How they made up plots
12.15 How comedy styles differ in silent and talking motion pictures
13.15 What kind of studios Keaton had

a. How his movie company worked
15.00 What the differences are between today's movie comedy and movie comedy yesterday
16.45 What worked well for Keaton by accident

Reel no.2

0.00 The Navigator (film)

a. How it came to being

b. Story
8.30 The Boat (film)
10.00 Television for Keaton
11.00 Fairbanks Show
11.40 Recent movies of Keaton's
12.20 Eastman Award
13.20 The Happiest Moments of Keaton's Career
14.15 Children and grandchildren of Keaton
15.00 Keaton's words of wisdom

Laurel, Stan

Physical Description: (2 Cassette tapes, total time: 1 Hours, 14 minutes 25 seconds)

Note

[Transcript in Box 5]

Box 27

Stan Laurel.

Scope and Content Note

Reel no.1

0.00 Introduction to Turning Point
0.20 Dr. Friedman introduces Stan Laurel
1.10 The death and funeral of Oliver Hardy
2.15 Mention of the teams in comedy
2.35 Discussion of the split between Hardy and Laurel
3.25 Mr. Laurel discusses his long time association with Hardy
3.55 Mr. Laurel explains how they stayed together for so long
5.40 Mr. Laurel's reason for working with partners
6.20 Discussion of Mr. Laurel's experience in films
8.20 Why he was a gag man and a director
8.50 His experience as a director of the old stars
9.20 Babe comes into stock
9.40 Leg of lamb connection
10.15 Mr. Laurel begins to write self in movies while director
11.30 The beginning of the Laurel and Hardy team
11.45 His beginnings in a juvenile pantomime company
12.15 Works in his father's dramatic theatres as a utility man
12.55 Follow in father's footsteps in becoming a comic
13.25 Tells of his sneak appearances in vaudeville
14.00 Givers his reasons for becoming a comic
15.15 His golywogg experiences in juvenile companies
17.05 After a well-rounded theatrical education decides to become a boy comedian
17.55 Joins Fred Carno and understudies for Chaplin
18.40 Takes Chaplin's part for awhile in Jimmie the Fearless
20.10 Comes to states with the company
23.00 After awhile returns to England and forms Barto Brothers
23.15 Known as Stanley Jefferson
24.35 Suffers a bad trip with the troupe to Holland
26.05 Penniless joins brother in London
27.00 With promised raise rejoins Carno and comes back to the states
27.45 Has no parental interference
28.05 Tells of his two brothers and one sister

Reel no.2

0.00 Decides to stay in the states and teams up with the Herrly's [?]
1.45 Gets break and opens in Jersey City
2.10 Changes name of company to Keystone Trio and becomes as success using the Chaplin mannerisms
3.50 Partners' jealousy breaks up company
4.50 Forms new company and drops the Chaplin mannerisms
5.10 Talks about his material
6.00 Forms the Stan Jefferson Trio
6.20 Discusses costume with Hardy using boys' derby and later makes own
7.35 Tells of the conditions of the lower theatre circuits
8.40 Tells how he became connected with Hal Roach
9.35 Changes name to get a bigger billing
10.55 Replaces Toto in finishing out his series
11.30 Never plays on Chaplin's name to get ahead
11.45 Tells of Chaplin's sure fireness
12.25 Why he was anxious to get into pictures
13.05 Let out after finishing the Toto series
13.50 Makes no attempt to create a special character
14.25 Does bits with Larry Seaman
14.35 Returns to the red
15.00 Goes with Bronco Billy
15.15 Returns again to the road comes back for a few pictures
15.45 How he became a gag writer and a director
16.55 Laurel and Hardy by a series of accidents
17.30 Explains how he got his short hair
18.20 Anything for a laugh
18.30 Talks about Hardy's bangs
19.00 Explains their method of shooting their pictures and why
19.45 The slower we went
20.10 Mr. Laurel tells of the relationship of the two characters
20.50 The talking pictures come in
21.15 Making their pictures as long as they happened to last
21.45 Being able to make the last of the successful two reelers
22.00 Sticks to silent reel methods

Reel no.3

0.00 Their first talkie Unaccustomed As We Are in 1929
0.20 Their first full length talkie Pardon Us and how it came about
3.00 Tells of the fan letters he receives
4.30 The Command Performance of Laurel and Hardy
5.20 Doesn't know why he is still popular in foreign countries
6.30 The universal language of silent films
7.30 Where the story gags came from
8.20 Off the cuff shooting technique
9.20 Talks about his best pictures
9.40 His return to be vaudeville stage in Europe with Hardy and why
11.10 His last film in Europe and why it flopped
12.25 What Mr. Laurel is currently doing
13.00 His hobbies
13.45 His bad health
13.55 Comments on his retirement
14.10 Discussion of letters of condolence
15.40 Dr. Friedman reads a typical letter
18.20 Thanks
18.45 Cap

Moore, Victor

Physical Description: (2 Cassette tapes, total time: 1 hour, 22 minutes)

Note

[Transcript in Box 5]

Box 28

Victor Moore.

Scope and Content Note

Reel no.1

0.00 Introduction
2.38 How Mr. Moore got started
5.30 Shows that he saw as a child
6.15 His first shows: Hugget Hell and Crowford's Claim
16.00 Change Your Act or Go Back to the Woods (vaudeville act)
18.30 Early Life (vaudeville act)
21.20 With John Dru in Rosemary
25.00 Spiritualist (a play)
27.00 Julius Caesar (a play)
27.45 About his association with Mr. Erlanger
29.20 End of Reel no.1

Reel no.2

0.00 Mr. Moore's first variety act
0.50 His description of stock company work in 1899
3.45 Change Your Act or Go Back to the Woods
5.30 His marriage to Emma Littlefield and his sister's death and about his mother
9.14 Forty-five minutes From Broadway and Kit Burns
14.40 His first motion picture, Snobs also about Jesse Lasky and C.B. DeMille
16.45 The Clown and Thomas Meanne
21.45 Jimmy Fadden and Jimmy Fadden Out West (two moving pictures)
23.00 How they make Klever Kommedies (motion pictures)
24.45 Okay, Funny Face, Of Thee I Sing, Anything Goes
27.00 Gertrude Lawrence
29.00 End Of Reel no.2

Reel no.3

0.00 Alley Oop (play)
1.00 Funny Face with Fred and Adelle Astaire
1.40 Of Thee I Sing and Let `em Eat Cake
7.15 How much did he lend to his roles?
9.25 Louisiana Purchase (musical)
12.15 His Turning Point
14.00 At Hammersteins
16.00 At the Palace Theatre
18.30 Plans for the future
19.30 How he met his wife
24.00 End of Interview

Robinson, Edward G.

Physical Description: (2 Cassette tapes, total time: 2 hours, 52 minutes 18 seconds)

Box n/a

Edward G. Robinson.

Scope and Content Note

Reel no.1

0.00 Introduction to Turning Point
0.20 Introduction to Robinson
1.00 Reason for residing across from the Museum of Modern Art
2.30 Birthplace and early schooling
3.20 University education
3.58 Interest in languages, literature, drama, philosophy and his reason for
4.20 His parents aspirations for his career
5.05 Idea of being an actor and his amateur experience
5.20 Realization of the scope of acting
6.20 Reason for amateur experience
7.00 Experience in university settlement house amateur group
7.50 Realization of his limitations of size and appearance
8.25 His feeling of having something to say
9.14 The responsibility of an actor in portraying another person
9.25 The actor's job of creation and not interpretation
10.30 What the actor brings to the stage
10.50 The value of his experience in all types of education
12.00 His connection with playwriting; The Bells of Conscience and his part on Kibitzer
14.30 His association with he American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the value of knowing what you want to do early in life
15.05 His various ambitions: rabbi, lawyer, teacher, actor
18.50 The value of his experience with the Academy
20.30 Feelings on the Actor Studio and schools in general
22.35 Advice to those who aspire to be actors
24.05 His Theatre Guild experience
24.40 His planned program and purpose in becoming an actor
26.35 His amendments to his planned program and why
27.50 Advice to build slowly from small parts to starring roles
28.30 Example of his rise and sound pictures; from feature to star

Reel no.2

0.00 Danger and temptation of rushing acting careers
0.40 The result of rushing
1.00 First silent film in Cuba 1923 for Richard Barthemous
2.35 Illegitimacy of silent picture acting
3.15 Divorcement of theatre when talking pictures came in and first film Little Caesar
4.10 The attraction of Hollywood and reasons for coming to Hollywood
5.20 Motion pictures made possible art collection
6.00 His comments on his motion pictures
6.25 After 26 years his return to Broadway in Darkness at Noon in the road company
7.40 His comments on stage fright and stage preparation
10.00 Paddy Chayefsky's Middle of the Night and why he took the part in it
11.40 His comments on captive audiences
12.50 His future plans
13.40 No particular Turning Point and comment on
14.45 What he would have done differently and why
16.10 The value of motion picture action and its influence on his stage acting
17.50 Big Town radio experience and idea of radio acting
18.50 His comment on his most rewarding roles
19.20 What he gets from art and the value it has had for him
20.40 Dr. Friedman's thanks and invitation to visit campus

Sennett, Mack

Physical Description: (1 Cassette tape, total time: 30 minutes)

Note

[Transcript in Box 5]

Box 29

Mack Sennett.

Scope and Content Note

0.00 Introduction to Turning Point
0.20 Introduction of Mack Sennett
1.10 Discussion of his theory of comic motion
2.07 The difference between comic motion and pantomime
2.55 Schematic reasoning to his films
3.25 Comparison of his films to ballet
3.55 Keystone Cops origin
4.35 Use of crowd scenes
7.20 Fall of dignity theory
7.45 Pie throwing origination with Mable Norman
8.20 Keep the camera rolling theory
10.25 Bathing beauty origin (skirt to knees)
13.45 Discovery of many great talents
14.55 Those talents that slipped through
17.20 Work best from bath-tub theory
18.20 Farmer gag, Mike Foy's [?] gag
19.10 This is a handy tool
19.45 Development of dramatic talent
20.10 no man in ladies dressing room rule
22.05 Arthur Riply incident
24.15 Begin the same thing! theory
24.30 Trouble of keeping the laugh going
25.30 No big boss-studio techniques
26.30 Gateman firing incident
27.20 Mother didn't discourage his dreams
28.15 His turning point
29.50 Cap

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