Scope and Contents
The collection consists of typescript drafts of books, plays, screenplays, radio plays, teleplays, and notes, transcripts of interviews, and other research materials relating to Wilk's various writing projects; correspondence with friends, professional colleagues, and research subjects; scrapbooks; audiovisual material; printed material including magazines, books, and stage production programs of shows he wrote or attended; posters; music scores; and other materials documenting Wilk's literary and show business career.
Dates
- 1735 - 2011
- Majority of material found within 1944 - 2005
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 47-49, 90, 107-117, 135, 139, 148, 149, 163-166 (audiovisual materials and film reels): Use of originals is restricted. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 92, 118, 167 (record album storage): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 91, 136, 169 (electronic files): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies of electronic files may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 47-49, 90, 107-117, 135, 139, 148, 149, 163-166 (audiovisual materials and film reels): Use of originals is restricted. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 92, 118, 167 (record album storage): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 91, 136, 169 (electronic files): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies of electronic files may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Max Wilk Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired primarily through purchase and gift from Max Wilk, 1944-2011. For more information, consult the appropriate curator.
Arrangement
Organized into forty-one groupings: I. Early Acquisitions. II. November 1984 Acquisition. III. February 1986 Acquisition. IV. April 1988 Acquisition. V. December 1988 Acquisition. VI. February 1989 Acquisition. VII. October 1989 Acquisition. VIII. November 1990 Acquisition. IX. January 1991 Acquisition. X. September 1991 Acquisition. XI. November 1992 Acquisition. XII. December 1992 Acquisition. XIII. April 1993 Acquisition. XIV. December 1993 Acquisition. XV. October 1995 Acquisition. XVI. January 1996 Acquisition. XVII. October 1996 Acquisition. XVIII. November 1997 Acquisition. XIX. May 1998 Acquisition. XX. November 1998 Acquisition. XXI. January 1999 Acquisition. XXII. October 1999 Acquisition. XXIII. December 1999 Acquisition. XXIV. May 2000 Acquisition. XXV. May 2001 Acquisition. XXVI. October 2001 Acquisition. XXVII. November 2001 Acquisition. XXVIII. April 2002 Acquisition. XXIX. October 2002 Acquisition. XXX. November 2002 Acquisition. XXXI. November 2002 Acquisition. XXXII. January 2003 Acquisition. XXXIII. February 2003 Acquisition. XXXIV. May 2003 Acquisition. XXXV. May 2004 Acquisition. XXXVI. 2008 Acquisitions. XXXVII. February 2009 Acquisition. XXXVIII. August 2011 Acquisition. XXXIX. October 2016 Acquisition. XXXX. September 2017 Acquisition. XXXXI. May 2022 Addition.
Material within this collection has been organized by acquisition reflecting the fact that the collection has been acquired in increments over time. Researchers should note that material within each acquisition overlaps with and/or relates to material found in other acquisitions. In order to locate all relevant material within this collection, researchers will need to consult each acquisition described in the Collection Contents section.
Material within this collection has been organized by acquisition reflecting the fact that the collection has been acquired in increments over time. Researchers should note that material within each acquisition overlaps with and/or relates to material found in other acquisitions. In order to locate all relevant material within this collection, researchers will need to consult each acquisition described in the Collection Contents section.
Extent
114.53 Linear Feet ((168 boxes) + 2 record album storage.)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The collection consists of typescript drafts of books, plays, screenplays, radio plays, teleplays, and notes, transcripts of interviews, and other research materials relating to Wilk's various writing projects; correspondence with friends, professional colleagues, and research subjects; scrapbooks; audiovisual material; printed material including magazines, books, and stage production programs of shows he wrote or attended; posters; music scores; and other materials documenting Wilk's literary and show business career.
Max Wilk (1920-2011)
Max Wilk graduated from Yale University in 1941, where he studied drama and was active in the Yale Dramatic Association. He was the author of numerous articles, books, stage, radio, and television plays, and filmscripts. His works for the stage include the comedy Cloud 7 (1958) and the book for A Musical Jubilee (1975), both of which had Broadway runs. He adapted his short story, "It Happened to Jane" for the film starring Doris Day and Jack Lemmon in 1959, and his novel Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River for the film with Jerry Lewis in 1968. Wilk is also the author of Every Day's a Matinee: Memoirs Scribbled on a Dressing Room Door (1975), The Golden Age of Television: Notes from the Survivors (1976), OK! The Story of Oklahoma! (2002), Schmucks with Underwoods: Conversations with Hollywood's Classic Screenwriters (2004), and They're Playing Our Song: Conversations With America's Classic Songwriters. He died in Westport, Connecticut in 2011.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization, at or around the time of acquisition. Various acquisitions associated with the collection have not been merged and organized as a whole. Each acquisition is described separately in the contents list below, titled according to month and year of acquisition. Descriptive information is drawn in large part from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
The finding aid for this collection is compiled from individual preliminary lists for each acquisition that were created at or around the time of receipt by the library. The preliminary lists were migrated to comply with current archival descriptive standards and merged into a single file in 2007-2008. As part of the migration, modifications were made to the formatting of individual lists; however, the content of the lists was neither modified nor verified. Additional rehousing and organization was performed in 2014.
Former call numbers: ZA Wilk, Uncat ZA MS Wilk, Uncat ZA MS 373, Uncat MS 32, Uncat ZA MS 34, Uncat ZA MS 65, Uncat ZA MS 84, Uncat ZA MS 89, Uncat ZA MS 117, Uncat ZA MS 156, Uncat ZA MS 170, Uncat ZA MS 201, Uncat ZA MS 267, Uncat ZA MS 270, Uncat ZA File 298, Uncat ZA MS 310, Uncat ZA MS 458, Uncat ZA MS 472, Uncat ZA MS 499, Uncat ZA File 379, Uncat ZA File 390, Uncat ZA MS 588, Uncat ZA MS 592, Uncat ZA MS 636, Uncat ZA MS 646, Uncat MSS 29, Uncat ZA File 414, Uncat MSS 176, Uncat MSS 205, Uncat MSS 265, Uncat MSS 385, Uncat MSS 414, Uncat MSS 415, Uncat MSS 436, Uncat MSS 436, Uncat MSS 472,Uncat MSS 488, Uncat MSS 671, Uncat ZA MS 156, Uncat ZA File 718, Uncat ZA File 719, Uncat MSS 1172, Uncat MSS 1272
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization, at or around the time of acquisition. Various acquisitions associated with the collection have not been merged and organized as a whole. Each acquisition is described separately in the contents list below, titled according to month and year of acquisition. Descriptive information is drawn in large part from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
The finding aid for this collection is compiled from individual preliminary lists for each acquisition that were created at or around the time of receipt by the library. The preliminary lists were migrated to comply with current archival descriptive standards and merged into a single file in 2007-2008. As part of the migration, modifications were made to the formatting of individual lists; however, the content of the lists was neither modified nor verified. Additional rehousing and organization was performed in 2014.
Former call numbers: ZA Wilk, Uncat ZA MS Wilk, Uncat ZA MS 373, Uncat MS 32, Uncat ZA MS 34, Uncat ZA MS 65, Uncat ZA MS 84, Uncat ZA MS 89, Uncat ZA MS 117, Uncat ZA MS 156, Uncat ZA MS 170, Uncat ZA MS 201, Uncat ZA MS 267, Uncat ZA MS 270, Uncat ZA File 298, Uncat ZA MS 310, Uncat ZA MS 458, Uncat ZA MS 472, Uncat ZA MS 499, Uncat ZA File 379, Uncat ZA File 390, Uncat ZA MS 588, Uncat ZA MS 592, Uncat ZA MS 636, Uncat ZA MS 646, Uncat MSS 29, Uncat ZA File 414, Uncat MSS 176, Uncat MSS 205, Uncat MSS 265, Uncat MSS 385, Uncat MSS 414, Uncat MSS 415, Uncat MSS 436, Uncat MSS 436, Uncat MSS 472,Uncat MSS 488, Uncat MSS 671, Uncat ZA MS 156, Uncat ZA File 718, Uncat ZA File 719, Uncat MSS 1172, Uncat MSS 1272
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- American drama -- 20th Century
- American literature -- 20th century
- Audiovisual materials
- Authors -- United States -- 20th Century
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Born digital -- United States -- 20th Century
- Dramatists -- United States -- 20th Century
- Dramatists, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Screenwriters -- United States
- Screenwriters -- United States -- 20th Century
- Scripts -- United States -- 20th Century
- Sound recordings -- United States -- 20th Century
- Television writers -- United States
- Television writers -- United States -- 20th Century
- Wilk, Max, 1920-
Creator
- Title
- Guide to the Max Wilk Papers
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Beinecke staff
- Date
- 2007-05-15
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.