Screenwriters -- United States

Scope and Contents From the Collection:

The Bill Wittliff papers document the book publishing, photography, and screenwriting and filmmaking aspects of Mr. Wittliff’s various professional and personal pursuits, ranging in date from 1968-1995, and including the following formats: correspondence, typescript drafts, bibliographies, woodcut blocks, illustrations, photographs, screenplay drafts, film storyboards and other production materials. See series descriptions within the container list for more detailed information.

Series Description From the Series:

Drafts, manuscripts, and typescripts of Hauptman’s plays, teleplay, screenplays, short stories, poetry, novel, articles and criticism are located in this series. Titles under each genre are filed alphabetically. Related correspondence, reviews, clippings, publicity, and playbills are filed after the draft or script for each title.

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The papers of filmmaker and writer Severo Perez span 1972-2010 and document his career in film and television, and as a writer. The collection is arranged into six series: 1) Film; 2) Television; 3) Plays; 4) Books; 5) The National Endowment for the Humanities; and 6) Audio and Video Materials. Perez also donated an extensive amount of audiovisual material which includes film reels and prints for …and the earth did not swallow him as well as many of...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

The film was eventually produced in 2013 starring Robert Duvall.

Scope and Contents From the Series:

Produced works comprise the bulk of the collection.  It consists of screenplays, notes, publicity, and other production material for the films Bad Company, Kramer vs. Kramer, Still of the Night, Nadine, Places in the Heart, Billy Bathgate, and Nobody’s Fool.

Scope and Contents From the Series:

Produced works comprise the bulk of the collection.  It consists of screenplays, notes, publicity, and other production material for the films Bad Company, Kramer vs. Kramer, Still of the Night, Nadine, Places in the Heart, Billy Bathgate, and Nobody’s Fool.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

A western starring Gary Busey and Willie Nelson. This series contains drafts of the script, costumes, photographs by Wittliff, the script supervisor's files, the editing and sound notes, publicity, distribution, and clippings of reviews and interviews. The archive also contains the dailies on film reels and a 16mm print of the film.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: Thaddeus Rose and Eddie was the first script written by Wittliff to be produced. The working title was "Sledge and Eddie," and some of the early drafts are titled as such. Wittliff's agent brought the script to the attention of producers Rod Sheldon and Dan Paulson. The TV movie was directed by Texas director Jack Starrett and starred Bo Hopkins and Johnny Cash. The film aired on the CBS network Friday Night Movies, February 24, 1978 to generally favorable reviews. The production brought...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series: Thaddeus Rose and Eddie was the first script written by Wittliff to be produced. The working title was "Sledge and Eddie," and some of the early drafts are titled as such. Wittliff's agent brought the script to the attention of producers Rod Sheldon and Dan Paulson. The TV movie was directed by Texas director Jack Starrett and starred Bo Hopkins and Johnny Cash. The film aired on the CBS network Friday Night Movies, February 24, 1978 to generally favorable reviews. The production brought...

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

This started as a rewrite of Pistoleers--"My first couple of drafts were set in New York City--then Crocodile Dundee came out and the studio asked me to reset the story in Washington, D. C. to avoid comparison. Against my better judgment I agreed to give it a try and the whole thing (meaning the writing) went downhill after that." Bill Wittliff, February 16, 1989. Includes notes by Wittliff's assistant at the time, Connie Todd.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

This started as a rewrite of Pistoleers--"My first couple of drafts were set in New York City--then Crocodile Dundee came out and the studio asked me to reset the story in Washington, D. C. to avoid comparison. Against my better judgment I agreed to give it a try and the whole thing (meaning the writing) went downhill after that." Bill Wittliff, February 16, 1989. Includes notes by Wittliff's assistant at the time, Connie Todd.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

This started as a rewrite of Pistoleers--"My first couple of drafts were set in New York City--then Crocodile Dundee came out and the studio asked me to reset the story in Washington, D. C. to avoid comparison. Against my better judgment I agreed to give it a try and the whole thing (meaning the writing) went downhill after that." Bill Wittliff, February 16, 1989. Includes notes by Wittliff's assistant at the time, Connie Todd.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

A film loosely based on Wittliff’s mother’s life about a young, divorced mother of two sons working as a telephone operator in small-town Texas during World War II. Starring Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, and Eric Roberts. Early drafts are titled "Nita, Henry and Harry."

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

The film was eventually produced in 2013 starring Robert Duvall.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

The film was eventually produced in 2013 starring Robert Duvall.

Scope and Contents From the Series:

Produced works comprise the bulk of the collection.  It consists of screenplays, notes, publicity, and other production material for the films Bad Company, Kramer vs. Kramer, Still of the Night, Nadine, Places in the Heart, Billy Bathgate, and Nobody’s Fool.

Sub-Series Description From the Sub-Series:

A film loosely based on Wittliff’s mother’s life about a young, divorced mother of two sons working as a telephone operator in small-town Texas during World War II. Starring Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, and Eric Roberts. Early drafts are titled "Nita, Henry and Harry."

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The papers of filmmaker and writer Severo Perez span 1972-2010 and document his career in film and television, and as a writer. The collection is arranged into six series: 1) Film; 2) Television; 3) Plays; 4) Books; 5) The National Endowment for the Humanities; and 6) Audio and Video Materials. Perez also donated an extensive amount of audiovisual material which includes film reels and prints for …and the earth did not swallow him as well as many of...

Scope and Contents From the Series:

Produced works comprise the bulk of the collection.  It consists of screenplays, notes, publicity, and other production material for the films Bad Company, Kramer vs. Kramer, Still of the Night, Nadine, Places in the Heart, Billy Bathgate, and Nobody’s Fool.

Series Description From the Series:

The series for Plays is the largest of Shepard’s works and includes notes, annotated typescripts, playbills, programs, correspondence, sound recordings, rehearsal schedules, reviews, and publicity. This series is notable in that Shepard meticulously identified each annotated draft with the date and place (by city and state) of each revision, and there tend to be multiple drafts of each work represented.