Sandy Wilson, 1924-
Papers, 1936-1996
Preliminary Inventory

17 boxes, 1 oversize box (8.48 linear feet)

Note: This brief collection description is an accession record. The collection is not fully processed or cataloged; no biographical sketch, descriptions of series, or indexes are available.
Acquisition: Gift, 1999
Access: Open for research
Processed by: Liz Murray, 1999
RLIN Record ID: None

Table of Contents

Scope and Contents
Folder List

Scope and Contents

The papers of British author, composer, and lyricist Sandy Wilson include his produced and unproduced plays, mostly musicals but also plays for stage and TV, as well as drafts of his published and unpublished works including an autobiography, illustrated book, novels, articles, and short stories, along with correspondence spanning a 60 year period from the 1930s to 1990s. His musicals, produced worldwide, especially his long-running play The Boy Friend(1952-1994), are well-represented. Material related to productions of his plays includes scripts, scores, lyrics, programs, reviews, production photographs, correspondence, and scrapbooks. Wilson organized his papers prior to donating the collection to the Ransom Center. His descriptions are used throughout the following inventory. Wilson wrote drafts of his works in lined notebooks, often followed later by typescripts. To avoid repetition of the entry "holograph notebook" in the folder list, assume that his writings appear in these notebooks, unless otherwise noted.

The collection is arranged in three Series: Series I. Works, 1936-1994, Series II. Career-Related Material, and Series III. Correspondence, 1953-1996.

Series I is subdivided into Subseries A. Major Works, 1943-1994 and Subseries B. Notebooks and Drafts, 1936-1981. The produced and unproduced, published and unpublished works in Subseries A are arranged alphabetically by title, regardless of literary form. Within titles, the order follows the creative process from notes and drafts to the completed work. For example, for the musical Clapham Wonder,the script sequence begins with a holograph manuscript, proceeds through two typescript versions, and ends with the rehearsal script. If production materials are present, the sequence may include lyrics, scripts, correspondence, photographs, programs, and reviews. Some of Wilson's plays are based on the works of other writers such as Cecil Beaton (My Royal Past), Barbara Comyns (Clapham Wonder), Ronald Firbank (Caprice), Christopher Isherwood (Goodbye to Berlin), John Collier (His Monkey Wife), Compton Mackenzie (Siren Song), and R. B. Sheridan (The Rivals), as well as his own original material.

The largely unpublished writings in Subseries B, arranged chronologically from 1936-1981, are also predominantly in the form of holograph notebooks, often with multiple works contained in a single notebook. Included are plays, novel fragments, short stories, lyrics, sketches, talks, scripts, notes for musicals, memoirs, articles, and reviews, some of which represent drafts of works present in Subseries A.

The career-related material in Series II includes articles by and about Wilson, newspaper clippings, photographs, programs, scrapbooks, sheet music, sketches, and songs, for the most part not directly related to materials in Series I.

Personal and professional correspondence from 1953-1996 forms the bulk of Series III. Also included are fan mail and correspondence related to Wilson's long-time friend and agent, Joan Rees.

Folder List

Box	Folder	Description

Series I. Works, 1936-1994

Subseries A. Major Works, 1943-1994

		ALADDIN AND THE MAGIC LAMP, musical, Lyric Theatre,
				Hammersmith, Christmas 1979
1	1		Notes on libretto and lyrics
	2		Holograph script
	3		Rehearsal script
	4		Program
		THE BOY FRIEND, musical, 1952-1994
	5		Lyrics, 1952. Notebook includes lyrics for
					Watergate Revues "See You Later" and
					"SeeYou Again," 1951-52, and
					miscellaneous notes
	6		Script and lyrics for lst version, 1952; (extra)
					script and lyrics for 2nd version, 1953
	7		Score, 1953-54
	8-9		Photographs, Broadway production, 1954
2	1		Rehearsal script, 1967, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre,
					Guilford and Comedy Theatres, London
			Correspondence
	2			1954-1990
	3			1994, with production-related materials
			Programs
	4			British (amateur)
	5-6			British (professional)
	7			Commonwealth and foreign productions
3	1-2			USA (Broadway and elsewhere)
		THE BUCCANEER, musical, Lyric Theatre,
				Hammersmith, 1955 and Apollo Theatre,
				1976 [see also new lyrics and dialogue for
				second production contained in holograph
				notebook with OH, HENRY!]
	3		Rehearsal script, 2nd version
	4		Programs, various productions
		CAPRICE, musical based on novel by Ronald
				Firbank, unproduced, 1971-73
	5-6		Holograph script
	7		Carbon typescript
	8		Duplicated typescript
		CLAPHAM WONDER, musical based on novel "The
				Vet's Daughter" by Barbara Comyns;
				Marlow Theatre, Canterbury, 1978
	9		Notes on libretto and research for "Harrods" number
	10		Holograph script
4	1		Carbon typescript
	2		Duplicated typescript
	3		Rehearsal script
	4		Program
		DIVORCE ME, DARLING!, musical sequel to "The Boy Friend"
	5		Original score, ms.
	6		Script with notes, 1964
	7		Revised script, title page marked "Joan Heal," West End version,
					Globe Theatre, 1965
	8		Revised version, 1976?, carbon typescript, Tower
					Theatre, Islington
5	1		Correspondence
	2		Programs, reviews, production photographs
		GESTURE, TV play, unproduced, 1985?
	3		Holograph script
	4		Carbon typescript
		GOODBYE TO BERLIN, musical based on two stories "The Berlin Stories"
				and "Mr. Norris Changes Trains" by Christopher
				Isherwood, unproduced, 1963
	5-6		Holograph script
	7		Carbon typescript
	8		Correspondence, 1963-67
		HIS MONKEY WIFE, musical based on novel by John Collier, 1971
6	1		Lyrics and notes
	2-3		Script and notes
	4		Script with lyrics and re-writes
	5		Carbon typescript, first version
	6		Final version, Hampstead Theatre Club
	7		Correspondence, programs, and reviews
		I COULD BE HAPPY, autobiography, 1975
	8		Notes; also notes for play "The Illusionists"
	9		Discard chapter, "What Next?," typescript
	10		Correspondence and contract
		THE ILLUSIONISTS, unproduced play, 1975 [see also
				notes in notebook with I COULD HAPPY]
7	1-2		Holograph script
	3		Carbon typescript, 1974?
		IN THE MINK, unproduced play, 1959-61
	4		Notes and research, 1960-61
	5-7		Holograph script, 1959-60
	8		Carbon typescript, 1960
	9	LISTEN TO THE BIRDS, revue lyrics and sketches, 1946-48 for
				Oxford Experimental Theatre Club and
				Old Vic Theatre School; musical play
				based on "The Birds" by Aristophanes
		LYDIA LANGUISH, [THE RIVALS], operetta based on
				Richard Brinsley Sheridan's comedy "The Rivals"
8	1		Carbon typescript, "A Musical Play," 1948-49
	2		Programs, 1982 Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds
		MY ROYAL PAST, musical based on the book by Cecil Beaton,
				unproduced, 1955
	3		Act I
	4		Act II
	5		Duplicated typescript
	6	NOT IN THE BROCHURE, script, 1980s, TV play based
				on short story "Luxury Tour" by SW in
				"The Poodle From Rome"
	7	NOW IT CAN BE TOLD, carbon typescript, unproduced, 1940
		OH, HENRY!, musical based on the film "Private Life of Henry VIII,"
				unproduced, 1955
	8-9		Holograph script
	10		Final scenes and lyrics; with "The Buccaneer," new lyrics
					and dialogue for second production
	11		lst script, typescript, top copy, 1955
	12		Duplicated typescript
		OXFORD'S NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE, unfinished, unpublished novel
			1st version, 1948?
9	1-2			Holograph ms.
	3			Typescript
			2nd version, 1963
	4			Holograph notes
	5-6			Holograph ms.
	7			Typescript, top copy
10	1	PURE FILTH, unpublished ms., 1960
		THE RIVALS see LYDIA LANGUISH
	2	SANDY WILSON THANKS THE LADIES, correspondence,
				programs, and reviews
	3	SIREN SONG, musical based on the novel
				"Extraordinary Women" by Compton
				Mackenzie, holograph script, unproduced
		THIS IS SYLVIA, illustrated book, 1955
	4		Typescript and illustrations
	5		Reviews and publicity
		VALMOUTH, musical based on the novel by Ronald Firbank
	6		Score, holograph ms.
	7		Lyrics, 1958
			Scripts
	8-9			Holograph ms., 1958
11	1			Holograph ms.; record reviews and article
						on Christmas
	2			Final scenes; with article "The British Musical"
					and Cambridge Union Debate, "There's
					No Business Like Show Business," 1957
	3			Last scene of Act II, 2nd version; with record
					reviews, 1955-57; Revue lyrics ("Pieces
					of Eight") 1959; talk on musicals
	4			Original version, typescript, top copy, 1958
	5			First version, act one, typescript, top copy, 1958
	6			Final version, duplicated typescript, 1958
	7		TV version (Granada), holograph ms., unproduced
	8		Correspondence, 1957-76
	9		Chichester, 1982, correspondence, programs and reviews
	10		Programs
	11		Talks
		A WAVE IN THE SEA, play based on the life of
				Isadora Duncan, unproduced, 1944
12	1		Holograph script
	2		Carbon typescript
		THE WAY WE ARE, play, unproduced, 1958
	3-4		Holograph script
	5		Typescript, top copy
	6	THE WEB, playscript, unproduced, 1943

Subseries B. Notebooks and Drafts, 1936-1981

	7	1936, "Enter Aunt Edith," scenes from a lost play;
				1940, "Aren't people strange?," unfinished novel
	8	1945, Untitled, unproduced play
13	1	1949-50, Unfinished short stories: "Nobody blames anybody" (1949)
				and untitled (1950?)
	2	1950, Two untitled, unproduced plays
	3	1950-53, Notes for unfinished novel; lyrics for revue and cabaret; 1953,
				lyrics for "The Buccaneer" [see related material above]
	4	1951-52, Revue sketches and lyrics
	5	1955, Talk, Oxford (O.U.E.T.C.), typescript
	6	1957?, Talk, Cambridge Union, typescript
	7	1958, Script for TV excerpts from "Oh, Henry!"
	8-10	1962, Short stories from "The Poodle from Rome"
	11	1965, Notes and scene from untitled play; 1967,
				notes for musical based on "The Last of
				Mrs. Cheyney," and notes for musical
				"Amy" based on life of Amy Johnson, both
 				unproduced
	12	1965, Notes on Paris production "Le Boy Friend";
				subtitles for Louis Malle's "Viva Maria" and
				lyrics; talk for World Radio; sundry notes
	13	1966-67, Lyrics and notes for "Amy"
14	1	1969-70, Talks
	2	1970, Untitled memoir of schooldays, prep-school
				and Harrow, unpublished
	3	1973, Theater reviews (PLAYS AND PLAYERS); notes
				for "Between the Wars," unpublished
	4	1975, Notes for "Ivor" (novello); 1976, notes for
				"The Roaring 20s"; theater reviews, 1970s
				and 1980s (PLAYS AND PLAYERS and PLAYS
				INTERNATIONAL)
	5	1981, Talk, Streatham; typescript
	6	n.d., Articles and talks, typescripts
	7	n.d., Scripts, various titles, holograph ms. and typescripts, unfinished
				or unproduced
		

Series II. Career-Related Material

	8	Articles by and about SW
	9	Clippings, 1970s-1990s
15	1	Photographs, production and informal, 1947-1984
	2	Programs, various performances, including "As Dorothy Parker
				Once Said..." and revues
		Scrapbooks
	*		1940-1953 [*removed to oversize, Box 18]
	*		1953-1957 [*unfoldered bound volume]
16	*		1958-1977 [*unfoldered bound volume]
	1	Sheet music, holograph, 1940s-1960s, including "See
				You Later" and "See You Again"
	2-3	Songs and sketches, holograph and typescript ms.

Series III. Correspondence, 1953-1996

17	1	A - K
	2	L - P
	3	P - Z
	4	Fan mail
	5	re: "Ivor" [SW's biography of Ivor Novello] and re:
				caricaturist Einar Nerman
	6	Rees, Joan
18		Oversize

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