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Caroline Francke Scripts collection

 Collection 0042-MMC-LAB

Caroline Francke (1899-1960) studied playwriting at Columbia University before finding success on Broadway and in Hollywood. Her first play was successfully produced in 1928, and an unproduced play of hers became the basis for the Jean Harlow movie Bombshell in 1933). During the 1940s, she worked as a scriptwriter for the popular "Henry Aldrich" radio series. This collection includes scripts for The Aldrich Family radio program written by Caroline Francke in 1945 and supporting documents for writing the scripts, including one sample script from 1941. Nearly all of the scripts exist in several drafts, though very few final drafts are part of the collection.

Dates

  • Creation: 1941-1945 and undated
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1945

Use and Access to Collection

This collection is open to the public and must be used in the Special Collections reading room. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

Duplication and Copyright Information

Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.

Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.

Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.

Extent

1.00 Linear Feet (2 letter-size Hollinger boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Content of Collection

This collection includes scripts for The Aldrich Family radio program written by Caroline Francke in 1945 and supporting documents for writing the scripts, including one sample script from 1941. Nearly all of the scripts exist in several drafts, though very few of the final drafts are part of the collection. This collection demonstrates the revision process that writers for network radio went through - a process relevant to scenario writing in general.

Biography

Caroline Francke was born in the New York City borough of Queens on July 19, 1899. She and her sister Katherine were raised by their mother Caroline. Francke attended the Connecticut College for Women and Columbia University where she studied playwriting. Highlights from her career include the Broadway produced "Exceeding Small" (1928) and the unproduced play on which Bombshell (1938) starring Jean Harlow is based. Caroline Francke wrote for The Aldrich Family radio program in the 1940s. Her final play, "The 49th Cousin" debuted on Broadway three months after her death. Caroline Francke and her husband, Kenneth Downer, had one adopted daughter. Francke died from a cerebral hemorrhage May 22, 1960.

Arrangement

Organized as two series.

  1. Series 1: Supporting Documents
  2. Series 2: Scripts
Title
Guide to the Caroline Francke Scripts collection
Status
Minimally Processed
Author
Processed by Laura French.
Date
2011-01-01
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Revision Statements

  • 2011-12-22: EAD markup checked and verified using Oxygen software by Jennie Levine Knies.
  • 2012-09-27: EAD markup checked and verified using Oxygen software by Joanne Archer.
  • 2017-11-05: Finding aid reviewed and edited by Rebecca Thayer.
  • 2019-02-11: Inventory added, broken links removed, related accessions updated, and use and access notes updated by Jen Wachtel.
  • 2021-08-06: Jim Baxter re-wrote the collection abstract.

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212