Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Matthew Taylor papers , 1930-1966
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Taylor, Sam, 1895-1958; Taylor, Matt, 1897-1966
- Title
- Matthew Taylor papers
- Dates
- 1930-1966 (inclusive)19301966
- Quantity
- 1.5 linear feet, (1 container) : 1 record storage box
- Collection Number
- Ax 367
- Summary
- Matthew "Matt" Ambrose Taylor (1897-1966) was a reporter, writer, and script writer of short fiction, plays, and detective stories, many of which were adapted for radio, TV, or movies. The collection contains published and unpublished short stories, plays, radio and television scripts, and correspondence.
- Repository
-
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections & University Archives.
See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Matthew "Matt" Ambrose Taylor (1897-1966) was born in New York City and graduated from Fordham University. He worked as a reporter in New York and as a screen writer in Hollywood. After 1931 he began writing short fiction for the magazine market and plays. Many of his stories were adapted for radio and television, and some were made into motion pictures.
He wrote a series of related detective stories for This Week featuring "Dan McGarry, a policeman and Kitty Archer is his love," a relationship that was described as very "egalitarian" for the times.
[Source: http://www.philsp.com/homeville/fmi/f92.htm#A3318]
[Source: http://gadetection.pbworks.com/w/page/26273447/The%20Famous%20McGarry%20Stories]
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The papers consist of published and unpublished short stories, plays, radio and television scripts, and correspondence.
The initial donation of 1967 contains published and unpublished writings, some of which contain revisions. The paper finding aid also lists publisher information
Series I, Subseries A: contains published stories organized in alphabetical order by title. Subseries B: contains unpublished stories also organized alphabetically by title.
Series II: consists of play manuscripts and some titles include correspondence. One play, The Stop Over was retitled and copyrighted as The Tourists, and was written by Matt Taylor and his brother Sam Taylor.
Series III: contains published stories arranged by publisher first, then by date. Stories include Mr. Mumpus that became a television show staring Fred Astaire titled, Mr. Happy. This section contains published versions of the "McGarry" detective stories.
Series IV: Miscellaneous contains a speech and a letter from Universal Pictures.
The addendum of 1969 contains published and unpublished manuscripts and correspondence.
Manuscripts include screenplays and stories for film, television and radio.
Unpublished manuscripts are alphabetically organized by title.
Published stories include tearsheets from magazines and include more "McGarry" stories.
Correspondence is separated into incoming and outgoing sections. Incoming is alphabetically organized by company title or author's last name and includes publisher, television and movie studio correspondence. Outgoing correspondence contains carbon copies of letters.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Description |
|---|
| Guide to the Matthew Taylor Papers |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- American drama--20th century
- American fiction--20th century
- Authors and publishers--Correspondence
- Authors, American--20th century
- Detective and mystery stories, American--Authorship
- Dramatists, American--20th century
- Motion pictures--United States--History--20th century
- Playwriting
- Radio authorship--United States
- Screenwriters--United States
- Short stories, American--Authorship
- Television authorship--United States
- Television writers--United States
- Television--United States--History--20th century
Personal Names
- Taylor, Matt, 1897-1966
- Taylor, Matt, 1897-1966
Form or Genre Terms
- Correspondence
- Manuscripts for publication
- Mystery fiction
- Plays
- Radio scripts
- Screenplays
- Short stories
- Television scripts
