Pare Lorentz papers, 1914-1994, bulk 1932-1960

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Series X: General, 1914-1994, undated

This series contains other materials, including personal correspondence, files, and records spanning Lorentz's entire career.


Subseries 1. Correspondence, 1914-1990, undated

. There is some correspondence here between Lorentz and Jogn Steinbeck, as well as material related to Lorentz's chapter on his relationship with Steinbeck for his autobiography, FDR's Moviemaker. Letters between Lorentz and Elizabeth Meyer, his second wife, appear here. The Frederic Delano folders contain correspondence between Delano – uncle to the President – and his acquaintances, not with Lorentz himself.


John Steinbeck



Box 171 Folder 1 John Steinbeck, 1938-1941


Box 171 Folder 2 Re: John Steinbeck, 1983-1990


Box 171 Folder 3 to 4 Drafts--"John Steinbeck, A Working Friendship: 1938-1942", undated, (2 Folders)


Box 171 Folder 5 FDR's Moviemaker , undated



Box 17 Folder 2 Press Materials For Steinbeck Films, 1950-1952



Box 172 Folder 1 to 13 Elizabeth Meyer, 1941-1953, undated, (13 Folders)


Frederic A. Delano, 1914-1939



Box 173 Folder 1 New York City--Board of Estimate--Committee on the City Plan Report,, 1914


Box 173 Folder 2 November 1920


Box 173 Folder 3 1921


Box 173 Folder 4 to 11 1922, (8 Folders)


Box 173 Folder 12 to 19 1923, (8 Folders)



Box 174 Folder 1 to 7 1924, (7 Folders)


Box 174 Folder 8 to 17 1925, (10 Folders)


Box 174 Folder 18 to 23 1926, (6 Folders)



Box 175 Folder 1 to 9 1927, (9 Folders)


Box 175 Folder 10 to 19 1928, (10 Folders)


Box 175 Folder 20 to 28 1929, (9 Folders)



Box 176 Folder 1 to 8 1930, (8 Folders)


Box 176 Folder 9 to 13 1931, (5 Folders)


Box 176 Folder 14 to 17 1932, (4 Folders)


Box 176 Folder 18 1933


Box 176 Folder 19 1934


Box 176 Folder 20 1935-1936


Box 176 Folder 21 1939


Subseries 2. KDKA Suit, 1942-1983

In 1977, Radio Station KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcast an interview with a man who claimed to have been an undercover FBI-agent during the New Deal. This agent, who referred to himself as "Dominic," named Lorentz as a Communist. Lorentz sued the station. During the trial it was revealed that "Dominic" was in fact Joseph Mazzei, a man with a "criminal record" and a history of perjury, whom the U.S. Supreme Court had already diagnosed with a "pathological condition." Westinghouse, KDKA's parent company sent Lorentz a check for $25,000 and a written apology, acknowledging "the distinguished list of your lifetime accomplishments which clearly demonstrates your outstanding record as an American citizen." Contains trial transcripts, court records, and correspondence.



Box 177 Folder 1 Trial Materials, 1953-1978


Box 177 Folder 2 Legal Correspondence, 1978-1979


Box 177 Folder 3 KDKA Legal, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 4 KDKA Pittsburgh, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 5 Misc. Notes Re: KDKA, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 6 to 7 Background, 1977-1979, (2 Folders)


Box 177 Folder 8 William Donovan, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 9 Credits, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 10 Notes Regarding Article, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 11 Expenses, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 12 KDKA--Money, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 13 Rose Schmidt Dixon Hasley and White, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 14 Court Dismissal Documents, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 15 Personal Letters, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 16 KDKA, 1977-1979


Box 177 Folder 17 RKO Law Suit, 1941-1948


Box 177 Folder 18 KDKA, 1977-1979



Box 178 Folder 1 Trial Documents, 1979


Box 178 Folder 2 Pare Lorentz Affidavit, 1979


Box 178 Folder 3 to 4 Pare Lorentz Deposition, 1978, (2 Folders)


Box 178 Folder 5 Kennedy Webster and Gardner, 1977-1983


Box 178 Folder 6 Radio Show Transcript, 1977-1978



Box 179 Folder 1 Transcript of Show, 1977


Box 179 Folder 2 Motion for Summary Judgment, 1978


Box 179 Folder 3 PL Affidavit, 1978


Box 179 Folder 4 FBI Report, 1977-1979


Box 179 Folder 5 Supreme Court Decision, 1956


Box 179 Folder 6 Pre-Trial Narrative, 1978


Box 179 Folder 7 Plaintiff's Rebuttal, 1979


Box 179 Folder 8 to 10 Law Suit RKO, 1942-1947, (3 Folders)


Subseries 3. Conferences--Ceremonies--Presentations, 1944-1994

This subseries contains papers and correspondence related to various public events, including "The Conference that Never Was Held." A planned international summit to discuss global issues that was cancelled after President Roosevelt died. Fifty years later it finally occurred as the Rio conference.



Box 180 Folder 1 Suffield Connecticut Writers Conference, 1972


Point Four Program and Conference, 1948-1952


Box 180 Folder 2 Correspondence, 1948-1951


Box 180 Folder 3 Conference Meeting, 1952


Box 180 Folder 4 Conference Publications, 1952


Box 180 Folder 5 Conference Notes, 1952


The Conference that Never was Held, 1944-1994


Box 180 Folder 6 Correspondence and Research, 1944-1994 (1 of 4 Folders), 1944-1994



Box 181 Folder 1 to 3 Correspondence and Research, 1944-1994 (3 of 4 Folders), 1944-1994


Box 181 Folder 4 to 5 Correspondence with Adlai Stevension, 1957, (2 Folders)


Box 181 Folder 6 Speech Notes, 1972


Box 181 Folder 7 Presentation at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 1971


Box 181 Folder 8 Dedication of Pare Lorentz Room at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 1974


Box 181 Folder 9 Department of Agriculture AWARD, 1963



Box 182 Folder 1 West Virginia Wesleyan, 1972


Box 182 Folder 2 American School England, 1960


Subseries 4. Writings about Pare Lorentz, 1965-1979

Includes several dissertations and masters theses on Lorentz, including the various works by Robert Snyder. Also located here is an oral history interview from the 1970s, and Lest We Forget a genealogical pamphlet written by Lorentz's "aunt" Bess. Some letters are from fifth graders who wrote Lorentz to tell them how much they enjoyed a classroom viewing ofThe River.


Box 182 Folder 3 A History of the Early Productions of Pare Lorentz and the U.S. Film Service 1935-1940 by Robert L. Snyder, 1965, 1935-1940, 1965


Box 182 Folder 4 Final Chapter of Snyder Dissertation, 1965


Box 182 Folder 5 to 6 Films of Merit by Robert Snyder, 1965, (2 Folders)



Box 183 Folder 1 Letters to Pare Lorentz Commenting on Snyder Dissertation, 1968


Box 183 Folder 2 The Early Productions of Pare Lorentz by Robert Snyder,, 1965


Box 183 Folder 3 An Analysis of the Visual Portion of the U.S. Documentary Film The River by William Fleming, 1966


Box 183 Folder 4 The Contextual and Stylistic Relations in the River: A Pare Lorentz Film by Ferne Liverance Galantai, 1979


Box 183 Folder 5 A Critical Study of The River by Sister Paula Reiten,, 1970



Box 184 Folder 1 Lest We Forget by Bess Lorentz Wade, 1968


Box 184 Folder 2 Conversations with Pare Lorentz, 1976



Box 17 Folder 1 West Virginia Hillbilly , 1979


Subseries 5. The Days of F. D. R., 1942-1978

. This subseries contains notes and accounting records related to a proposed project to trace Franklin Roosevelt's daily movements over the course of his presidency.



Box 184 Folder 3 FDR Day By Day, 1942-1943


Box 184 Folder 4 to 5 Cost Information Concerning The Days of Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Chronicle,, 1948-1978, (2 Folders)


Box 184 Folder 6 to 7 Accounting Information, 1947-1978, (2 Folders)



Box 185 Folder 1 Audit, 1978


Box 185 Folder 2 Roosevelt Book, 1977-1978


Subseries 6. General, 1941-1974

These records include a screenplay for the film,Citizen Kane.


Box 185 Folder 3 Screenplay for Citizen Kane, 1941


Box 185 Folder 4 Paul Strand, 1974