Paulene Elenora Myers collection

Collection

Identifier: MS-0790

Staff Only

Content Description

Rewritten from dealer description:

This collection includes materials relating to the actress Paulene Myers. It is comprised of approximately two hundred letters, notes, telegrams, newspaper clippings and various other ephemera, dating from the 1950s to the 1990s. The material largely charts Myers’ later career, in particular her travelling one woman show, The World of My America. Items from the 1950s and 1960s include copies of the 1954 issue of the New Review with an interview with Myers entitled “Good Actresses Always Work,” letters from the State of California, Department of Employment and State of New York, Department of Taxation and Finance, and some minor correspondence. The major part of the collection, however, dates from the early 1970s until the mid 1980s and consists of items relating to Myers’ two shows, The World of My America and Mama. The collection also includes items from Myers’ appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1979 and 1981. Letters dealing with booking venues (the Adam House Theatre), advertisements from The Scotsman, and Scottish Theatre News, and various other ephemera provide insight into the reception of The World of My America abroad. Other noteworthy items in the collection include letters sent to Myers as a member of the Academy from Samuel Goldwyn and Warner Brothers, certificates she received, including one of "Recognition from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee," programs and schedules from various seminars where she spoke, and "a warm welcome from the People of Portland in Oregon."

Dates

Creation: approximately 1950s-1990s

Creator

Myers, Pauline, 1913-1996 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Contact Special Collections for more information. Collection is open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

Rewritten from dealer description:

Born in 1913 in Ocilla, Georgia, Paulene Elenora Myers was a member of the Actors Guild of New York City, and performed for 68 years before her retirement in 1994. Educated in East Orange, New Jersey, she studied acting at the New York Theater School and the Actors Studio West in Beverly Hills, California, and made her Broadway debut in Growin’ Pains in 1933. She had been featured in Broadway and national companies of such major productions as A Member of the Wedding, Anna Lucasta, and The Blacks. Her love affair with the theatre and dedication to her own heritage gave birth to two award-winning productions, Mama and The World of My America, which were presented together as Paulene Myers’ Black America. This production earned the Scotsman Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Festival. In addition, Mama received two Emmy nominations and an Iris Award and The World of My America earned the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award. Among the variety of roles she played, some of her favorites were Mrs. Ward on Days of Our Lives, in which she appeared for three years; Judge Pittman, the star of a TV special, I’ll See You in Court; Judge Morrisey from General Hospital; Judge Ramsey in Archie’s Civil Rights and Grandma Jane with Tony Orlando and Dawn. Myers also appeared as Grandpa’s Sugarlump in The Good Times; and did roles with Sanford and Son, The Cosby Show, The Jeffersons, and Gunsmoke. She was nominated for an Image Award for Best Actress for the feature film, Lady Sings the Blues, in which she played Mrs. Edson. Myers was a member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Association, Actors Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild. She died in 1996.

Extent

.38 Cubic Feet (1 legal size box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection contains materials relating to Paulene Myers, an American actress who was born in 1913 and died in 1996. The collection dates from approximately the 1950s to the 1990s, and includes ephemera, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and notes documenting her career.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Pickering and Chatto in July 2016.

Processing Information

Processed by Kristen Diehl in October 2017. Certain authoritative sources spell the Myers' first name as "Pauline." However the one she used most commonly for the stage was spelled as "Paulene" and is used throughout this finding aid.