Avondale playhouse
collection, 1959–1965, n.d.

Collection Information

Historical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Series Contents

Cataloging Information

Processed by

Laurie Randall
Supervised by Dorothy A. Nicholson
January 2007
Revised June 2008

Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269

www.indianahistory.org

COLLECTION INFORMATION

VOLUME OF COLLECTION:	3 boxes of Photographs and Programs, 5 OVC Photograph folders
COLLECTION DATES:	1959–1965, n.d.
PROVENANCE:	William B. Lewis, Indianapolis, Indiana
RESTRICTIONS:	None
COPYRIGHT:
REPRODUCTION RIGHTS:	Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society.
ALTERNATE FORMATS:
RELATED HOLDINGS:
ACCESSION NUMBER:	1983.0712
NOTES:

historiCAL SKETCH

The Avondale Playhouse (1954-1966), also known as “Avondale-in-the-Meadows,” was a popular summer stock theater located at The Meadows Shopping Center on E. 38^th Street in Indianapolis.

The theater-in-the-round hired out-of-town headliners, such as Margaret O’Brien, Jack Palance or Dorothy Lamour, to lead casts of local talent. The plays spanned light comedies (“Three Men on a Horse”) to modern drama (“Tobacco Road,” “The Country Girl”). Movie actresses Frances Farmer, Esther Williams and Vivian Vance were among those national names that toured in summer stock and performed here. Its rival, Starlight Musicals, also offered summer entertainment at that time.

Two founding fathers, and long time members of the Board of Directors, were Indianapolis residents Allen W. Clowes and W. Taylor Wilson. When the Board tried to expand to other cities, a failure in Louisville, in 1965, forced the company to sell its assets. A proposed Avondale “Playhouse on the Lake” (Keystone at 116^th) was never constructed.

Sources:

Bodenhamer, et al. Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, c1994. Reference Room Collection: E534.I55 E4 1994

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection, while not inclusive of the entire life of the Avondale Playhouse, contains approximately 350 publicity photographs and portraits of the cast and crew and 45 programs. Julius Marx, a sound engineer with the company, made the photographs between 1959 and 1965. The materials are organized into two series, Series 1, Photographs and Series 2: Programs. These are both organized alphabetically by the titles of the plays. With each play is listed the year when it was performed, if known, and the names of the visiting headliners. Some of the plays and programs are not dated.

series CONTENTS

Series 1: Photographs, 1959–1965, n.d.

CONTENTS	CONTAINER
“Amphitryon 38”, 1960 Hugh Marlowe, K.T. Stevens	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 1
“The Best Man”, 1962 Hugh Marlowe, K.T. Stevens	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 2
“Born Yesterday”, n.d. Jack Carson	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 3
“Calculated Risk”, 1963 John Payne	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 4
“The Country Girl”, 1963 Lee Bowman	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 5
“Days of the Dancing”, 1964 World Premier Shelly Winters, Robert Walker, Jr.	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 6
“The Desk Set”, 1962 Pat Carroll	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 7
“The Disenchanted”, 1960 Wendell Corey	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 8
“Dream Girl”, 1960 Dody Goodman	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 9
“Everybody Loves Opal”, n.d. Pat Carroll	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 10
“Father of the Bride”, 1959 Joe E. Brown	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 11
“The Gazebo”, 1960 Robert Q. Lewis	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 12
“George Washington Slept Here”, 1964 Virginia Mayo	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 13
“Good Housekeeping”, n.d. Myrna Loy	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 14
“Goodbye Charlie”, 1963 Betty Garrett	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 15
“Happiest Years”, 1964 David Nelson	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 16
“Heaven Can Wait”, 1965 Jack Palance, Virginia Baker (Mrs. Palance)	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 17
“A Hole in the Head”, 1963 George Montgomery	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 18
“Jack and the Beanstalk”: Kiddie Show, “Alice in Wonderland”: Children’s Theater, 1964	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 19
“Jenny Kissed Me”, 1965 Rudy Vallee	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 20
“Kind Sir”, 1964 Fernando Lamas, Esther Williams	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 21
“The Little Foxes” , 1963 Mercedes McCambridge	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 22
“The Loud Red Patrick”, 1959 Pat O’Brien	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 23
“Make A Million”, 1960 Jack Carson	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 24
“The Marriage-Go-Round”, n.d. Vivian Vance	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 25
“The Miracle Worker”, 1962 Jan Sterling	Photographs: Box 1, Folder 26
“Mister Roberts”, 1964 Jack Ging	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 1
“Mister Roberts”, 1964 Jack Ging [2 images]	OVC Photographs: Folders 1
“Monique”, 1961 Linda Darnell	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 2
“The Moon is Blue”, 1962 Jack Kelly	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 3
“Mrs. McThing”, n.d. Ann B. Davis	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 4
“On Borrowed Time”, 1965 Andy Devine	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 5
“Our Town”, 1961 Pat and Eloise O’Brien	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 6
“Peter Pan”, 1965 Kathryn Crosby	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 7
“Picnic”, 1964 Edd Byrnes	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 8
“Picnic”, 1964 Edd Byrnes	OVC Photographs: Folder 2
“Present Laughter”, n.d. Frances Farmer, also exterior views of theatre	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 9
“Rashomon”, 1959 Sessue Hayakawa	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 10
“Roman Candle”, n.d. Pippa Scott	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 11
“Romanoff and Juliet”, n.d Walter Slezak	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 12
“Sabrina Fair”, 1960 Marge Champion	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 13
“Sabrina Fair” , 1964 Kathryn Crosby	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 14
“Sabrina Fair” , 1964 Kathryn Crosby	OVC Photographs: Folder 3
“Send Me No Flowers”, n.d. Robert Q. Lewis	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 15
“A Shot in the Dark”, n.d. Monique Van Vooren	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 16
“Strictly Dishonorable, n.d. Cesar Romero, Dick Van Patten	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 17
“Susan Slept Here”, n.d. Nick Adams	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 18
“Sweet Bird of Youth”, 1963 Sylvia Sidney	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 19
“Take Her, She’s Mine”, 1964 William Bendix	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 20
“Tall Story”, n.d. Hans Conried	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 21
“Tarzan Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, 1965 Gardner McKay	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 22
“The Teahouse of the August Moon”, n.d. Eddie Bracken	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 23
“The Teahouse of the August Moon”, n.d. Eddie Bracken	OVC Photographs: Folder 4
“Three Men on a Horse”, 1964 George Gobel	Photographs: Box 2, Folder 24
“Time of the Cuckoo”, 1961 Margaret Truman	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 1
“Tobacco Road”, 1959 John Carradine	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 2
“Twentieth Century”, 1959 Ann Corio	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 3
“Two Dozen Red Roses”, 1965 Dorothy Lamour	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 4
“Witness for the Prosecution”, 1963 Faye Emerson	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 5
“The World of Suzie Wong”, 1965 Jack Kelly	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 6
“The World of Suzie Wong”, 1965 Jack Kelly	OVC Photographs: Folder 5
“You Can’t Take It with You”, n.d. Charles Coburn	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 7
“The Young and Beautiful”, 1960 Margaret O’Brien	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 8
Photographs of various Playhouse apprentices	Photographs: Box 3, Folder 9

Series 2: Programs, 1959–1965, n.d.

CONTENTS	CONTAINER
“Amphitryon 38”–1960 Hugh Marlowe, K.T. Stevens “Born Yesterday”–n.d. Jack Carson “Calculated Risk” 1963 John Payne “The Country Girl”, 1963 Lee Bowman, Earl Holliman, Julie Wilson “Days of the Dancing” (world premier), 1964 Shelley Winters, Robert Walker (Jr.) “The Disenchanted”, 1960 Wendell Corey “Dream Girl”, 1960 Dody Goodman “Everybody Loves Opal”, 1964 Pat Carroll “Father of the Bride”, 1959 Joe E. Brown “The Gazebo”, 1960 Robert Q. Lewis	Photographs: Programs A–G Box 3, Folder 10
“George Washington Slept Here”, 1964 Virginia Mayo, Michael O’Shea “The Happiest Years”, 1964 David Nelson, June Blair “Heaven Can Wait”, 1965 Jack Palance, Virginia Baker “A Hole in the Head”, 1963 George Montgomery “Jenny Kissed Me”, 1965 Rudy Vallee “Kind Sir”, 1964 Fernando Lamas, Esther Williams “The Little Foxes”, 1963 Mercedes McCambridge “The Loud Red Patrick”, 1959 Pat O’Brien “Make A Million”, 1960 Jack Carson “The Marriage Go Round”, n.d. Vivian Vance “The Miracle Worker”, 1962 Jan Sterling “Mister Roberts”, 1964 Jack Ging	Photographs: Programs G–M Box 3, Folder 11
“Mrs. McThing”, n.d. Ann B. Davis, George Womack “Monique”, 1961 Linda Darnell “The Moon is Blue”, 1962 Jack Kelly “On Borrowed Time”, 1965 Andy Devine (signed) “Our Town”, 1961 Mr. and Mrs. Pat O’Brien “Peter Pan”, 1965 Kathryn Crosby Picnic”, 1964 Edd Byrnes “Roman Candle”, n.d. Pippa Scott, Richard Erdman, Richard Kneeland “Romanoff and Juliet”, n.d. Walter Slezak “Sabrina Fair”, 1960 Marge Champion “Send Me No Flowers”, 1961 Robert Q. Lewis	Photographs: Programs M–S Box 3, Folder 12
“A Shot in the Dark, 1963 Monique Van Vooren “Take Her She’s Mine”, 1964 William Bendix “Tarzan Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, 1965 Gardner McKay “The Teahouse of the August Moon”, n.d. Eddie Bracken, Jeffrey Lynn, Nobu McCarthy “Three Men on a Horse”, 1965 George Gobel “The Time of the Cuckoo”, 1961 Margaret Truman “Tobacco Road”, 1959 John Carradine “Twentieth Century”, 1959 Ann Corio, Allen Jenkins “Two Dozen Red Roses”, 1965 Dorothy Lamour “Witness for the Prosecution”, 1963 Faye Emerson “The Young and the Beautiful”, 1960 Margaret O’Brien	Photographs: Programs S–Y Box 3, Folder 13

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

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4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, P0067).

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Collection #

P0067