Collection Summary
Goodman Ace Papers
1931-1972
1931-1967
1931-1972
1931-1967
MSS10132
Ace, Goodman, 1899-1982
110 items
58 containers
23.2 linear feet
1 microfilm reel
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Author and radio personality. Bound
volumes containing approximately two thousand scripts and correspondence relating to
radio and television programs for which Goodman Ace was a writer. Most of the radio
scripts are for “Easy Aces,” a program which Ace wrote, produced, directed, and
performed in, and which also featured his wife, Jane Ace.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Ace, Goodman.
Ace, Jane, 1900-1974.
Subjects
Radio scripts.
Television scripts.
Television specials.
Titles
Danny Kaye show (Radio program)
Easy Aces (Radio program)
Milton Berle show (Television program)
Perry Como Show (Television program)
Occupations
Authors.
Radio personalities.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Goodman Ace, author and radio personality, were deposited in the Library
of Congress by Ace in 1973. A small addition was given by Arthur J. Lieb in 1989.
Processing History
The Goodman Ace Papers were processed in 2001 by Laura J. Kells.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Goodman Ace is governed by the
Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Goodman Ace are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the
Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and
advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on one reel. Consult reference
staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary
loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the
microfilm edition.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container or reel number, Goodman Ace Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1899, Jan. 15
Born Goodman Aiskowitz, Kansas City, Mo.
1919
Drama and film critic,
Kansas City Post
, Kansas City, Mo.
1928
Broadcast his newspaper column on radio station KMBC, Kansas City,
Mo.
Married Jane Sherwood (died 1974)
1928
1945
Wrote, produced, directed, and acted with wife, Jane Ace, in “Easy Aces,”
radio program
1945
1946
Head writer, “The Danny Kaye Show,” radio program
1946
Supervisor of comedy, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
1947
Established School of Comedy Writers, Columbia Broadcasting System
(CBS)
1948
1949
Wrote, produced, directed, and acted with wife, Jane Ace, in “Mr. Ace and
Jane,” radio program
1949
1950
Wrote and acted with wife, Jane Ace, in television version of “Easy
Aces”
1950
1952
Writer, “The Big Show,” radio program hosted by Tallulah Bankhead
1952
1955
Head writer, “The Milton Berle Show,” television program
1955
1959
Head writer, “The Perry Como Show,” television program
1955
Published
The Book of Little Knowledge: More Than You Want to Know about
Television
(N.Y.: Simon & Schuster. 183 pp.)
1957
Wrote screenplay for
I Married a Woman
1960
1967
Writer, “Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall” television specials
1963
1964
Writer, “The Sid Caesar Show,” television program
1966
Published
The Fine Art of Hypochondria; or, How Are You?
(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. 188 pp.)
1960s
1970s
Wrote “Top Of My Head,” column in
Saturday Review
1970
Published
Ladies and Gentlemen, Easy Aces
(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. 210 pp.)
1971
Published
The Better of Goodman Ace
(Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. 230 pp.)
ca. 1972
Began periodic appearances on “All Things Considered,” radio program
1982, Mar. 25
Died, New York, N.Y.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Goodman Ace (1899-1982) span the years 1931-1972, with the bulk of the
material dating from 1931 to 1967. They consist primarily of bound volumes containing
approximately two thousand scripts for radio and television programs. Goodman Ace was a
comic writer who wrote for radio in the 1930s and 1940s and for television in the 1950s
and 1960s. Ace and his wife Jane starred in a long-running network radio program, “Easy
Aces,” which Goodman Ace wrote, produced, and directed. He later wrote for radio and
television programs featuring such performers as Tallulah Bankhead, Milton Berle, Perry
Como, and Danny Kaye. At one point, Ace was the highest paid writer in television. The
Goodman Ace Papers contain scripts for most of the programs for which he wrote. Some
scripts contain hand-written annotations. The papers are organized in three series: [Radio Scripts](rads1), [Television Scripts](tels30),
and [Miscellany](mis58).
The [Radio Scripts](rads1) series consists primarily of those for “Easy
Aces.” The program, a situation comedy featuring Goodman and Jane Ace as a married
couple, was noted for its verbal humor, including malapropisms spoken by Jane. The
earliest scripts, from 1931 until early 1933, are for network shows produced in Chicago.
Later shows were produced in New York. Episode dates are missing from most scripts from
October 1931 through January 1936. This series also contains a volume of scripts from
“The Danny Kaye Show.”
The [Television Scripts](tels30) series focuses on Ace's work as head
writer for television programs featuring Milton Berle and Perry Como. “The Milton Berle
Show” was one of the most popular television programs in the early years of television.
Scripts for this series, a mixture of comedy and variety featuring the man known as “Mr.
Television,” cover the years 1952 to 1955 and are compiled in bound volumes. During this
period the program changed sponsorship. It was first called “Texaco Star Theater” and
later changed to the “Buick-Berle Show.” In late 1955, Goodman Ace became head writer
for “The Perry Como Show,” a weekly musical variety series. In the 1960s, the program
was renamed “Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall” and changed from a weekly series to
television specials. Scripts from 1961 to 1963 are compiled in bound volumes. Scripts
from 1964 to 1967 are unbound.
The [Miscellany](mis58) includes three letters from Ace regarding a
lecture he was to give in 1972.
Organization of the Papers
The collection is arranged in three series:
-
[Radio Scripts, 1931-1946](rads1)
-
[Television Scripts,
1952-1967](tels30)
-
[Miscellany, 1965-1972](mis58)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm82010132]
Container List
Box
Contents
1-29
Radio Scripts, 1931-1946
1931-1946
Bound volumes.
Arranged alphabetically by title of program and therein chronologically.
The first volume of “Easy Aces” scripts is available on microfilm. Shelf no.
20,020
1
“The Danny Kaye Show,” 1945, Sept.
28-1946, Mar. 8
1945, Sept. 28-1946, Mar. 8
2
“Easy Aces”
1931-1932
1931-1932
Nos. 1-40 Available on microfilm. Shelf
no. 20,020
3
Nos. 41-75
4
Nos. 76-116
5
1932-1933
1932-1933
Nos. 1-104
(2 vols.)
6
1933-1934
1933-1934
Nos. 1-72
7
Nos. 73-144
8
1934-1935
1934-1935
Nos. 145-194
9
Nos. 1-51
10
1935, nos. 52-102
1935
11
1936, Jan., nos.
103-155
1936, Jan.
12
1936, Feb. 4-Apr. 30, nos.
156-194
1936, Feb. 4-Apr. 30
13
1936, May 5-Oct. 29, nos.
195-272
1936, May 5-Oct. 29
(2 vols.)
14
1936, Nov. 1-1937, Apr. 29, nos.
273-350
1936, Nov. 1-1937, Apr. 29
(2 vols.)
15
“Easy Aces”
1937, May 4-Oct. 28, nos.
351-428
1937, May 4-Oct. 28
(2 vols.)
16
1937, Nov. 2-1938, Apr. 28, nos.
429-506
1937, Nov. 2-1938, Apr. 28
(2 vols.)
17
1938, May 3-Oct. 27, nos.
507-584
1938, May 3-Oct. 27
(2 vols.)
18
1938, Nov. 1-1939, Apr. 27, nos.
585-662
1938, Nov. 1-1939, Apr. 27
(2 vols.)
19
1939, May 2-Oct. 26, nos.
663-740
1939, May 2-Oct. 26
(2 vols.)
20
1939, Oct. 31-1940, Apr. 25,
nos. 741-818
1939, Oct. 31-1940, Apr. 25
(2 vols.)
21
1940, Apr. 30-Oct. 24, nos.
819-896
1940, Apr. 30-Oct. 24
(2 vols.)
22
1940, Oct. 29-1941, Apr. 24,
nos. 897-974
1940, Oct. 29-1941, Apr. 24
(2 vols.)
23
1941, Apr. 29-Oct. 23, nos.
975-1052
1941, Apr. 29-Oct. 23
(2 vols.)
24
1941, Oct. 28-1942, Apr. 23,
nos. 1053-1130
1941, Oct. 28-1942, Apr. 23
(2 vols.)
25
1942, Apr. 28-Oct. 22, nos.
1131-1208
1942, Apr. 28-Oct. 22
(2 vols.)
26
1942, Oct. 28-1943, Apr. 23,
nos. 1209-1286
1942, Oct. 28-1943, Apr. 23
(2 vols.)
27
1943, Apr. 28-Nov. 26, nos.
1287-1379
1943, Apr. 28-Nov. 26
(2 vols.)
28
1943, Dec. 8-1944, July 19, nos.
1-32
1943, Dec. 8-1944, July 19
(2 vols.)
29
1944, July 26-1945, Jan. 17,
nos. 33-58
1944, July 26-1945, Jan. 17
(2 vols.)
30-58
Television Scripts, 1952-1967
1952-1967
Bound volumes and a few unbound scripts.
Arranged alphabetically by title of program and therein chronologically.
30
“The Milton Berle Show”
1952, Nov. 11-1953, Feb. 17,
nos. 7-18
1952, Nov. 11-1953, Feb. 17
(2 vols.)
31
1953, Mar. 3-June 9, nos. 19-30
1953, Mar. 3-June 9
(2 vols.)
32
1953, Sept. 29-1954, Jan. 19,
nos. 31-42
1953, Sept. 29-1954, Jan. 19
(2 vols.)
33
1954, Feb. 2-May 25, nos. 43-55
1954, Feb. 2-May 25
(2 vols.)
34
1954, Sept. 21-1955, Mar. 8,
nos. 56-68
1954, Sept. 21-1955, Mar. 8
(2 vols.)
35
“The Perry Como Show”
1955, Sept. 17-Dec. 10, nos.
1-13
1955, Sept. 17-Dec. 10
36
1955, Dec. 17-1956, Mar. 10,
nos. 14-26
1955, Dec. 17-1956, Mar. 10
37
1956, Mar. 17-June 9, nos.
27-39
1956, Mar. 17-June 9
38
1956, Sept. 15-Dec. 8, nos.
40-52
1956, Sept. 15-Dec. 8
39
1956, Dec. 15-1957, Mar. 9, nos.
53-65
1956, Dec. 15-1957, Mar. 9
40
1957, Mar. 16-June 8, nos.
66-78
1957, Mar. 16-June 8
41
1957, Sept. 14-Dec. 7, nos.
79-90
1957, Sept. 14-Dec. 7
42
1957, Dec. 14-1958, Mar. 8, nos.
91-103
1957, Dec. 14-1958, Mar. 8
43
1958, Mar. 15-June 7, nos.
104-116
1958, Mar. 15-June 7
44
1958, Sept. 13-Dec. 6, nos.
117-129
1958, Sept. 13-Dec. 6
45
1958, Dec. 13-1959, Mar. 7, nos.
130-142
1958, Dec. 13-1959, Mar. 7
46
1959, Mar. 14-June 6, nos.
143-155, includes “Pontiac Presents Perry,” Mar. 24
1959, Mar. 14-June 6
47
“Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall”
1960, Oct. 5-Nov. 30, nos.
189-196
1960, Oct. 5-Nov. 30
48
1960, Dec. 7-1961, Feb. 1, nos.
195 [misnumbered]-204
1960, Dec. 7-1961, Feb. 1
49
1961, Feb. 8-Mar. 29, nos.
205-212
1961, Feb. 8-Mar. 29
50
1961, Apr. 5-June 7, nos.
213-221
1961, Apr. 5-June 7
51
1961, Oct. 4-Nov. 15, nos.
222-228
1961, Oct. 4-Nov. 15
52
1961, Nov. 22-1962, Jan. 10,
nos. 229-234, includes “The Jimmy Durante Show,” Dec. 13
1961, Nov. 22-1962, Jan. 10
53
1962, Jan. 17-Mar. 7, nos.
235-239, includes “The Rex Allen Show,” Feb. 28
1962, Jan. 17-Mar. 7
54
1962, Mar. 14-June 6, nos.
240-250, includes “The American Landscape,” Apr. 11
1962, Mar. 14-June 6
(2 vols.)
55
1962, Oct. 3-1963, Jan. 9, nos.
251-264
1962, Oct. 3-1963, Jan. 9
(2 vols.)
56
1963, Jan. 23-Apr. 24, nos.
[265]-277
1963, Jan. 23-Apr. 24
(2 vols.)
57
1963, May 1-June 12, nos.
278-283
1963, May 1-June 12
1964, Oct. 29-1965, May 27, nos.
291-297
1964, Oct. 29-1965, May 27
(7 folders)
58
1965, Oct. 18-1967, May 22, nos.
298-311
1965, Oct. 18-1967, May 22
(11 folders)
58
Miscellany, 1965-1972
1965-1972
Correspondence.
Arranged chronologically.
58
Correspondence, 1965,
1972
1965, 1972