Denne Bart Petitclerc, "A Farewell to Arms" dialogue continuity and Ben Hecht screenplays
Scope and Contents
The second screenplay is a preproduction draft dated January 26, 1957, 173 leaves, Quarto, mimeographed typescript printed on rectos, bradbound in bright orange production company wrappers. It is the novel's second screen adaptation to reach production. The draft still designates John Huston as director, but he left the project as a consequence of budget disputes and Charles Vidor took over.
The third screenplay is by the Selznick Studio, Culver City dated 1957 in white production company wrappers. This draft was close to the final draft and notes Charles Vidor as the director. It has prefatory material not included in earlier drafts.
There is one dialogue continuity in a red production company wrapper.
Dates
- 1956 - 1958
Conditions Governing Access
Biographical / Historical
For many years, David O. Selznick had wanted to film the Hemingway novel, but Warner Brothers owned the property and refused to sell it to him. He found himself in an advantageous bargaining position when Warner Brothers bought the remake rights to "A Star is Born," to which he owned the foreign rights. Without them, the studio could not release their intended remake with Judy Garland overseas. Selznick offered to relinquish his rights to a "A Star is Born" in exchange for the rights to "A Farewell to Arms", and Warner Brothers agreed.
On October 25, 1956, Selznick contacted director John Huston at the Blue Haven Hotel in Tobago and enthusiastically welcomed him to the project. He advised him his contract with 20th Century Fox called for severe financial penalties if the film went over schedule and/or budget, and urged him to concentrate wholly on the film until principal filming was completed.] Selznick's concerns increased as Huston began to tinker with the script and spend an inordinate amount of time on pre-production preparations, and on March 19, 1957, he sent the director a lengthy memo outlining the problems he foresaw arising from Huston's lack of cooperation. Two days later, Huston announced he could not agree with Selznick on any of the issues he had raised and quit the project. Based on correspondence with Charles Vidor, it appears the producer's relationship with Huston's replacement was acrimonious as well. The producer later said the film was "not one of the jobs of which I am most proud."
Sources: "A Farewell to Arms" (1957 Film) Wikipedia Retrieved 2021-09-24
Extent
0.4 Cubic Feet (1 letter size document box) : 3 screenplays and one continual dialogue
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Condition Description
- Title
- Denne Bart Petitclerc, "A Farewell to Arms" screenplays and dialogue
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Ellen Welch
- Date
- 2021-09-24
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States