Scope and Contents
The papers consist of published and unpublished short stories, plays, radio and television scripts, and correspondence.
The initial donation of 1967 contains published and unpublished writings, some of which contain revisions. The paper finding aid also lists publisher information
Series I, Subseries A: contains published stories organized in alphabetical order by title. Subseries B: contains unpublished stories also organized alphabetically by title.
Series II: consists of play manuscripts and some titles include correspondence. One play, The Stop Over was retitled and copyrighted as The Tourists, and was written by Matt Taylor and his brother Sam Taylor.
Series III: contains published stories arranged by publisher first, then by date. Stories include Mr. Mumpus that became a television show staring Fred Astaire titled, Mr. Happy. This section contains published versions of the "McGarry" detective stories.
Series IV: Miscellaneous contains a speech and a letter from Universal Pictures.
The addendum of 1969 contains published and unpublished manuscripts and correspondence.
Manuscripts include screenplays and stories for film, television and radio.
Unpublished manuscripts are alphabetically organized by title.
Published stories include tearsheets from magazines and include more "McGarry" stories.
Correspondence is separated into incoming and outgoing sections. Incoming is alphabetically organized by company title or author's last name and includes publisher, television and movie studio correspondence. Outgoing correspondence contains carbon copies of letters.
Dates
- Creation: 1930-1966
Creator
- Taylor, Sam, 1895-1958 (Person)
- Taylor, Matt, 1897-1966 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
Matthew "Matt" Ambrose Taylor (1897-1966) was born in New York City and graduated from Fordham University. He worked as a reporter in New York and as a screen writer in Hollywood. After 1931 he began writing short fiction for the magazine market and plays. Many of his stories were adapted for radio and television, and some were made into motion pictures.
He wrote a series of related detective stories for This Week featuring "Dan McGarry, a policeman and Kitty Archer is his love," a relationship that was described as very "egalitarian" for the times.
[Source: http://www.philsp.com/homeville/fmi/f92.htm#A3318]
[Source: http://gadetection.pbworks.com/w/page/26273447/The%20Famous%20McGarry%20Stories]
Extent
1.5 linear feet (1 container) : 1 record storage box
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Matthew "Matt" Ambrose Taylor (1897-1966) was a reporter, writer, and script writer of short fiction, plays, and detective stories, many of which were adapted for radio, TV, or movies. The collection contains published and unpublished short stories, plays, radio and television scripts, and correspondence.
Arrangement
Material within this collection has been organized by accession. This organization reflects the fact that the collection has been acquired in increments over time. This organization is also based on the decision not to merge the various accessions and organize them as a whole at this point in time, give the fact that future accruals are anticipated and/or that this organization is deemed sufficient for access.
Researchers should note that materials within a series or accession may overlap and/or relate to materials found in other accessions or initially processed materials. For example, correspondence may be found in all or only some groupings. In order to locate all relevant material within this collection, researchers may need to consult each accession.
Researchers should also note that similar materials can be arranged differently in each accession, depending on how the material is organized upon receipt or during initial processing. For instance, correspondence is one accession may be arranged alphabetically, while correspondence in another accession is arranged chronologically.
Other Finding Aids
Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections & University Archives.
Processing Information
Collection processed by staff, 1967-1969.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
This collection received a basic level of processing including minimal organization and rehousing.
Description information is drawn in part from information supplied with the collection and initial surveys of the contents.
Subject
- Taylor, Matt, 1897-1966 (Person)
- Taylor, Matt, 1897-1966 (Person)
Genre / Form
- Correspondence
- Manuscripts for publication
- Mystery fiction
- Plays
- Radio scripts
- Screenplays
- Short stories
- Television scripts
Topical
- American drama -- 20th century
- American fiction -- 20th century
- Authors and publishers -- Correspondence
- Authors, American -- 20th century
- Detective and mystery stories, American -- Authorship
- Dramatists, American -- 20th century
- Literature
- Motion pictures -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Playwriting
- Radio authorship -- United States
- Screenwriters -- United States
- Short stories, American -- Authorship
- Television -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Television authorship -- United States
- Television writers -- United States
- Title
- Guide to the Matthew Taylor Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Tanya Parlet and Kira B. Homo.
- Date
- 2013
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
