Letters from Ellen Semple (Barry) to Philip Barry, 1921 - 1922

The Philip Barry Papers consist of correspondence from friends and associates to Philip and Ellen Barry. Some well known individuals include, Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet; Katherine Bregy (Catholic author); William C. Bullitt (US ambassador); writers Henry W. Clune, Edsel Ford, Brendan Gill, Morris Hadley, John O'Hara, Joseph Verner Reed, Robert Sherwood; actresses Lillian Gish and Katherine Hepburn; producers/directors Joseph Mankiewicz and Robert Sinclair. The collection includes many complete scripts of Barry's plays, including related material such as notes by Barry, programs, playbills, newsclippings of reviews, and opening night telegrams. All scripts and material are arranged alphabetically by play title. (Use the Index for a complete list by title.) In addition, copyrights certificates and contracts pertaining to various plays comprise at least two boxes. Personal papers include files on family property and assets statements. The collection is completed by a series of scholarly papers about Barry, including a copy of advance proofs for Brendan Gill's book, "States of Grace Eight Plays by Philip Barry." A chronology of Barry's life is provided at the end of this section (source: "Philip Barry," by Joseph P. Roppolo), followed by a list of the productions of his plays. Sources cited for preceding biographical material as well as descriptive information following, are listed below: Gill, Brendan, "`States of Grace Eight Plays by Philip Barry," (New York, London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975). Roppolo, Joseph Patrick, "Philip Barry," (New York: Twayne Publisher, Inc., 1965). Dictionary of Literary Biography, Vol. 7, pp.56 67. Besides this collection at Georgetown University, another substantial portion of Philip Barry's papers are at Yale University.