Research Catalog

Title

J. Edward Bromberg papers, 1924-1951.

Author

Bromberg, J. Edward, 1903-1951.

Supplementary Content

Finding Aid

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

1.18 lin. ft. (4 boxes).

Summary

The J. Edward Bromberg Papers consist of a contract, scripts, a poster, playbills, flyers, correspondence, press releases, photographs, a scrapbook, some writings, ephemera, a sketched portrait, and a large collection of clippings documenting his 25-year career.

Subjects

• Theater > New York (State) > New York
• Motion pictures > United States
• Actors
• Le Gallienne, Eva, 1899-1991
• Group Theatre (U.S.)
• Civic Repertory Theatre (New York, N.Y.)
• Bromberg, J. Edward, 1903-1951

Access (note)

• Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.

Biography (note)

• Actor on stage and screen and theatrical director, J. Edward Bromberg was born Joseph Bromberger on December 25, 1903 in Temesvar, Hungary and came to the United States with his parents when he was five years old.
• He made his acting debut in 1926 at New York's Greenwich Village Playhouse, then joined Eva Le Gallienne's company, the Civic Repertory, for five years before signing a two-year contract with the Theatre Guild.
• Bromberg was a victim of blacklisting when he was named as a member of the Communist Party in Hollywood.

Indexes/Finding Aids (note)

• Finding aid available in repository and on internet.

Call Number

*T-Mss 1994-017

OCLC

NYPG04-A9

Author

Bromberg, J. Edward, 1903-1951.

Title

J. Edward Bromberg papers, 1924-1951.

Restricted Access

Collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.

Biography

Actor on stage and screen and theatrical director, J. Edward Bromberg was born Joseph Bromberger on December 25, 1903 in Temesvar, Hungary and came to the United States with his parents when he was five years old. He grew up to be a short, dark and stocky character actor, one of the finest supporting players for both the theater and motion pictures in the 1930s-1940s. He was an original member of the Civic Repertory Theatre, the Group Theatre and the Actors' Laboratory Theatre.

He made his acting debut in 1926 at New York's Greenwich Village Playhouse, then joined Eva Le Gallienne's company, the Civic Repertory, for five years before signing a two-year contract with the Theatre Guild. In 1936, Bromberg gave into the temptation of motion pictures and was signed by Twentieth Century Fox. He played a series of character roles in 54 films from 1936-1950, depicting father figures, villains and ethnic types. While in Hollywood, he helped found the Actors' Laboratory Theatre in an effort to bring quality stage drama to the West Coast. He was also part of the formation of the Group Theatre appearing in MEN IN WHITE, GOLD EAGLE GUY and Clifford Odets' AWAKE AND SING, which he later directed for the Actors' Laboratory Theatre.

Bromberg was a victim of blacklisting when he was named as a member of the Communist Party in Hollywood. He refused to answer questions put to him by the House Committee on Un-American Activities in June of 1951. He died of a heart attack on December 6, 1951 at the age of 47 while appearing in THE BIGGEST THIEF IN TOWN in London.

Indexes

Finding aid available in repository and on internet. http://digilib.nypl.org:80/dynaweb/ead/rose/thebrom.sgm

Connect to:

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Finding Aid

Occupation

Actors.

Research Call Number

*T-Mss 1994-017