Daniel L. James Papers (KC0018)

Daniel L. James, the son of Mr. And Mrs. D.L. James of Kansas City, was an author and playwright who won the Sidney Howard Memorial Award in 1942 for his play “Winter Soldiers.”  James was initially not interested in theater, despite the fact that his father was a playwright, but after an education at Yale and work for the T.M. James Sons China Company (of which his father was president), and in Oklahoma oil fields, he turned to literature.  He proposed a radio series on Paul Bunyon which failed.  Later he worked with Charlie Chaplin for about a year on the production of “The Great Dictator.”  He then went on to write “Winter Soldiers” and other plays.  “Survival” and “the Life and Times of Frank and Jesse James” were efforts of James which apparently dated after his Paul Bunyon work but prior to his work with Chaplin.

These papers contain manuscript and typescript drafts of plays, radio broadcasts, and a book by James.  There are some newspaper clippings and a playbill relating to the production of the play “Survival.”  Some of the materials are revised and heavily annotated. 1933-1939.

13 folders.

© WHMC-KC, University of Missouri

updated: Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Western Historical Manuscript Collection-Kansas City
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