urn:taro:utexas.hrc.00352 Howard Sackler: A Preliminary Inventory of His Manuscripts for The Great White Hope in the Manuscript Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Finding aid created by Jonathan Reynolds Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, 2005 Finding aid encoded by Joan Sibley, January 2008 Finding aid written in English. The University of Texas at Austin, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center Howard Sackler, 1929-1982 Howard Sackler Manuscripts for The Great White Hope 1967-1969 3 boxes (1.26 linear feet) The adaptation by Howard Sackler of The Great White Hope from stage to screen is documented by this group of manuscripts dating from 1967 through 1969. English Scope and Contents

The adaptation by Howard Sackler of The Great White Hope from stage to screen is documented by this group of manuscripts dating from 1967 through 1969. Sackler’s play, based on the life of the controversial African-American boxer Jack Johnson, won all three major theatrical awards for 1969: the Pulitzer Prize, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and the Antoinette Perry Award.

This collection contains numerous versions of the work as it progressed from play to screenplay, and most are replete with Sackler’s handwritten revisions. Included are pages from the published version of the play; bound typescripts of the original play; both handwritten and typed screenplay versions; revision pages; and a bound final version of the screenplay, along with the final group of Sackler’s revisions.

The manuscripts are arranged in creation order as nearly as could be determined. Much of the material is undated, and was ordered according to Sackler’s revisions and additions.

The handwritten material may prove difficult to read and character names rarely accompany dialogue. There is no material in the collection related to Sackler's other works or personal affairs

 Acquisition:

Gift, 1970

 Access:

Open for research

 Processed by:

Jonathan Reynolds, 2005

Container List 1 The Great White Hope, 1 Play (first produced 1967) 1 1 Pages from published version with handwritten changes, incomplete 1 Bound typescripts with revisions and additions 1 2 "Revised 11/1/67," with scene breakdown 1 3 Not dated 1 4 "Revised June, 1968," plus a few loose pages 2 Screenplay (film released 1970) 2 Adaptation 2 1-3 Handwritten draft (unordered) 2 4-6 Typescript draft with revisions 3 1 Synopsis 3 2 Handwritten draft 3 3 Typescript revision pages with changes, before May, 1969 3 4 Typescript with revisions, before August, 1969 3 5 "Revisions and inserts, 8 August 1969" 3 6 Bound typescript with some handwritten changes, "final September 26, 1969" 3 7 Revision pages, typescript, "October 3, 1969"