MS 6311
Papers of Albert Arlen (1905-1993) and Nancy Brown (1909- )



Scope and Content Note

Papers

1924-92

3.58m (25 boxes) + 1 folio box

Available for reference

This descriptive list relates to papers donated by Albert Arlen and Nancy Brown in 1991, 1993 and 1995 (Boxes 10-22). The descriptive list for Boxes 1-9 is not in machine readable format and is, therefore, only available in the Manuscript Reading Room of the Library.

The papers comprise correspondence, manuscripts and typescripts of plays, musical scores, programs, photographs, newspaper clippings, memorabilia and biographical material, mostly relating to the theatrical and musical careers of Arlen and Brown. The correspondence includes letters from many well known people in the theatrical, literary and arts scene over many years.

The papers provide a good insight into the extensive careers of both artists.


Biographical Note

Nancy Brown and Albert Arlen both had long and successful careers in the theatrical and musical fields, Brown as a singer, stage performer and playwright and Arlen as a composer and playwright.

Nancy Brown

Nancy Brown was born in Brisbane in 1909. In 1923 her parents divorced and her mother took Nancy, her brother Frank and sister Shirley to live in England.

In 1925 Nancy attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Her first professional role was in 1926 when she was understudy to Rosalind Courtneidge in The unfair sex at the Savoy Theatre, London. From 1926 to1947 she had roles in a number of stage plays, toured Britain and Ireland as a solo singer and appeared in several films. During this time she also travelled to America and Canada with a role in the Nöel Coward production of Bitter Sweet.

In 1948 Brown returned to Australia where she met Albert Arlen, whom she married in 1949.

Albert Arlen

Albert Arlen was born Albert Aarons in Sydney on 10 January 1905, his parents having emigrated from Turkey. From 1929 he was known professionally as Albert Arlen, changing his name officially by deed poll in 1948. He was educated at Cleveland Street Public School, Crown Street High School and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

In 1924 Arlen sailed to England. He lived in London, playing with dance bands and in cinema theatre orchestras. In 1929 he studied at the Ecole Normale in Paris. Subsequently, he played various roles in London West End repertory productions, as well as writing his own musical compositions and plays.

In 1939 he joined the R.A.F. and saw service as a pilot in the Middle East and Far East, before being discharged in 1947 and repatriated to Australia. While serving with the R.A.F., Arlen continued with his theatrical pursuits, writing and producing plays and composing musical pieces including the El Alamein Concerto and Song of England which he dedicated to Winston Churchill.

In 1949 Brown married Nancy Brown and together they returned to England. However, they were disillusioned with life in London and decided to return to Australia, which they were to make their permanent home.

In Australia, Arlen and Brown continued their involvement with the theatre, collaborating on a number of plays and musicals, including the musical adaptation of the C.J. Dennis work The sentimental bloke (1961). Arlen composed extensively during his career and a large number of his works have been published and recorded. In 1991 he was awarded an Order of Australia in recognition of his services to music and the performing arts.

Albert Arlen died on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland in 1993.


Additions

Addition July 1991
Addition December 1993
Addition April 1995
Addition 30 April 2001

Additions Description

Addition 12 July 1991

This addition consists of correspondence, photographs and other papers, mostly relating to the careers of Arlen and Brown. The correspondence covers the period 1933-80 and comprises business letters and personal letters from many well known people in the theatrical, literary and arts scene over this time. The collection also includes newspaper clippings, mostly relating to theatrical performances, programs, copies of The Terrace Times to which Arlen contributed a regular column, several typescripts, biographical material and travel memorabilia. The photographs consist of family photographs, photographs taken by Arlen in Egypt during World War II and photographs relating to their careers. There is also a small collection of books, several annotated by the author. This addition covers the period 1924-90.

Correspondents include Sir Frederick Ashton, Werner Baer, Leslie Baily, Alan Barker, Arthur Benjamin (Nancy Brown’s cousin), Alec and Rosemary Bolton, Harold Bowden, Russell Braddon, Marie Burke, George Campbell, Gordon Chater, Manning Clark, Cedric Cliffe, Sir Zelman Cowen, George Dreyfus, George English, Cedric Flower, Hayes Gordon, Doris Geddes, Lynda Gloria, Radclyffe Hall, Sir Robert Helpmann, Sheila Helpmann, Brett Hilder, Alfred Hill, Reg Hines, Dulcie Holland, Harold Holt, Tom Hungerford, Frank Hutchens, Dorothy Gordon Jenner (Andrea), George Johnston, George Kleinsinger, Joyce Koch, Jack (John) Lanchbery, Evelyn Laye, Vernon Lisle, Edward Lockton, Compton MacKenzie, John McCallum, Dot Mendoza, Sir Robert Menzies, Charles P. Mountford, Robert Nesbitt, Beverley Nichols, John Olsen, Pixie O’Harris, Laurence Olivier, Tessie O’Shea, Jill Perryman, Charles Pettit, Linda Phillips, Ainslie Roberts, William Ricketts, Frederick Rosse, Edmond Samuels, Stephen Sondheim, Joyce Owen Starr, Sophie Stewart, Sir Frank and Lady Tait, Florence Taylor, Wilfrid Thomas, C.K. Thompson, Lloyd Thomson, Tiny Tim, Geoffrey Townshend, Wendy Toye, Sophie Tucker, Nancy Wake, Joy Warren, Trafford Whitelock, Thornton Wilder, Emlyn Williams, Bill (William) Willis and Googie Withers.

Note: the Library has arranged the correspondence into order by year.

Box 10
Folder
46

Correspondence, undated and 1933-49

47

Correspondence, 1950-59

48

Correspondence, 1960-69

49-50

Correspondence, 1970-79

51

Correspondence, 1980-88

Box 11
Folder/Item
52-52

Congratulatory letters sent to Arlen on his being awarded an Order of Australia (AM), 1990

54

Biographical material including Arlen’s Curriculum Vitae, newspaper clippings and the transcript of an interview with Brown conducted by the Queensland Performing Arts Trust and the National Library of Australia in 1989 (TRC 2426)

55-56

Newspaper clippings, 1958-88

57-59

Programs, 1936-88 (1 folder and 2 packets)

Box 12
Folder/Item
60-62

Photographs, 1924-80 (3 packets)

63

Typescripts. Included are a talk given by Arlen in Cairo in 1945, drafts of two plays by Arlen entitled ‘Promenade’ (1935) and ‘The everlasting flame’ (n.d.), a synopsis by Brown for a musical based on ‘Around the Boree log’ and a talk entitled ‘Watson’s Bay – as it was’ by Jack Woodward, 1987.

64-66

Miscellaneous papers

Box 13

Books, annotated by the author:

Charles Castle, This was Richard Tauber, 1971
Charles & Elsa Chauvel, Walkabout, 1959
Rosemary Dobson, The three fates & other poems, 1984
Alice Doyle, The Doyle’s fish cookbook, 1979
Evelyn Lane, Boo, to my friends, 1958
Cole Lesley, Remembered laughter, the life of Noel Coward, 1976
Beverley Nichols, The art of flower arrangement, 1967
Beverley Nichols, The wickedest witch in the world, 1971
C.K. Thompson, Tiger cat, 1952
Emlyn Williams, George, 1961
William Willis, Hell, hail and hurricanes, poems of the sea, 1953
Box 14

Other books:

Australian bush songs, words by Annie R. Rentoul, music by Georgette Peterson, n.d.
Brown, Arlen and Thomson, The sentimental bloke, 1977
John Hetherington, Melba: a biography, 1967
Garry Kinnane, George Johnston: a biography, 1986
Rudyard Kippling, Something of myself, 1937
W. Somerset Maugham, A writer’s notebook, 1949
Beverely Nichols, The sun in my eyes, 1969
Dawn Ross (compiler), Pro Hart’s Breaker Morant, 1981 (annotated by Hart)
Trish Sheppard, Darlings, I’ve had a ball! Andrea, as told to Trish Sheppard, 1978 (annotated by Andrea)
Viola Tait, A family of brothers, 1971
John Watney, Mervyn Peake, 1976

Addition 6 December 1993

This addition consists of correspondence, musical scores, manuscripts and typescripts of plays, programs, newspaper clippings, photographs, miscellaneous papers and memorabilia, mostly relating to the careers of Arlen and Brown. This addition covers the period 1928-92.

Correspondents include John W. Burton, Douglas Byng, Sheila Helpmann, Jack (John) Lanchbery, John McCallum, Keith Michell, John Olson, Sir Robert Southey, Enid Tardent, Ric Throssell and Nancy Wake.

Note: the Library has arranged the correspondence into order by year.

Box 15

Folder

67

Family correspondence, 1962-85

68

General correspondence, 1945-79

69

General correspondence, 1980-91

70

Correspondence with Jack (John) Lanchbery, 1981-91

71

Correspondence with Angus and Robertson regarding the musical version of The Sentimental Bloke, 1951-60 and draft manuscript of a contribution by Arlen to Angus and Robertson’s publication The world of the sentimental bloke, 1976.

72

Correspondence relating to the production of Arlen’s The girl from Snowy River by the Canberra Repertory Society, 1959-60. There are letters from Dr J.W. Burton who was Manager of Albert Arlen Australian Productions.

73

Manuscripts and typescripts of talks given by Nancy Brown

Box 16
Folder
74

Financial records and contracts, 1943-88

75-77

Biographical material

78

Original musical score for ‘The sentimental bloke’, written by Brown, Arlen and Lloyd Thomson, 1953-54 (1 packet)

Box 17
Item
79-80

Original scores for music composed by Arlen, mostly undated. Titles include ‘The faithful swan’ (1966), ‘An Australian ballad’, ‘And it came to pass’ (1987), ‘Ballad for Australians’ (dedicated to Dame Joan Sutherland), ‘The song of England’ (1944, dedicated to Winston Churchill) and ‘Angelo – the goldsmith’ (1 packet)

80

Original scores for music composed by Arlen, mostly undated. Titles include ‘The Alamein concerto’ (1944), ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ (1948), ‘Requiem for a Siamese cat’, ‘Night Club’, ‘Wander-thirst’, ‘Did you ever go fishin’?’, ‘My heart is singing for you’, ‘The Tui waltz’, ‘Flying high’, ‘Cherry trees’ (1964), ‘There are moments’, ‘Liebchen my Weibchen’, ‘These things London means to me’, ‘Dear friend’, ‘Neglectful Edward’, ‘They’re always dancing in Brazil’, ‘The gossips’ (1979), ‘Fellers of Australia’, ‘Mediterranean’, ‘Blue Peter’, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ and ‘How shall I sing – Australia?’ (1 packet)

81

Manuscripts and typescripts of plays written by, mostly undated. Titles include ‘The Magic Mirror’, ‘Two grains of rice’, ‘Pussycat’, ‘Stars in your eyes’, ‘Counterfeit’ by Arlen and Cyril Butcher and ‘Oh! Gosh’ by Arlen and Brown (1 packet)

Box 18
Item
82-83

Manuscripts and typescripts of plays written by Arlen, mostly undated. Titles include ‘The broom tree’, ‘A portrait of a woman’, ‘What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this’ (1978), ‘Welcome mate!’, ‘The end of the section’, ‘The devil to pay’, ‘Tomorrow when apricots grow’, ‘The Nile is red’, ‘Camille’ (a new adaptation from the Dumas play), and ‘Music of the years’ by Arlen and Lloyd Thomson (2 packets)

84

Typescripts and original musical score for the musical ‘Marriages are made in heaven’ written by Brown, Arlen and Lloyd Thomson (1 packet)

Box 19
Folder/Item
85

Typescripts and original musical scores for the musicals ‘Oh! Gosh’ written by Brown and Arlen, and ‘Omar’ written by Brown, Arlen and Lloyd Thomson (1 packet)

86

Manuscripts and typescripts of writings by Brown. Included are poetry and two plays entitled ‘The working man’s bidet’ and ‘Outrageous fortune’.

87

A small collection of sheet music, including Arlen’s compositions The girl from Snowy River, The Austra-laise, The day when I married you and I heard a blackbird in a tree (1 packet)

88

Typescript of ‘Hiroshima’ by John Hersey, n.d.

Box 20
Item
89

Two scrapbooks. One is of the 1937 production of Arlen’s play ‘The son of the eunuch’ and includes the program, publicity material, newspaper clippings, photographs and several watercolour sketches of costumes for the play, which were designed by Mervyn Peake. The other contains material relating to performances of Arlen’s musical composition ‘The song of England’ (1 packet)

90

Programs, 1928-91 (1 packet)

91

Photographs, 1928-77 (1 packet)

Box 21
Folder/Item
92

Newspaper clippings, 1948-93

93-94

Miscellaneous papers, 1932-83. They include miniature cards with watercolour set design ideas for the production of ‘Stars in your eyes’ (1932), 2 first day covers (1983) of a series of stamps featuring The Sentimental bloke and a register of members of Shopwindow Theatre (c1970).

95

Memorabilia. Included are Brown’s autograph book (1924), Arlen’s Order of Australia medal which was presented to him in 1990, Arlen’s war medals, a commemorative plaque presented to Arlen by the 7th Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment for his musical composition The Austra-laise, an official Bicentenary commemorative medallion given to Brown and a strand of glass beads (1 packet)

Box 22

Books:

Howard and Wyndham pantomimes, 1888-1948 and Summer seasons, 1933-1948 (annotated by A. Stewart Cruikshank, Chairman of Howard and Wyndham)
Brown, Arlen & Thomson, The sentimental bloke, 1977
Alice Doyle, Doyle’s fish cookbook, 1992 (annotated by Doyle)
Gordon Smith, Mervyn Peake: a personal memoir, 1984 (annotated by Robert Ray)

Addition 12 April 1995

Box 22
Folder
96

Manuscript and typescript of ‘Happenings’, reminiscences by Arlen of some of his life’s experiences. Also included is a copy of The sentimental bloke by Arlen, Brown and Thomson, 1977

97

Biographical details for Brown, a copy of a libretto by Richard Tauber entitled Old Chelsea, published in 1943, a CDROM of a 1943 recording of Old Chelsea featuring Brown, correspondence and a catalogue for an auction held by the Australian Opera, 1986.

Addition 30 April 2001

Box 23
 
Folder
   
99 Correspondence ,1985-94
100 Finance and insurance papers, 1948-91
101 Papers relating to Air Force service, 1940-91
102 Papers relating to Order of Australia award to Arlen, 1990
   
Item  
   
103-05 Arlen's diaries, 1980-81, 1983-87
   
Box 24  
   
Item  
   
106-111 Arlen's diaries 1988, 1992
112-121 Brown's diaries, 1971, 1977-81, 1985-87, 1990
   
Box 25  
   
Item  
   
122-123 Arlen's writing and scores
125 Stage design sketches, manuscripts of ' The Othello strain' and 'Williw', annotated photocopy of ' The Congo' by Vachel Lindsay and annotated photocopy of 'Queen of Chelsea'
126 'The silent minute, gleanings' collected by Albert Arlen
127 Arlen's membership certificates for The British Authors' and Composers Association, 1937, The Songwriter's Guild (of Gt. Britain), 1947 and The Performing Right Society, Limited, 1936. Also an invitation to the opening of the Oral History and Sound Recording Room and Studies at the National Library, 1989
128 Metal stamp for The Sentimental Bloke
   
Folio  
   
Item  
   
124 'Sugar cane' and start of 'Big rivers' scores by Arlen

September 1999
Last Updated May 2001