Archives and Manuscripts
John J. Burns Library
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467-3801
www.bc.edu/burns
F. L. Green Papers
1935-1953
MS1990-16
Last updated: 2011 June 9
COLLECTION OVERVIEW:
AUTHOR:
Green, F. L. (Frederick Lawrence), 1902-1953
SOURCE:
COLLECTION #:
ACCESSION DATE:
Green Estate through Emerald Isle Books, Belfast, N. Ireland
MS1990-16
1990 July
QUANTITY:
3 linear feet (7 boxes)
LOCATION:
Level 2, British and British Catholic Authors
PROCESSED BY:
Susan Rainville; revised by Corban Rhodes, 2004 spring;
revised by Mark Clemente and Richard Burley, 2011 June.
LANGUAGE:
English
RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS: Collection is open for research.
COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS: Copyright interests have not been transferred to Boston
College. For further information, see the section on copyright
in the Burns Library's Rules for the Reading Room.
ABSTRACT:
The papers include typescripts and original manuscripts of
several of Green’s literary works, including Odd Man Out;
literary fragments; correspondence, mainly with Green’s
publisher; as well as financial records, statements, and other
business records.
PREFERRED CITATION:
Identification of item, Box number, Folder number, F.L. Green
Papers, MS1990-16, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.
RELATED ITEM:
Uncorrected Proof Copy of The Magician, Burns Library,
PZ3.G8226 Mag 1951 IRISH
2
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:
F. L. Green (1902-1953)
Frederick Lawrence (or Laurence) Green was an Anglo-Irish novelist of Irish descent
who lived in Belfast for the majority of his writing career. Born in Portsmouth, England, on 6
April 1902, Green continued to live in England until 1933 when he and his wife, Margaret,
moved to Belfast.
Green was the author of fourteen published novels: Julius Penton (1934), On The Night
of The Fire (1939), The Sound of Winter (1940), Give Us The World (1941), Music In The Park
(1942), A Song For The Angels (1943), On The Edge Of The Sea (1944), Odd Man Out (1945), A
Flask For The Journey (1946), A Fragment Of Glass (1947), Mist On The Waters (1948), Clouds
In The Wind (1950), The Magician (1951), and Ambush For The Hunter (1952). He is perhaps
most famous for co-writing (with R. C. Sherriff and Carol Reed) the screenplay adaptation of
Odd Man Out for the award-winning 1947 movie of the same name, directed by Carol Reed.
Green moved to Bristol in 1951, and died there two years later unexpectedly, on April 14,
1953, at 51 years of age.
Sources:
“Author of ‘Odd Man Out’ dead”, Irish Times, April 16, 1953, p.9.
“F. L. Green, Author of ‘Odd Man Out’”, New York Times, April 16, 1953, L29.
3
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE:
The F.L. Green papers are composed of typescript drafts, literary fragments, publisher’s reports,
contracts, financial records, and assorted correspondence by and pertaining to the author F.L.
Green and his work. Of particular interest is the range of unpublished material – including a
completed draft of a novel, A Finger in the Pie; movie scripts, Round the Corner, The Queen of
the River; plays for stage and radio, Triple Encounter, The Steep Slope, Personal Appearance;
and short stories, The Outcast, Samson, A Fable.
This collection is arranged in three series.
SERIES LISTING:
I:
Writings, 1933-1954
II:
Correspondence, 1935-1953
III:
Business Records, 1934-1953
SERIES DESCRIPTION:
SERIES I: Writings, 1933-1954
This series consists of drafts of published and unpublished writings, including novels, short
stories, radio, screen and stage plays, and film treatments. Also included in this series are
publisher’s reports on Green’s works. Writings are grouped by title of work, then
chronologically within title. Reports have been arranged together at the end.
SERIES II: Correspondence, 1935-1953
This series consists of letters and correspondence between Green and various parties, concerning
his writings as well as payments and taxation for such. It is arranged in two divisions, the first
primarily consisting of financial and tax documentation, and the second consisting of further
correspondence. Within each, the arrangement is chronological. In order to preserve original
order, some letters and correspondence can be found with related literary work in series I.
SERIES III: Business Records, 1934-1954
This series consists of agreements between Green and his publisher, as well as insurance policies
for libel, and miscellaneous business receipts. The agreements are arranged primarily according
to the work to which they pertain, the rest chronologically.
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INVENTORY AND CONTAINER LIST:
Box Folder Description _______________________________________________________
Series I: Writings, 1933-1954
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1a-b
2-9
1-7
Odd Man Out (Novel, Published) Typescript/hand-annotated draft, July 1944
Odd Man Out (Novel, Published) Typescript, August 1944
A Finger in the Pie (Novel, Unpublished) Typescript/hand-annotated first draft,
June 1951
8-15 A Finger in the Pie (Novel, Unpublished) Carbon copy, June 1951
16-30 Ambush for the Hunter (Novel, Published) Typescript, undated
1
Ambush for the Hunter (Novel, Published) Mock-ups, notes, inserts, May 1952
2-13 Ambush for the Hunter (Novel, Published) Carbon copy, February 1952
14
Literary fragments, notebook [mostly blank pages], undated
15
Literary fragments, untitled, undated
16
Literary fragments, untitled, undated
17
All’s Swell That Ends Well (Film Treatment, Incomplete) Typescript & carbon,
undated
18
Round the Corner (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Synopsis & Correspondence,
November 21, 1951-March 7, 1952
19
Round the Corner (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Correspondence, March 8, 1952
- August 12, 1952
20
Round the Corner (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Typescript/hand-annotated 1st draft,
undated
21
Round the Corner (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Typescript preliminary treatment &
Notes dated July 8, 1952
22
The Queen of the River (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Typescript (partial: 6 p. only),
undated
23
Literary fragment without title, “... Nick’s Bedroom at the Hotel” (partial: p. 12,
18-21, 31-34 only), undated [Found with The Queen of the River]
24
The Queen of the River (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Carbon copy (partial: p. 1-8),
undated
25
The Queen of the River (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Carbon copy (partial: 12
non-consecutive pages only), undated
26
The Queen of the River (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Carbon copy “shooting script”
(incomplete: only p. 1-64), undated
27
The Queen of the River (Screenplay, Not Filmed) Typescript (partial: only p. 1-9),
plus: notes, “diary of script work”, synopsis (2 pages), December 1952
28
The Queen of the River [called here Rhine Film] (Screenplay, Not Filmed)
Typescript, foreword & first film treatment, November 1952.
29
The Queen of the River [called here Rhine Film] (Screenplay, Not Filmed)
Carbon copy, second film treatment, undated
30
The Queen of the River [called here Rhine Film] (Screenplay, Not Filmed)
Carbon copy, third film treatment, January 1953
5
Box Folder Description _______________________________________________________
4
1
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Synopsis of unfinished, untitled typescript in letter sent by Mrs. F. L. Green to
Green’s agents after his death, July 1953
The Eternal Man (Play, Unpublished) Carbon copy, undated
Triple Encounter (Radio Play, Unpublished) Typescript, undated
Triple Encounter (Radio Play, Unpublished) Carbon copy, undated
The Steep Slope (Radio Play, Unpublished) Carbon copy, undated
Personal Appearance (Radio Play, Unpublished) Carbon copy, undated
The Outcast (Short Story, Unpublished) Typescript, undated
The Outcast (Short Story, Unpublished) Carbon copy hand-annotated, undated
Samson (Short Story, Unpublished) Typescript, undated
Samson (Short Story, Unpublished) Carbon copy, undated
Samson (Short Story, Unpublished) Carbon copy, undated
A Fable (Short Story, Unpublished) Typescript and two carbon copies, undated
Reports on Ambush for the Hunter, from W. Allen and R. Lusty, undated
Report on The Magician, March 1950
Report on Clouds in the Wind, from W. Allen, April 1949
Report on Mist on the Waters from W. Allen, January 1948
Report on A Fragment of Glass from W. Allen, February 1947
Report on A Flask for the Journey from W. Allen, October 1945
Report on Odd Man Out from W. Allen and R. Lusty, September 1944
Report on On the Edge of the Sea, October 1943
Reports on Give Us the World and On the Night of the Fire (working title
“Maelstrom”) from “E.G.”, December 1940 and November 1938
Series II: Correspondence, 1935-1953
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
1
2
Re: A Song for the Angels, 13 November 1942
July 1935 - 1939
January 1940 - July 1940
September 1940 - December 1940
January 1941 - September 1941
August 1942 - April 1944
June 1944 - December 1946
January 1947 - December 1947
January 1948 - November 1948
January 1949 - May 1949
Fiscal years 1947, 1948
Fiscal years 1949, 1950
March 1950 - November 1950
January 1951 - December 1951
January 1952 - December 1952
January 1953
December 1947
January - February 1948
6
Box Folder Description _______________________________________________________
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
4
6
6
6
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
13
15
16
17
March 1948 - April 1948
May 1948 - June 1948
July 1948 - August 1948
September 1948 - October 1948
November 1948 - December 1948
January 1949 - March 1949
Re: Clouds in the Wind, and other items, April 1949
May 1949
June 1949 - August 1949
September 1949 - October 1949
November 1949
December 1949
January 1950 - February 1950
March 1950 - April 1950
May 1950 - June 1950
July 1950 - August 1950
September 1950 - October 1950
November 1950 - December 1950
January 1951 - February 1951
March 1951
April 1951
May 1951 - June 1951
July 1951 - August 1951
September 1951 - October 1951
November 1951 - December 1951
January 1952 - February 1952
March 1952 - April 1952
May 1952 - June 1952
July 1952 - August 1952
September 1952 - October 1952
November 1952 - December 1952
January 1953 - February 1953
Re: biographical questions, February 1953
March 1953 - April 1953
May 1953 - June 1953
July 1953 - October 1953
Series III:
Business Records, 1934-1953
7
7
1
2
7
3
Agreements: Ambush for the Hunter, The Magician, May 1949 - October 1943
Agreements: A Fragment of Glass, Mist on the Waters, Clouds in the Wind,
December 1945
Agreements: Odd Man Out, On the Edge of the Sea, A Song for the Angels,
A Flask for the Journey, March 1943, February 1947
7
Box Folder Description _______________________________________________________
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Agreement: Clouds in the Wind, August 1950, October 1950
Agreement: Crewe, January 1947
Agreement: A Flask for the Journey, August 1946 - September 1947
Agreement: A Fragment of Glass, December 1947
Agreement: Julius Penton, April 1934
Agreement: Lodging for the Night, January 1953
Agreement: The Magician, June 1951
Agreement: Mist on the Waters, September 1848 - December 1949
Agreement: Music in the Park, June 1941
Agreement: Odd Man Out, December 1944 - May 1952
Agreement: On the Night of the Fire, April 1939 - April 1953
Agreement: Out in Ourselves, May 1938
Agreement: Round the Corner, February 1952 - May 1952
Agreement: A Song for the Angels, April 1944
Agreement: The Survivors, May 1948
Agreement: between Green and Seven League Productions, December 1952
Agreement: between Green and Somla Films, March 1939
Insurance policies, May 1939, March 1941
Insurance policies, Jan 1943 - March 1947
Insurance policies, Feb 1948 - February 1951
Properties, list of, after April 1953
Envelopes found empty, November 1953
Business receipts, December 1951 - March 1952
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