University Of Arizona at Tucson Library

Special Collections

Unofficial Catalog of Harold Bell Wright Holding

     The list below is from handwritten notes found with the collection.  A Library Science student at the University of Arizona has now cataloged the collection which you can read by clicking here.  There are no bound published books in the collection, just manuscripts. In the late 1970s or very early 1980s Norman Wright, youngest son of Harold Bell Wright, generously donated to the library (and therefore to all of us) 12 boxes of manuscripts and other documents from his father's literary estate. He often told close friends and students of his father's works that he was very concerned that other people who had access to his father's important literary documents might sell them instead of preserving them for future generations.  In 1983 Lawrence V. Tagg informally and unofficially cataloged the contents of the collection. I believe that is the list I have reproduced below.

     In 1985 Norman Wright is reported to have returned to the library and asked permission to borrow two of the boxes of documents (#6 & #7) "so he could have them appraised for tax purposes." Somehow he never got around to returning those two boxes of material. When Norman passed away in 2001, his children assumed the task of sorting through several rooms full of documents and memorabilia. In January 2004, Michael Wright returned them to the library--at least those items they could find. Some mystery remains since the family returned some manuscript materials that were not supposed to be in the two missing boxes (The Eye of the World and The Man Who Went Away) and have been unable to find other items that were supposed to be in those two boxes (The Recreation of Brian Kent, The Mine With the Iron Door, and part of Helen of the Old House). The still missing items appear in red, the returned items in blue. The more recent catalog of the collection, recently assembled by a library science student, does not, of course, include the contents of the two wandering boxes.

     Do not assume that because Harold Bell Wright has been dead for nearly 60 years, and never published many of the stories listed below, that they are not protected by copyright. Unpublished materials are currently protected by copyright until 70 years after the author's death. In Wright's case that would be 2014. Click here for more copyright information.

Box One  (Manuscripts -- all titles are written by Harold Bell Wright unless otherwise credited)

• Long Ago Told manuscript for serialization in magazines, typed, 186 pages, damaged.

• The Rebellious Generation, first writing, handwritten, 47 pages.

• The Rebellious Generation, 1st revision, corrected by HBW, 27 typed pages, badly damaged.

• The Rebellious Generation, second copy, handwritten, 74 pages.

• Between You and Me, first written, approx. 200 pages

• Between You and Me, badly damaged, 40 pages

• Between You and Me, 1st revision, corrected by HBW, 40 pages, badly damaged.

• Between You and Me, finished copy, typed, approx. 60 pages.

• What About God?, first writing, handwritten, 50 pages

• What About God?, revised by HBW, 19 pages.

• Exit, scenario [screenplay] for novel.  Typed, autographed by HBW, 114 pages.

• A Boy, A Girl, and a Penguin, first writing, 73 pages, handwritten, unpublished.

• A Boy, A Girl, and a Penguin, final revision, typed, 25 pages, handwritten corrections.

• A Boy, A Girl, and a Penguin, final, typed, 24 pages.

• Molly Pickett's Man, first writing, handwritten, 80 pages

• Molly Pickett's Man, revision, handwritten and typed, 34 pages.

• A House With Windows, notes--1) clippings loose in a folder, 2) some handwritten notes in a small binder (20 pages), and 3) larger binder with newspaper and magazine clippings, with some handwritten notes by HBW, and 4) handwritten notes, clippings for column, approx. 40 pages.

• Bob and the Bishop, notes, short story, handwritten, 7 pages, written on back of San Diego's U. S. Grant Hotel stationary where HBW lived in the early 1930's while building Quiet Hills Farm in Escondido.

Box Two

• The Blacksmith, one act play, typed and handwritten, 82 pages

• The Salt of the Earth, play in three acts, a dramatization of HBW's novel, A Son of His Father, in collaboration with Rosemary Drachman.  

  • Copyright 1921, typed, 179 pages

  • Tucson revision worked over by HBW, handwritten, 170 pages

  • 1926 final version, production notes, 176 pages.

  • Copy inscribed, "To My Boy Paul From His Dad."

• Outline for three act play, 1930, autographed, typed, 45 pages

• Plays and Photographs, bound scrapbook clippings, 25 pages.

• Address given by HBW at dedication of Temple of Music and Art, autographed, 1927, 14 pages.

• Born of the Desert, cover by HBW, poetry, handwritten, 30 pages.

• Skee Dee, poem for son Norman Wright on his 8th birthday, handwritten, illustrated and bound by HBW.

• Autographed: 

  • Helen of the Old House

  • A Son of His Father

  • When a Man's a Man

  • God and the Groceryman

  • The Mine with the Iron Door

  • The Eyes of the World

  • Exit

  • That Printer of Udell's

• First Editions?:

  • The Shepherd of the Hills

  • The Calling of Dan Matthews

  • That Printer of Udell's

  • The Recreation of Brian Kent

Box Three

• A Boy, a Girl, and a Penguin, revision, paste-up, typed and handwritten, 29 pages.

• The Man Who Went Away

  • Outline notes in binder

  • Revision notes in binder

  • Argument, plan, and character histories in binder

• Correspondence

  • Harpers (publishers), Kitt, collaborator on Long Ago Told.

  • Sons Gilbert and Norman

  • Professor Mullenix, R.C. 1932

• Short Articles

  • Cattle Market News

  • Badger Clark

  • Fishing

  • Izaac Walton League

  • Outdoor America

  • Pennington School

  • Immortality, McCalls Magazine

  • El Centro High School

  • Boy Scouts

  • Telegram to Lowes, When a Man's a Man.

• Shepherd of the Hills map and language analysis

• Notes about HBW and his working methods

• Born of the Desert, Pages from God's other Book.  Approx 30 loose pages, handwritten.

• Sermon Outlines, No. 2.  Approximately 100 handwritten sermon outlines.

• Sermon Outlines, No. 1.  Approximately 100 handwritten sermon outlines.

• Story outlines for three original movies written by son Gilbert Wright:

  • Desert Storm

  • The Valley Range

  • Recreation of Brian Kent adaptation

• Sheet music, "Out Where the West Begins," cover design by HBW.

• One Hundred Percent, article about YMCA, published many times. 9 typed pages.

• One Afternoon, short story, Ladies Home Journal, typed, 14 pages.

• The Royal Family of Tomorrow, address, Salt Lake City, 1915, 42 pages.

• Short published articles, typed and handwritten, 40 pages.

• Why I Did Not Die, American Magazine, June, 1924, typed, 27 pages.

• A Desert Santa Claus, Ladies Home Journal, Christmas, 1927, typed, 62 pages.

Box Four

• That Printer of Udell's, 

  • Handwritten outline, 65 pages

  • 1st writing, autographed, typed with handwritten revisions, 562 pages

• The Shepherd of the Hills

  • Original handwritten copy, bound by HBW, 750 pages.

  • Ten-reel motion picture scenario (screenplay).

• The Calling of Dan Matthews

  • 1st writing, 42 chapters, average of 30 pages per chapter, 1260 pages.

  • Notes, entirely handwritten, some on the reverse side of proof pages of The Shepherd of the Hills.

• The Uncrowned King, autographed, typewritten, 36 pages.

Box Five

• The Winning of Barbara Worth

  • Argument and characters, outline, typed with index tabs, 31 pages.

  • First revision, typed with hand corrections, 700 pages.

• Their Yesterdays, first writing, 25 chapters, notes and handwritten chapters, enclosed envelopes and bound, 400 pages.

• The Eyes of the World

  • Outline, 40 pages, with 5 note pages pasted to each, handwritten, 240 pages

  • First revision, typed and handwritten, 480 pages.

  • Final revision, typed, 455 pages

  • Motion picture scenario [screenplay], with Donald Crisp and E. J. Vallejo, typed, 90 pages.

Box Six -- (Missing from Library 1985-2003)

• When a Man's a Man

  • Argument, notes, handwritten,  including card for each character, 180 cards.

  • Card outline, handwritten, 40 cards.

  • Outline, handwritten, 160 pages

  • First revision -- typed with hand notations and corrections, 603 pages

• The Recreation of Brian Kent

  • Argument, outline, handwritten, 75 pages

  • First writing, handwritten, 585 pages

  • Final revision, types with some holographic notations, 435 pages.

• Helen of the Old House

  • Argument, Characters, handwritten, 30 pages

  • Advance copy of part of story to publisher D. Appleton in folder, 150 pages

  • Outline, typed, handnotes, tabs, 116 pages (continued in box 7)

Box Seven -- Missing from Library (see note at top of page)

• Helen of the Old House (continued from box 6)

  • First writing, all handwritten, 650 pages.

  • Final version, typed, 364 pages.

• The Mine With The Iron Door

  • Characters, notes, handwritten with tabs, 35 pages.

  • Outline, 42 chapters, types with handwritten notes, 60 pages.

  • Second Outline, typed, many handwritten notes, 42 chapters, 125 pages.

  • First writing, all handwritten, 785 pages.

  • First revision, typed with hand notes and corrections, 288 pages.

  • Motion picture collaboration script, adapted by Hope, Loring, and Louis Lighton, labeled "Mr. Wright's personal copy," 148 pages.

Box Eight

• A Son of His Father

  • Argument, character outlines, notes, handwritten, 70 pages.

  • First outline, handwritten, 220 pages.

  • Synopsis, second outline, typed, 287 pages.

  • First writing, all handwritten, 844 pages.

  • First revision, typed, with handwritten corrections, 383 pages.

• God and the Groceryman

  • Synopsis, typewritten with handwritten notes, 70 pages.

  • First writing, all handwritten, 870 pages.

  • First revision, typed and handwritten notes, 404 pages.

Box Nine

• Long Ago Told

  • Glossary of Papago words used in stories, typed, 20 pages.

  • Papago vocabulary, alphabet tabs, typed, 26 pages.

  • Papago material, clippings, translations, typed, 50 pages.

  • Papago words, handwritten by HBW, tabs, 150 pages.

  • Papago legend, translated by Hugh Norris, typed, 24 pages.

  • First writing and first revision, typed with handwritten notes, 150 pages.

  • Second revision, typed with handwritten corrections, 150 pages.

• Exit

  • First writing, all handwritten, 711 pages.

  • First revision, typed with handwritten corrections, 290 pages.

  • Final revision, typed, 284 pages.

  • Copy of printer's copy, typed, 282 pages.

  • A play in three acts, from the novel, arranged by HBW, 100 pages, typed.

  • A play in three acts, another version, from the novel, arranged by HBW, 115 pages.

Box Ten

• The Devil's Highway, A collaboration between HBW and his son, Gilbert Wright, AKA, John Lebar.

  • The principles of Ethericity, by Gilbert Wright, typed, 11 pages.

  • First revision, typed with handwritten notes, 343 pages.

  • Final revision, typed with handwritten corrections, notes, additions, 362 pages.

• Ma Cinderella

  • Synopsis, typed with handwritten notes, 157 pages.

  • First writing, all handwritten, 799 pages.

  • Revision, typed with handwritten corrections, notes, additions, 324 pages.

• To My Sons

  • First writing, all handwritten, 650 pages  (continued in box 11).

Box Eleven

• To My Sons (continued from box ten)

  • First revision, typed with handwritten corrections, 260 pages.

  •  Final zerox of publisher's copy, 241 pages.

• The Man Who Went Away

  • Background material, loose in folder, 50 pages.

  • Loose pages, typed with handwritten notes.

  • Map of story area, by HBW

  • Work plan/ ideas, typed with handwritten notes, tabs for characters, 30 pages.

  • Outline No. one, all handwritten, 50 pages.

  • First writing, 1932 to 1941, typed with handwritten notes, tabs, 454 pages.

  • Revision, typed and handwritten, 4?? pages.

  • Final version, typed, 310 pages.

Box Twelve -- Published Stories, Articles, Serialized Novels

• McCalls

  • 1927, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul,  Serial: God and the Groceryman.

  • 1925, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Serial: A Son of His Father.

• Cosmopolitan 

  • 1932, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Serial: Ma Cinderella.

  • 1932-33, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. Serial: To My Sons.

• American Magazine

  • February 1918, "The Sword of Jesus."  First article written for a magazine.  Portrait of HBW on page 9.

  • June, 1928, "The are not Hell Bent."

  • June, 1924, "Why I Did Not Die."

• Physical Culture

  • 1931-32, July (advanced publicity), Jan, Feb, Mar, Serial: The Devil's Highway.

  • April, 1931, "What About God?"

• Outdoor America -- Isaac Walton League of America -- conservation

  • November, 1923, "A Question of Patriotism."

  • June, 1928, (page four), "Places of Healing."

• Good Housekeeping

  • July, 1932, poem (page 25), "A Window."

• Pictorial Review

  • December, 1930, "Keeping Christmas."

  • January, 1936, ????

• Ladies Home Journal

  • December, 1927, "A Desert Santa Claus."

• Life Insurance Trade Paper

  • February 5, 1926, "Famous Authors' Life Insurance Program," a reprint from Insurance Field.

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