Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
M. Charles Cohen fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material
- Sound recording
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1898-1986, predominant 1950-1986 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
5.5 m of textual records.
319 photographs.
4 audio reels.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in Alberta and raised in Winnipeg, Cohen graduated from the University of Manitoba where he wrote for the Manitoban and other student publications. After completing a degree in Social Work in Toronto, he worked there and in Montreal as a social worker, writing in his spare time. In 1956 his wife, Dian Nusgart, encouraged him to turn to writing full time. Within the first two years he sold over fifty scripts, set-up a theatre company with two others, and wrote a regular column on theatrical activities for the Montrealer. In 1960 he received a Canada Council Grant for the study of drama in New York and London. Initially Cohen wrote mainly half-hour dramas for radio and television. He wrote a series of plays dealing with Canadian history, numerous scripts for the National Film Board, and several other productions. His first major success was the film-play Dry Landers produced by the National Film Board. His flair for historical drama led him to modest acclaim in Canada and to a much wider audience south of the border. Many of his television screenplays were aired on American television in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s; the best known was Roots.
Custodial history
The fonds was donated to University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections by M. Charles Cohen in 1986.
Scope and content
The fonds consists primarily of drafts of numerous radio plays and television screen plays written by Cohen. The collection also contains significant correspondence (personal and business), reviews, and related material over a period of thirty years. Two scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings on the life and career of Cohen, as well as production photographs are also included.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on this material.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A printed finding aid is available in the Archives reading room and an on-line finding aid is available at the link below
Generated finding aid
Associated materials
Accruals
No further accruals to this fonds are expected.
Alternative identifier(s)
Photograph Collection
Tape Collection
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
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Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Inventory prepared by Denise Anderson (1993)
Finding aid encoded by Julianna Trivers (May 2002)