http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu010004 Ira Gershwin Files from the Law Office of Leonard Saxe Processed by the Music Division of the Library of Congress Music Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2010 Guides to Special Collections in the Music Division of the Library of Congress

Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2010561020

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2010 Finding aid written in English. 2010 March Editorial revisions made to this finding aid by Nancy Seeger in March 2010. Collection Summary Ira Gershwin Files from the Law Office of Leonard Saxe 1935-1967 (bulk 1948-1967) ML31.S28 Saxe, Leonard Spier, 1899-1968 8,250 items 33 containers 14.25 linear feet Collection material in English Music Division Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
This collection consists primarily of correspondence and contracts related to the personal legal affairs of Ira Gershwin and the activities of the Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust from 1935-1967. It includes royalty and copyright materials for well-known Gershwin shows and films, most notably Porgy and Bess. In addition, this collection contains financial documents related to the Rose Gershwin Estate, litigation materials, programs, and press clippings. Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

 People Alexandre, Emmanuel--Correspondence. Breen, Robert S.--Correspondence. Gershwin, Arthur, 1900-1981--Correspondence. Gershwin, George, 1898-1937. Porgy and Bess. Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983--Autographs. Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983--Correspondence. Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983. Gershwin, Ira, 1896-1983. Ira Gershwin files from the law office of Leonard Saxe. 1935-1967. Gershwin, Leonore, d. 1991. Gershwin, Rose. Goldwyn, Samuel, 1882-1974. Lazar, Irving, 1907-1993--Correspondence. Saxe, Leonard Spier, 1899-1968--Correspondence. Saxe, Leonard Spier, 1899-1968. Organizations Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Chappell and Co. Columbia Artists Management, Inc. Gershwin Publishing Corporation. New Dawn Music Corporation. New World Music Limited. On-Stage Productions. Palestine Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art. T.B. Harms & Co. Walden Records. Subjects Copyright--Performing rights--United States. Lyricists--United States--Correspondence. Theater--Law and legislation--United States. Form/Genre Financial records. Legal correspondence. Legal documents. Administrative Information Provenance

Gift, Robert and Steven Saxe, 2000.

 Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

 Processing History

The Ira Gershwin files from the law office of Leonard Saxe were processed in 2008 by Christopher Hartten and encoded for EAD by Janet McKinney in 2010.

 Related Material

The Library of Congress Music Division holds the George and Ira Gershwin Collection.

 Copyright Status

The status of copyright on Ira Gershwin files from the law office of Leonard Saxe is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

 Access and Restrictions

The Ira Gershwin files from the law office of Leonard Saxe are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Performing Arts Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.

 Security Classified Documents

Government regulations control the use of security classified material in this collection. Performing Arts Reading Room staff can furnish information concerning access to and use of classified materials.

 Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: container number, Ira Gershwin Files from the Law Office of Leonard Saxe, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note

Ira Gershwin obtained the legal services of attorney Leonard Spier Saxe following the death of his mother, Rose Gershwin, on December 16, 1948. Saxe, a distant relative by marriage who owned an established general practice firm in New York City, provided personal legal counsel to Ira, Leonore, and Arthur Gershwin and managed their affairs with the Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust from 1948-1968. Ira and Leonard also shared a close friendship and corresponded frequently about non-legal matters, including investments, vacations, and real estate opportunities. His legal representation for the Gershwins ceased in 1968 following his own professional retirement and the subsequent change of Ira’s legal representation to attorney Ronald Blanc in Los Angeles.

 Scope and Content Note

The Ira Gershwin Files from the Law Office of Leonard Saxe spans the period 1948-1967. The collection includes contracts, correspondence, handwritten notes, financial documents, memos, pamphlets, programs, clippings, and other materials related to Saxe’s legal representation of Ira Gershwin and his involvement with the Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust.

Saxe’s efforts on behalf of Ira, Leonore, and Arthur Gershwin are recorded in extraordinary detail in a series of typescript logs entitled “Record of work done for the Gershwins.” These entries contextualize the hundreds of handwritten notes that accompany many of the subject files and provide a thorough account of Ira’s business affairs throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s. It is an invaluable tool, if not an ideal starting point, for navigating the contents of this collection.

Saxe arranged his office files principally by subject. His original folder headings have been used to organize the materials thematically by show title, organization, and other general categories. The subjects of these documents range from motion picture production contracts and copyright deposits to estate taxes and personal correspondence.

“Royalties and copyrights” contains documents pertaining to the licensing and revenues of compositions by George and/or Ira Gershwin. Porgy and Bess accounts for much of this material, primarily because its acclaimed international productions generated additional licensing agreements. “Litigation” includes materials specifically related to courtroom settlements, the most notable being Breen vs. Goldwyn, Lazar. The voluminous series entitled “Estate of Rose Gershwin” documents Saxe’s actions as liaison to the Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust, many of which are presented chronologically in his nineteen volume ‘general file.’ The remaining series,’ “Estate of Ira and Leonore Gershwin” and “Arthur Gershwin” describe personal affairs and litigation largely unrelated to musical compositions or royalties.

 Organization of the Ira Gershwin Files from the Law Office of Leonard Saxe

The Ira Gershwin Files from the Law Office of Leonard Saxe are organized into 6 series:

Record of Work Done for the Gershwins, 1948-1966 (0.75 linear feet) Royalties and Copyrights: (6.00 linear feet) Litigation, 1953-1964 (1.00 linear feet) Estate of Rose Gershwin Estate of Ira and Leonore Gershwin, 1950-1963 (8 folders) Arthur Gershwin, 1950-1966 (2 folders) http://lccn.loc.gov/2010561020 Container List Container Contents 1-2 Record of Work Done for the Gershwins, 1948-1966 1/1-3 1948 Dec. – 1953 Aug. 1/4-6 1953 Sept. – 1957 Dec. 1/7-8 1958 Jan. – 1962 Dec. 1/9-10 1963 Jan. – 1964 Dec. 2/1-3 1965 Jan. – 1966 Sept. 3-16 Royalties and Copyrights 3-8 Shows, 1935-1967 American in Paris [film] 3/1-4 General materials, 1949-1952 Funny Face 3/5 Ira Gershwin individually and as George Gershwin’s next-of-kin, including agreements and D (1928), 1955-1957 Girl Crazy 3/6-7 Agreements, contracts, correspondence, 1951-1965 3/8 General materials, 1958-1959, 1962 Kiss Me, Stupid [film] 4/1-5 Correspondence, music, contracts, copyrights, etc., 1964 Lady, Be Good! 4/6 1956 estate tax - closed 1961 Nov. 14 4/7 Ira renewal assignment Lady in the Dark 4/8-10 Chiefly stock license to Tams-Witmark Music Library Inc., 1965 Of Thee I Sing 4/11-12 General materials, 1951-1952 4/13 Stock amateur correspondence Oh, Kay! 5/1 Bolton-Wodehouse agreements 5/2-3 General materials, 1951-1960 Porgy and Bess 5/4-6 Breen contract 5/7-8 Clippings, 1950-1953 and undated 5/9-10 Contracts, 1957 Aug. 5/11 Colton – instructions re: album, 1965 6/1-6 Colton's letter of 1964 Mar. 1 re: instructions on distrubution of income from U.S. phonograph record album after 1963 Sept. 28 6/7-8 Davis compromise 6/9-12 General materials, 1950-1951, 1955 7/1-3 General materials, 1954-1956 7/4 The Gershwin years (CBS) license, 1961 Jan. 15 7/5-10 Motion picture contract data with Samuel Goldwyn, 1957 8/1-2 New Dawn Music Corp. – U.S. renewal publishing rights sale agreement, 1965 July 1 8/3-6 Papers, including Field 1963 and Summer 1963 8/7 Reviews, 1955-1956 8/8 Summer 1958 and 1963-1965 and city center 8/9 Theatre Guild investment 8/10 Waiver of cross accountings and agreement of beneficial interests, 1965 July 1 Strike up the Band 8/11 Ira renewal assignment 9-14 Organizations, 1935-1967 Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 9/1-4 Contracts dated 1958 Apr. 28, etc. American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) 9/5 Amended final judgement, 1950 9/6 Compromise agreement, 1952 9/7-9 General materials, 1949-1953 9/10 General materials, 1950-1965 9/11 General materials, 1958-1965 10/1 Ira Gershwin – ASCAP list 10/2-4 Proposed royalty agreements Chappell and Co. 10/5 Chappell/Gershwin movie mechanicals royalties modification, 1955 Oct. 31 10/6-7 Leonore S. Gershwin agreement, 1965 July 1 10/8-10 Royalty statements 10/11 Selling agency agreements Columbia Artists Management, Inc. 10/12 General materials, 1951-1954 Gershwin Publishing Corporation (GPC) 11/1-3 Chappell and Co. agreements 11/4-6 Co-owner accounting for own use B accounting for license rights on renewals prior to their sale by the next-of-kin 11/7-12 Correspondence and memos 12/1-2 Deal miscellaneous memoranda 12/3 Deal royalties 12/4 Financial statements, 1949-1952 12/5-6 Personal holding company tax matter 12/7-11 Used material, 1956-1965 [i.e. agreements, contracts, correspondence]

Includes documents related to establishment of G.P.C.

 13/1-2 Used material, 1956-1965 [i.e. agreements, contracts, correspondence] New Dawn Music Corporation 13/3 Agreement to sell motion picture renewals and 10% of net profits agreement 13/4 Agreements of sale, 1965 Oct. 1 and 1966 July 1 13/5-6 Complete set of deal photocopies given to next-of-kin, 1965 Sept. and additional agreements 13/7 Dreyfus deal restrictive agreements 13/8 General materials, 1965 13/9 Quarterly statements New World Music Limited 14/1-2 Annual statements 14/3 Royalty statements, 1951-1958 OV/1-4 Royalty statements, 1958-1960 14/4-7 Royalty statements – also data on possible question of ownership of renewal payments taken from various other files On-Stage Productions 14/8 "Gershwin" [biographical film] Palestine Conservatory of Music and Dramatic Art 14/9 General materials, 1953-1954 T. B. Harms and Co. 14/10 Harms/New World Music agreements Walden Records 14/11 General materials, 1953-1960 15-16 Miscellaneous, 1935-1967 15/1-3 Copyright renewal and capital gains data 15/4-6 Copyright renewals 15/7-8 Deal correspondence and data relating to Malino to 1965 Oct. 27 15/9 Gershwin copyrights 15/10 Gershwin correspondence, etc. re: television 16/1-2 Gershwin income for Leonard Saxe 16/3 Holograph envelope from IG to Leonard Saxe, 1965 Dec. 23 16/4 Index to work on deal, 1957-1965 16/5-6 Ira Gershwin’s renewals, etc. – contract for Ira and Leonore with four publishing corporations, 1965 July 1 16/7 Open post-deal matters 16/8 Some more or less open Gershwin matters [i.e. agreements, contracts, correspondence] 16/9 Working out manner for Ira, Arthur, and Frankie to report next-of-kin deal in 1965 income tax returns 17-18 Litigation, 1953-1964

Breen vs. Goldwyn, Lazar 17/1-3 18th report of the judicial council 17/4-8 General materials, 1953-1964 17/9-10 Porgy and Bess Gershwin vs. U.S. 18/1 Distribution of Gershwin vs. U.S., 1958 Gershwin vs. U.S. – The Shocking Miss Pilgrim 18/2 General materials, 1956-1957 18/3-6 Tax refund for 1945 and 1946 Schwartz vs. BMI 18/7-11 John Schulman correspondence, memoranda, and agreements Société de spectacles lumbroso vs. Hug and Sons 18/12 Zurich stuff [i.e. Robert Breen contract for Porgy and Bess] 19-32 Estate of Rose Gershwin

19-27 General files, 1949-1966 19/1-7 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #1, 1949-1950 19/8-12 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #2, 1950-1952 20/1-2 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #2, 1950-1952 20/3-7 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #3, 1952-1953 20/8-10 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #4, 1954-1956 21/1-2 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #4, 1954-1956 21/3-6 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #5, 1956 21/7-8 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #6, 1957 21/9-10 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #7, 1957-1958 22/1 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #7, 1957-1958 22/2-5 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #8, 1958 22/6-10 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #9, 1959 23/1-5 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #10, 1959-1960 23/6-9 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #11, 1960-1961 24/1-2 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #11, 1960-1961 24/3-7 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #12, 1962 24/8-10 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #13, 1963 25/1-2 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #13, 1963 25/3-6 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #14, 1964 25/7-11 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #15, 1964 26/1-4 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #16, 1964 26/5-8 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #17, 1965 26/9-11 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #18, 1965 27/1-2 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #18, 1965 27/3-7 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust general file #19, 1966 28-32 Subject files, 1937-1967 28/1 Agendas and meetings in the 1950's 28/2 Executor final account, 1952 28/3-4 Federal estate tax 28/5 Gershwin estate correspondence, 1937-1943 28/6 Gershwin fee agreement 28/7 Gershwin miscellaneous trust first intermediate accounting 28/8-12 Income tax 28/13 Ira Berlove claim 28/14 Jewelry 29/1-3 Leonard Saxe legal services for Gershwin Trust 29/4-6 Miscellaneous law memos 29/7 Miscellaneous memoranda of fact, drafts, agendas, etc. 29/8 Miscellaneous open matters [i.e. agreements, contracts, correspondence] 29/9-12 New York County Surrogate’s Court – account of proceedings 30/1-3 New York County Surrogate’s Court – account of proceedings 30/4-7 New York County Surrogate’s Court – claims of Emmanuel Alexandre, Pollock, and Berger, 1948 30/8-9 New York County Surrogate’s Court – memoranda 30/10 New York state estate tax OV/5 Rose Gershwin Hadassah bequest acknowledgement 31/1-2 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1948 Dec. - 1954 July 31/3-4 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1954 Aug. - 1958 May 31/5-6 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1958 June - 1960 Dec. 31/7-8 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1961 Jan. - 1962 Dec. 31/9 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1963 Jan. - 1964 June 31/10 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1964 July - 1965 Dec. 32/1 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1966 Jan. - 1967 June 32/2 Rose Gershwin Testamentary Trust financial statements, 1967 July - 1968 Mar. 32/3 Royalties earned, four years ending 1952 Nov. 30 32/4-7 Tax forms, 1970-1972 32/8-9 Trustees first intermediate accounting 33 Estate of Ira and Leonore Gershwin, 1950-1963 33/1 Gershwin material of some interest but to be left in N.Y. 33/2-4 Ira Gershwin personal papers 33/5 Leonore and Ira Gershwin trusts – law file 33/6-7 Leonore and Ira Gershwin trusts – material for California 33/8 Life and estate planning 33 Arthur Gershwin, 1950-1966 33/9 General materials, 1955-1966 33/10 Gershwin vs. Gershwin separation and divorce