Arthur Miller's "The Hook"

September 8, 2006 9:53 AM

Arthur Miller's "The Hook"

Apparently Arthur Miller wrote a screenplay called "The Hook" that was never published/produced. I want to read it. I've googled around, and while there are many references to the screenplay, there doesn't seem to be any way to buy or read it (unsuprising, I suppose, since it isn't published). Does anyone know where his papers are kept, or some other way I might get my hands on this?

posted by dpx.mfx to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

This article says that some of Miller's papers were lost in a fire and that his letters (to Marilyn) reside in a bank vault. But this is an old article (2001). I'm still looking around.
posted by mattbucher at 10:53 AM on September 8, 2006

Response by poster: Thanks Mattbucher. I called the Bently Historical Library at the University of Michigan, thinking they might be house there, but they only have non-original papers and they don't have a copy of "The Hook." I fear it's just lost!
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:57 AM on September 8, 2006 [1 favorite]

OK. They do have a copy of it at the Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin. I found this out in a book called "Congressional Theater" by Brenda Murphy (you can search inside it for "The Hook"). In the back matter, page 282, note 4 (the note refers to a long summary of the screenplay on page 209), she says, "This discussion is based on a copy of "The Hook" at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, at the University of Texas at Austin...." and then she mentions another book that analyzes the play.

I live in Austin and I could go to HRC and take a look at this thing for you (not sure if I could xerox it, though). Email is in my profile.
posted by mattbucher at 11:11 AM on September 8, 2006

Response by poster: Wow, that's awsome. I called, and the woman wasn't sure if they have it in their collection, but told me who to email to find out. They're going to look and let me know if they have it and whehter then can photocopy and send it to me. I never would have thought to check amazon. Thank you so much.
posted by dpx.mfx at 1:25 PM on September 8, 2006

Wow, please let us know (post here) if you get your hands on this. I'd really like to see it as well and I live in Houston, might be worth a visit to Ausitn to read it!
posted by raygan at 1:34 PM on September 8, 2006

You could also try emailing the author of that book I mentioned ([e-mail]) and ask her how she was able to get hold of it, but I do suspect it is in the cavernous holdings of the Ransom Center.
posted by mattbucher at 1:39 PM on September 8, 2006