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University of Texas at Austin

Lewis M. Allen:

An Inventory of His Papers for The Queen (1968) at the Harry Ransom Center

Creator: Allen, Lewis M., 1922-2003
Title: Lewis M. Allen Papers for The Queen (1968)
Dates: 1967-2001, undated
Extent: 5 document boxes, plus an additional 12 folders located in 5 other document boxes (2.62 linear feet)
Abstract: Executive producer Lewis M. Allen’s files for the documentary film The Queen (1968)—a behind-the-scenes look at the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant in New York City—include correspondence, publicity materials, financial and legal records, and visual materials. The files document the film’s production, original domestic release, international distribution, reception, censorship, film festival showings, 25th anniversary re-release and screenings, and video release.
Call Number: Film Collection FI-00059
Language: English with some items written in French, German, Italian, or Spanish
Note: This finding aid describes only part of the Lewis M. Allen Papers, namely the files documenting Allen's role as executive producer for The Queen (1968). These files are now also available as a digital collection created for a collaborative project led by the Digital Transgender Archive with support from the Council on Library and Information Resources. Please contact the Ransom Center for further information about the rest of the Lewis M. Allen Papers.
Access: Open for research. Researchers must create an online Research Account and agree to the Materials Use Policy before using archival materials.
Use Policies: Ransom Center collections may contain material with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in the collections without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the Ransom Center and The University of Texas at Austin assume no responsibility.
Restrictions on Use: Authorization for publication is given on behalf of the University of Texas as the owner of the collection and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder which must be obtained by the researcher. For more information please see the Ransom Center's Open Access and Use Policies.

Administrative Information


Preferred Citation: Lewis M. Allen Papers for The Queen (1968) (Film Collection FI-00059). Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.
Acquisition: Gifts, 2004-2006
Processed by: Finding aid created by Dr. Amy Fast, Cristina Liendo, Cameron Pirzadeh, Jesse Trussell, 2006; Hagan Barber, 2012 (for the Lewis M. Allen Papers); Joan Sibley, 2024 (for the Lewis M Allen Papers for The Queen (1968)).
Repository:

Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Scope and Contents


Lewis M. Allen (1922-2003) was an American film and Broadway producer, best known for producing film versions of The Connection (1961), Fahrenheit 451 (1966), and Lord of the Flies (1963 and 1990), as well as stage productions of the Tony Award-winning shows Annie (1977), I’m Not Rappaport (1986), and Master Class (1996).
The Lewis M. Allen Papers contain Allen’s files for The Queen (1968), which include correspondence, publicity materials, financial and legal records, and visual materials. The files document the film’s production, original domestic release, international distribution, reception, censorship, film festival showings, 25th anniversary screenings, and video release.
The Queen is a behind-the-scenes look at the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant in New York City, which was organized by LGBTQ icon and activist Flawless Sabrina (Jack Doroshow, 1939-2017). The competitors included Harlow (Richard Finocchio, later known as Rachel Harlow) and Crystal LaBeija (who later formed the House of LaBeija featured in Paris Is Burning, 1990). Among the contest judges were Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, Larry Rivers, Terry Southern, and several others.
When entertainment lawyer Si Litvinoff was approached with the idea of filming a documentary of the pageant, he enlisted Lewis Allen as executive producer. They were joined by director and cinematographer Frank Simon, producer Don Herbert, and executive producer John Maxtone-Graham. The Queen became the first film distributed by Grove Press’s new film division.
Best represented among the correspondents are Lewis M. Allen, Don Herbert, Si Litvinoff, John Maxtone-Graham, and Chris Robinson (who booked 25th anniversary and other screenings, 1993-1994). Jack Doroshow’s original announcement of the 1967 Nationals is present, along with correspondence from Ellen Fisher Turk (director of Split, 1994, a portrait of International Chrysis), Linda (Les) Simpson, and several fan letters written to Rachel Harlow. There are also two brief handwritten manuscripts by Harlow, titled "After the Club" and "New York A Safe Place."
For more information about The Queen and the 2020 Kino Lorber restoration, see:
Harry Ransom Center. All hail The Queen! An interview with drag historian Joe E. Jeffreys. Ransom Center Magazine, June 26, 2020.
Wilson, Steve. The Queen. Ransom Center Magazine, June 8, 2020.

Related Material


New York University, Fales Library and Special Collections: Jack Doroshow / Flawless Sabrina Papers, 1937-2018.

Separated Material


Materials in the Ransom Center’s Moving Image Collection for Lewis M. Allen include extensive holdings for The Queen. The Center’s original 16mm camera negatives and numerous outtakes were used to create Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration (2020), building on work done by UCLA Film & Television Archive, Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, and the Harry Ransom Center.

Index Terms


People
Allen, Lewis M., 1922-2003.
Doroshow, Jack.
Harlow, Rachel.
Herbert, Don.
LaBeija, Crystal.
Litvinoff, Si.
Maxtone-Graham, John.
Robinson, Chris.

Organizations
Grove Press.
Lewis Allen Productions.
Vineyard Films.

Subjects
Beauty contests -- United States.
Cannes Film Festival (21st : 1968).
Crossdressers.
Documentary films -- Censorship.
Documentary films -- Distribution.
Documentary films -- Finance.
Documentary films -- Production and direction.
Documentary films -- Reviews.
Drag queens.
Film festivals.
Gender identity -- United States -- 20th century.
LGBTQ+ people.
Queen (Motion picture : 1968).
Transgender people.

Document Types
Advertisements.
Clippings.
Correspondence.
Film stills.
Financial records.
Legal documents.
Manuscripts.
Photographs.
Press kits.
Press releases.
Reviews.

Container List