Theatre Guild, Inc. records on the production of "The Fifth Column"

The collection contains a typescript of Ernest Hemingway's play "The Fifth Column" adapted by Benjamin Glazer as well as correspondence and contracts. Correspondence includes payment disputes, production equipment rentals, and staffing issues.

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) wrote "The Fifth Column," his only play, while serving in Spain as a newspaper correspondent in 1937. The play follows the story of Philip Rawlings, a Republican agent, during the siege of Madrid, as he attempts to pursue Fascist agents within the city. "The Fifth Column" was originally published in an anthology that included his short stories in 1938. After adaptation by Benjamin F. Glaser, "The Fifth Column" opened on March 6, 1940 at the Alvin Theater in New York City and ran for 87 performances. It starred actor Franchot Tone (1905-1968) as Rawlings and was produced by the Theater Guild (established 1919) and directed by Lee Strasberg (1901-1982).