Lord Killanin Document Collection

Identity Statement

Content & Structure

• Scope & Content: Michael Morris, Third Baron Killanin and Four Provinces Productions ↴

  The collection is comprised mainly of personal and business correspondence between Killanin and various others associated with the film industry, including the directors John Ford and Brian Desmond Hurst, screenwriter Frank Nugent and actor Tyrone Power.

  Correspondence generally relates to the business of Four Provinces Ltd and its film productions. The potential films mentioned include “The White Company”, “The Judge and His Hangman”, “The Long Day”, “Drama at Inish”, “Demi Gods”, “The Irish R. M.”, “Lady into Fox”, “The Familiar”, “Country Dance”, “The Golden Barque” and “The Jackboot in Ireland”. The production of the films “The Rising of the Moon” (1957), “The Quiet Man” (1952), “Innisfree”(1990), “Gideon’s Day”(1958), “Alfred the Great”, “Young Cassidy” and “Playboy of the Western World” is also discussed. The correspondence in many cases includes annotated screenplays and discussion on financing, casting and set designs, giving a detailed background to the production of films by Four Provinces from the 1950s-1960s.

  The collection also holds material relating to the writing of three books, “Pappy: The Life of John Ford” by Dan Ford, “John Ford” by Andrew Sinclair, and the second volume of Killanin’s memoirs which were never published. This material includes correspondence between the authors and Lord Killanin on a variety of topics, including the Ford/Feeney genealogy with a Feeney family tree, lists of contacts for John Ford and requests for interviews with Killanin. Some draft manuscripts are also present.
  As well as documents, the collection also contains over 600 stills, photographs and contact sheets taken from the films “Playboy of the Western World”, “The Rising of the Moon”, “Young Cassidy”, “The Quiet Man” and “Gideon’s Day”.

• Appraisal Destruction ↴

  Permanent Retention

• Arrangement ↴

  The collection is comprised mainly of personal and business correspondence between Killanin and various others associated with the film industry, including the directors John Ford and Brian Desmond Hurst, screenwriter Frank Nugent and actor Tyrone Power.

  Correspondence generally relates to the business of Four Provinces Ltd and its film productions. The potential films mentioned include “The White Company”, “The Judge and His Hangman”, “The Long Day”, “Drama at Inish”, “Demi Gods”, “The Irish R. M.”, “Lady into Fox”, “The Familiar”, “Country Dance”, “The Golden Barque” and “The Jackboot in Ireland”. The production of the films “The Rising of the Moon” (1957), “The Quiet Man” (1952), “Innisfree”(1990), “Gideon’s Day”(1958), “Alfred the Great”, “Young Cassidy” and “Playboy of the Western World” is also discussed. The correspondence in many cases includes annotated screenplays and discussion on financing, casting and set designs, giving a detailed background to the production of films by Four Provinces from the 1950s-1960s.

  The collection also holds material relating to the writing of three books, “Pappy: The Life of John Ford” by Dan Ford, “John Ford” by Andrew Sinclair, and the second volume of Killanin’s memoirs which were never published. This material includes correspondence between the authors and Lord Killanin on a variety of topics, including the Ford/Feeney genealogy with a Feeney family tree, lists of contacts for John Ford and requests for interviews with Killanin. Some draft manuscripts are also present.
  As well as documents, the collection also contains over 600 stills, photographs and contact sheets taken from the films “Playboy of the Western World”, “The Rising of the Moon”, “Young Cassidy”, “The Quiet Man” and “Gideon’s Day”.

Conditions of Access & Use

Allied Materials

Descriptive Control Area