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| Fonds/Collection Number: | F0611 | ||||||||||
| Title: | Robert Greer Allen fonds | ||||||||||
| Dates: | 1916-2001 | ||||||||||
| Extent: | 2.13 m of textual records 110 photographs : sepia, b&w and col. ; 33.5 x 26 cm or smaller 23 architectural drawings ; 42 x 104.5 cm or smaller 8 drawings : col. ink and watercolour ; 50 x 38 cm or smaller 6 videocassettes 2 award statuettes 1 printing plate 1 plaque 1 audio reel |
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| Biographical Sketch/ Administrative History: | Robert Greer Allen, a writer, producer and director of radio and television drama, was born in Toronto on 19 October 1917 to Arthur Greer Allen and Eleanor Beatrice Higginbottom. He attended University of Toronto Schools between September 1932 and June 1935 and served as editor of the school journal, "The phoenix". In September 1935, Robert began his studies at Trinity College, University of Toronto, where he was an editor of the "Trinity University review", president of the Trinity College Dramatic Society, and a features editor of "The varsity". He graduated with an honours BA in political science and economy in 1939. Allen's interest in writing, specifically short stories and radio plays, flourished through his marriage to Rita Weyman in 1941. Together, Robert and Rita wrote and submitted many radio scripts for broadcast during the 1940s. In 1941, Robert enlisted as a private in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and was later promoted to the ranks of sergeant, staff sergeant, warrant officer, lieutenant, and lieutenant colonel. His radio production career began in earnest during the war when he was seconded to the Communications Corps and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to write and produce a radio program for the Dominion Network titled "Servicemen's forum", for which he travelled throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Holland, Germany and Denmark. After the war, Robert continued his work for the CBC, becoming a producer for a variety of radio programs, including the CBC's international service, the CBC Radio Orchestra, and music and drama for CBC radio in Vancouver, between 1947 and 1952. Robert's success as a radio producer made him a desirable choice to help launch CBC television in 1952, and the Greer Allens returned to Toronto from Vancouver. As a producer, supervising producer, assistant program director, program director and supervising producer in television drama and special programs, Robert was integral to the production of much CBC original dramatic programming in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Credited as Robert Allen, he worked as supervising or executive producer for programs including "Sunshine sketches" (1952-1953), "Playbill" (1953-1964), "General Motors theatre" (1954-1956), "Folio" (1955-1959), "Ford startime" (1959-1960), "Festival" (1960-1969), "Opening night"(1974-1975), "Performance" (1974-1976), "The great detective" (1979-1982), "Seeing things" (1981-1987), and "The way we are" (1985-1988), and became the executive producer of CBC Drama. After more than 40 years of work for the CBC, he retired in 1990. Robert Greer Allen died in Toronto on 20 August 2005. | ||||||||||
| Scope and Content: |
Fonds consists of records created and maintained by Robert Greer Allen pertaining to his personal and professional activities, specifically his work as a producer and executive producer for programs on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) radio and television from the 1940s to the late 1980s, his experience as a radio scriptwriter (working with wife Rita Greer Allen) in the 1940s, and his early life and childhood. These records include scripts, production materials, photographs, architectural drawings, personal and career memorabilia, correspondence, memoranda, day planners, research materials and administrative files.
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| Restrictions on Access and Use: | There are no restrictions on access. | ||||||||||
| Finding Aid: | A finding aid is available. | ||||||||||
| URL of Finding Aid: | http://archivesfa.library.yorku.ca/fonds/ON00370-f0000611.pdf | ||||||||||
| Accruals: | The fonds comprises the following accessions: 2010-071. No further accruals are expected. | ||||||||||
| 2010-071 |
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| Related Records: | Records pertaining to Robert Greer Allen can also be found in the fonds of Rita Greer Allen (F0596). | ||||||||||
| Immediate source of acquisition: | Donated by the Estate of Rita Greer Allen in 2010. | ||||||||||
| Other Notes: | The records in this fonds were donated with the records of his wife, Rita Greer Allen, as part of accession 2010-067. These records were assigned a different accession number, 2010-071, to allow for the creation of two separate fonds for Rita Greer Allen and for Robert Greer Allen. | ||||||||||
| Provenance Access Points: | Greer Allen, Robert, 1917-2005 Allen, Robert, 1917-2005 |
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Date of creation: 2012/01/10 Date of last revision: 2012/06/26 |
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