American Theater History Edward G. Robinson Signed Actors’ Equity Contract for Middle of the Night, 1957

Edward G. Robinson

Manuscripts & Autographs

Robinson, Edward G. Signed contract extending his engagement in Middle of the Night, 1957, documents the contractual administration of Broadway performance and Robinson’s final stage role. Robinson starred as the Manufacturer in Paddy Chayefsky’s drama, which opened at the ANTA Playhouse on February 8, 1956, and closed on May 25, 1957, after 477 performances. His performance earned a 1956 Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play. Executed eight days before the production closed, the document supports research into Robinson’s theatrical career, midcentury Broadway, and the labor agreements governing professional actors.

Robinson, Edward G. May 17, 1957. One page. New York. Signed Actors’ Equity Association contract extending Robinson’s engagement in Middle of the Night through its final performance on May 25, 1957. The agreement demonstrates the process by which a principal actor’s employment was formally continued through the closing of a Broadway production, linking Robinson’s individual participation to the professional theatrical labor system represented by Actors’ Equity documentation. Robinson signs boldly, “Edward G. Robinson.”

The contract dates from the concluding days of Robinson’s return to Broadway after a career centered largely on motion pictures and records his continued participation as the production approached its final performance. The precise correspondence between the contractual end date and the documented closing date gives the document particular value as evidence of Broadway employment practice and the final phase of a significant theatrical engagement. No defects are identified in the supplied description; near fine. A signed labor document connecting Robinson’s stage career with the contractual mechanisms of midcentury American theater.

Item #7757

Price: $150.00