.
By The Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections Staff
Collection Overview
Title: Coleman Luck, Jr. Papers, 1978-2002
Predominant Dates:1984-2002
ID: SC/041
Primary Creator: Luck, Coleman (1945-)
Extent: 118.0 boxes. More info below.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged by series with folder level control.
Date Acquired: 00/00/1988
Subjects: Christian drama, Equalizer (Television program), Gabriel's Fire (Television program), Luck, Coleman -- Manuscripts, Matrix (Television program), Motion picture authorship, Otherworld (Television program), Television authorship
Forms of Material: Articles, Audiotapes, Biographies, Clippings Files, Correspondence, Film Scripts, Financial Records, Interviews, Legal Documents, Memorabilia, Photographs, Television Scripts, Videotapes
Languages: English
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Coleman Luck Collection (SC-41) provides a look at the process of free-lance and contracted writing for television and screenplay. Mr. Luck's materials show a project's journey from a simple concept, to an outline, treatment, research, first draft, revisions, final manuscript, and finally to the screen. This collection contains a wide variety of materials including correspondence, periodical clippings, manuscripts and video tapes. The bulk of the material dates from 1984-present. The arrangement of the collection is primarily chronological, though the professional written work is filed alphabetically. All correspondence is filed chronologically when possible with a section of the business correspondence arranged alphabetically.
Personal notes and business memoranda are filed separately with undated material at the end or merged alphabetically (business).
Periodical clippings are divided into three categories. First, are the files which Mr. Luck called "general interest." These contain a wide array of articles, usually connected in some way with the arts and entertainment industry. The other categories concern "The Equalizer," "Gabriel's Fire," and "Matrix" television series. Clippings were copied for preservation reasons.
The business material of "The Equalizer," "Gabriel's Fire," and "Matrix" series help to give a behind-the-scenes look at a television production. Budget reports detail a variety of costs, from building leases to actor salaries. The production information provide day-to-day shooting and script schedules. The production material is arranged alphabetically, while the budget material is arranged chronologically.
Any written material, or projects not printed as a script are filed under "Potential Projects." These materials are arranged alphabetically. An attempt was made to arrange each project's papers in start-to-finish order, but this was not always possible.
The bulk of the Coleman Luck Collection concentrates in the manuscripts of the collection. The first such series contains manuscripts written by or associated with Coleman Luck. These manuscripts are arranged alphabetically as are the rest of the manuscripts in the collection.
"Equalizer" script material was received both in loose-leaf form and three-ring binders. Items in binders were removed to folders with this fact noted in the container list. The "Gabriel's Fire" series contains files concerned with writers of the show as well as manuscripts. The "Matrix" and "Otherworld" series manuscripts follow. It is in the manuscripts of these four series that one can best see the process behind Mr. Luck's production as the manuscripts are present in drafts, revisions, etc.
The section of the collection containing secondary material is also rather large. It contains articles, concepts, scripts, subject files, and talent files. These files while not directly connected to Coleman Luck are related to his line of work. These files are arranged alphabetically within each subseries.
Interviews are also an included series in this collection. Other materials in the Coleman Luck collection include computer disks, a record album, books, and a large number of audio and video cassettes. The video cassettes detail the filming process behind Mr. Luck's productions.
Biographical Note
Born in 1945 in Paris, Texas, Coleman Luck grew up in Wheaton, Illinois. While studying speech at Northern Illinois University, Luck wrote his first screenplay entitled “Wintergreen,” which garnered the of The New Yorker magazine film critic Pauline Kael. After his studies at Northern Illinois Luck enrolled in the University of Southern California’s graduate screenwriting program. Upon completing studies at USC, Coleman entered the feature film industry with the sale of his first script entitled, “The Foxbat Strategy,” to United Artists. In the next few years his scripts were acquired by Twentieth Century Fox, MGM, Disney and others.
Like many of his generation Luck’s life was interrupted by war in Southeast Asia. Luck served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army infantry. And, in 1968, he was decorated six times for his actions in combat including the Bronze Star for valor. It was during his time in the military that he married Carel Ann Gage.
In the mid-1980s Luck turned his attention to television when he joined the staff of a science fiction series entitled, “Otherworld” (1984-85), produced by Universal for CBS. This began his television career that would wind its way through popular television shows, like “The Equalizer” (1985-89), “Gabriel’s Fire” (1990-91), “Matrix” (1991-92), “The M.A.N.T.I.S.” (1994) and “The Burning Zone” (1996) with ever-increasing responsibilities.
In more recent years Luck has devoted his attention back to his roots in writing. He has worked with various leaders in Christian media on various movie projects. In addition to screenplays, Luck is working on a novel.
Coleman and his wife Carel Gage Luck live in north-central California. Together they have three grown children and two grandchildren.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections
Alternate Extent Statement:
51 linear feet
Access Restrictions:
MCA contracts may be accessed only with the author's permission or that of his estate. A few individual files are also restricted and are noted as such in the container list.
Use Restrictions:
Duplication may be restricted if copying could cause damage to items.
Acquisition Source:
Gift
Acquisition Method:
Special Collections secured an agreement to receive Luck's materials in 1988.
Preferred Citation:
Coleman Luck, Jr. Papers (SC-41), Wheaton College Special Collections, Wheaton, Illinois.
Other Note:
The Coleman Luck Collection includes the working materials of this contemporary television and screenwriter. His work on the network television series "The Equalizer", "Gabriel's Fire", and "Mantis", as well as independent projects are documented in this collection.
Other URL:
http://library.wheaton.edu
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Biographical],
[
Series 2: Correspondence],
[
Series 3: Day Calendars],
[
Series 4: Financial/Legal],
[Series 5: Production Information],
[
Series 6: Budget Reports],
[
Series 7: Manuscripts],
[
Series 8: Professional Activities],
[
Series 9: Interviews],
[
Series 10: Secondary],
[
Series 11: Photographs/Publicity],
[
Series 12: Potential Projects],
[
Series 13: Memorabilia],
[
Series 14: Media],
[
All]
- Series 5: Production Information
- Sub-Series 1: The Equalizer
- Box 14
- Folder 14: Cast Sheets, 1985-1986
- Folder 15: Casting Sheets, 1986-1987
- Folder 16: Cast Sheets, 1988-1989
- Folder 17: Character Descriptions and Episode Synopses - Pilot through Season IV
- Folder 18: Concepts for "Memories of Manon" - C. Luck - December 8, 1986
- Folder 19: Credits
- Folder 20: Credits II
- Box 15
- Folder 1: Executive Office Staff - 11/13/86 to 9/12/88
- Folder 2: Production Status/Schedule
- Folder 3: Production Grid
- Folder 4: Production - Legal - October 14, 1987
- Folder 5: Shooting Schedule - "Hand and Glove" - 2/11/87
- Folder 6: Shooting Schedule - "Mission McCall" - 9/18/87
- Folder 7: Shooting Schedule - "Christmas Presence - 11/9/87
- Folder 8: Shooting Schedule - 9/15/88
- Folder 9: Oneline Schedule - "Splinters" - 10/24/88
- Folder 10: Shooting Schedule - "Splinters" - 10/26/88
- Folder 11: Shooting Schedule - "Trial by Ordeal" - 12/16/88
- Folder 12: Oneline Schedule - "Trial by Ordeal" - 12/16/88
- Folder 13: Shooting Schedule - "Lullaby of Darkness" - 2/4/89
- Folder 14: Oneline Schedule - "Lullaby of Darkness" - 2/4/89
- Folder 15: Shooting Schedule - "Endgame" - 4/18/89
- Folder 16: Oneline Schedule - "Endgame" - 4/18/89
- Folder 17: Shooting Schedules/Script Lineup - 1988/1989 Season
- Folder 18: Release Schedule (Air Dates)
- Folder 19: Season Summaries I (Plot lines; Synopses)
- Folder 20: Season Summaries 1987 (Character Appearances)
- Folder 21: Season Summaries III (Character Descriptions; Episode Synopses)
- Folder 22: Season Summaries IV (Character Descriptions; Episode Synopses)
- Folder 23: Script Reports
- Folder 24: Staff and Crew List - 9/26/88 to 2/21/89
- Folder 25: Story Concepts and Plot Outline
- Folder 26: Story Ideas and Treatments
- Sub-Series 2: Gabriel's Fire
- Box 15
- Folder 27: Call Sheets - March 1-18, 1990
- Folder 28: Schedule ("Production Board")
- Folder 29: Schedules
- Folder 30: Work Schedule ("Day Out Of Days")
- Folder 31: Shooting Schedule
- Folder 32: Various Schedules - February to June, 1990
- Box 16
- Folder 1: Casting
- Folder 2: Casting, Cast Lists
- Folder 3: Casting: Resumes
- Folder 4: Casting Pictures and Resumes
- Folder 5: Clearances (DeForest Research)
- Folder 6: Credits: Main and End Titles
- Folder 7: Credits: Writers
- Folder 8: Credits: Directors
- Folder 9: Credits
- Folder 10: Daily Production Reports - February/March, 1990
- Folder 11: Episode Outlines; Character Descriptions
- Folder 12: Graphics
- Folder 13: Horizontals (Plot Ideas), 1990-1991
- Folder 14: Interview Listing
- Folder 15: Listing of Potential Directors/Writers
- Folder 16: Research: Faith, Friendship and Collective Responsibility. - James A. Baker III
- Folder 17: Research: "Travels with D. Death"
- Folder 18: Research: "8-State Raid Aims 'Death Blow' at Notorious Chicago Gang." [Editorial]
- Folder 19: Script Notes
- Folder 20: Set, Script, and Character Information
- Folder 21: Staff/Crew List - 2/27/90 to 7/18/90
- Folder 22: "The Awakening" - Story Outlines for Year 1
- Folder 23: Research: Interview with James Williams
- Box 17
- Folder 1: Talent
- Folder 2: "To Catch a Con" - Story Outline
- Folder 3: Writers
- Folder 4: Post Production - March to July 1990
- Folder 5: Post Production - April 1990
- Folder 6: Post Production - July to August 1990
- Folder 7: Post Production - August to October 1990
- Folder 8: Post Production - Music
- Sub-Series 3: Matrix
- Box 17
- Folder 9: Background Information on Characters
- Folder 10: Business with Sunrise Films
- Folder 11: Casting
- Folder 12: Casting - "Billy"
- Folder 13: Casting: Lists and Contracts
- Folder 14: Casting: Producers - Paul Quigley and Bob Wetheimer
- Folder 15: Casting: Resumes
- Folder 16: Casting: Steven Matrix
- Folder 17: Casting: Vicki Rosenberg
- Box 18
- Folder 1: Concepts: "All Bets are Off" - Terry Nelson
- Folder 2: Concepts: "False Witness" - George Geiger - September 16, 1992
- Folder 3: Concepts: "A Favor For The Damned" (Later: Death and Taxes) - S. Hattman Sept. 3, 1992
- Folder 4: Concepts: "Final Jeopardy" - Sanjay Mehta
- Folder 5: Concepts: "Flames of Darkness"
- Folder 6: Concepts: "Forget Me Not"
- Folder 7: Concepts: It's Hell Out There - S. Mehta
- Folder 8: Concepts: "Ripples in a Pond"
- Folder 9: Concepts: - Rob Gilmer
- Folder 10: Concepts: "Sealed Verdict" - Notes, U.S.A. Notes
- Folder 11: Concepts: "Sealed Verdict" - R. Gilmer - September 7, 1992
- Folder 12: Concepts: "Shadows From the Past" - G.M. Hickman
- Folder 13: Concepts: "Shadows From the Past"
- Folder 14: Concepts: - Steve Hattman
- Folder 15: Concepts: Story Outlines
- Folder 16: Concepts: Story Outline
- Folder 17: Concepts: Story Ideas
- Folder 18: Concepts: "The Stripes of Painted Zebras"
- Folder 19: Concepts: "The Yellow Chamber" - Plot Outline - C. Luck
- Folder 20: Concepts: August 3, 1992
- Folder 21: Concepts: - C. Luck - August 10, 1992
- Folder 22: Concepts: - C. Luck
- Folder 23: Drama Report, 1990
- Folder 24: Drama Development Report - January 1991
- Folder 25: Research - "Shadows from the Past" - Gail Morgan
- Folder 26: Schedules
- Folder 27: Schedules: "False Witness"
- Folder 28: Schedules: Pre-Production
- Folder 29: Schedules: Post Production Pix Schedule
- Folder 30: Schedules: Oneline Schedule for "False Witness"
- Folder 31: Schedules: "Shadows From the Past"
- Folder 32: Writers Guild of America
- Sub-Series 4: M.A.N.T.I.S.
- Box 19
- Folder 1: #69601 - "First Steps"
- Folder 2: #69602 - "Tango Blue"
- Folder 3: #69603 - "Days Of Rage"
- Folder 4: #69604 - "Cease Fire"
- Folder 5: #69605 - "To Prey In Darkness"
- Folder 6: #69606 - "Virtually Falling Down"
- Folder 7: #69607 - "The Black Dragon"
- Folder 8: #69608 - "No Exit"
- Folder 9: #69609 - "Fire In The Heart"
- Folder 10: #69610 - "Thou Shalt Not Kill"
- Box 20
- Folder 1: #69612 - "Through The Dark Circle"
- Folder 2: #69613 - "Faces In The Mask"
- Folder 3: #69616 - "The Eyes Beyond"
- Folder 4: #69618 - "Sea Wasp"
- Folder 5: #69619 - "Progenitor"
- Folder 6: #69620 - "Fast Forward"
- Folder 7: #69621 - "Switches"
- Folder 8: #69623 - "Spider In The Tower"
- Folder 9: #69624 - "Ancestral Evil"
- Folder 10: #69625 - "Ghost Of The Ice"
- Sub-Series 5: Poltergeist
- Box 21
- Folder 1: [Notes and letter], 1995
- Folder 2: [Poltergeist Memos 9/95]
- Folder 3: [Poltergeist Drop Dead Script Schedule 9/7/95]
- Folder 4: [Poltergeist Physical Effects 9/12/95]
- Folder 5: [Poltergeist - The Legacy Prep Calendar 9/25/95]
- Folder 6: [Poltergeist: The Womb: Preliminary FX Break 9/25/95]
- Folder 7: [Poltergeist: The Womb prosthetic and animatronic breakdown 9/26/95]
- Folder 8: [Poltergeist - The Legacy scene breakdown and story submissions 9/26/95]
- Folder 9: [Poltergeist status report and memos 9/26/95]
- Folder 10: [Poltergeist: memos regarding staff and schedules 10/95]
- Folder 11: [Poltergeist: The Womb prosthetic and animatronic breakdown 10/4/95]
- Folder 12: [Poltergeist script deal memo and story structure 10/6/95]
- Sub-Series 6: Burning Zone
- Box 21
- Folder 13: cast, crew, personnel list -03/01/96 - 04/23/96
- Folder 14: continuity list - 04/6/95
- Folder 15: daily pre-prod. schedule - 03/04/96 - 03/14/96
- Folder 16: daily prod. reports -03/13/96 - 04/03/96
- Folder 17: edit lists -04/14/96
- Folder 18: location info - 03/12/96 - 03/18/96
- Folder 19: one-line schedule - 03/03/96 - 03/28/96
- Folder 20: info on microlife - undated
- Folder 21: post-schedule for pilot - 04/03/96 - 04/04/96
- Folder 22: research dept. info - 03/6/96 - 03/27/96
- Folder 23: shooting schedule - 03/14/96
- Folder 24: shooting schedule - 03/14/96
- Folder 25: sngl. cam. dly. cll. sht. - 03/18/96 - 04/8/96
- single camera daily call sheet
- Folder 26: visual effects breakdown - 04/10/96 - 04/23/96
- Folder 27: construction budget
- Folder 28: mummy research
- Folder 29: Daily Call Sheets
- Folder 30: Photos Int./Ext. Mansion
- Folder 31: Photos Perkins House 1 of 5
- Folder 32: Photos Ext./Int. Barn (Loc)
- Folder 33: Cave Research
- Folder 34: Memos & Notes
- Box 22
- Folder 1: "St. Michael's Nightmare" -- 9/6/96 - Complete Production Materials
- Folder 2: "Midnight of the Carrier" -- 9/16/96 - Complete Production Materials
- Folder 3: "Night Flight" -- 9/26/96 - Complete Production Materials
- Folder 4: "Faces in the Night" -- 10/29/96 - Complete Production Materials
- Sub-Series 7: "Hall of the Serpent" - Complete Production Materials
- Box 23
- Folder 1: Shooting Script
- Folder 2: Script Revisions
- Folder 3: Script Drafts
- Folder 4: Story
- Folder 5: Shooting Schedule
- Folder 6: Research & Budget Information
- Folder 7: Cast, Post-Production & Visual Effects Information
- Sub-Series 8: North of Hope
- Box 23
- Folder 8: Outlines and notes
- Sub-Series 9: The Greatest King
- Box 23
- Folder 9: Summaries
- Sub-Series 10: Left Behind
- Box 24
- Folder 1: General and the Movie
- Folder 2: "Before the Vanishings" Pilot: outlines and notes
- Folder 3: "The Hidden Chamber" Ep. 2: Outines
- Folder 4: "Firestorm" Ep. 3:Outlines
- Folder 5: "The Vanishings" Ep. 4: outlines
- Folder 6: "Aftermath" Ep. 5: Outlines
- Folder 7: "Dreams and Visions" Ep. 6: Outlines
- Folder 8: "Curses and Prayers" Ep. 7: Outlines
- Folder 9: Ep. 8: Outlines
- Folder 10: Ep. 9: Outlines
- Folder 11: Ep. 10: outlines
- Folder 12: Ep. 11: Outlines
- Folder 13: Ep. 12: Outlines
- Folder 14: Ep. 13: Outlines
- Folder 15: Ep. 14: Outlines
- Folder 16: Ep. 15: Outlines
- Folder 17: Ep. 16: Outlines
- Folder 18: Ep. 17: Outlines
- Folder 19: Ep. 18: Outlines
- Folder 20: Ep. 19: Outlines
- Folder 21: Ep. 20: Outlines
- Folder 22: Ep. 21 (Season 1 Finale): Outlines
- Folder 23: Production Material
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Biographical],
[
Series 2: Correspondence],
[
Series 3: Day Calendars],
[
Series 4: Financial/Legal],
[Series 5: Production Information],
[
Series 6: Budget Reports],
[
Series 7: Manuscripts],
[
Series 8: Professional Activities],
[
Series 9: Interviews],
[
Series 10: Secondary],
[
Series 11: Photographs/Publicity],
[
Series 12: Potential Projects],
[
Series 13: Memorabilia],
[
Series 14: Media],
[
All]
