FAMST 101C: Theatrical Collections

Academy Film Archive - Dedicated to the preservation, restoration, documentation, exhibition and study of motion pictures the collections include Academy Award® nominated films, the annual Oscar® telecasts, documentaries, silent movies, experimental films, film industry related interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, home movies, and a wide range of international cinema. Be sure to review their policies for access and use

Autry Museum of the American West (Collections are searchable online but unavailable for research until late 2021) - The Autry's Library and Archives hold unique, rare and significant primary and secondary resources focusing on the peoples and cultures of the American West including materials related to the motion picture industry such as films, promotional brochures, as well as collections from Western stunt performers and actors.

Frances Howard Goldwyn Hollywood Regional Library (Special Collections) is a public library collection that represents Hollywood in film, television, the performing arts, and community history. The collection includes many out-of-print books, film yearbooks (1920s-30s), casting directories, unpublished motion picture and television scripts, production files, posters and lobby cards, theatre and dance programs, as well as community records related to events and notable community members.

Hollywood Heritage Museum - Hollywood Heritage works to preserve and protect the historic built environment of Hollywood and operates the Hollywood Heritage Museum (the Lasky DeMille Barn). Their archive includes documents,  photographs, and paper ephemera relating to the history of both Hollywood and the film industry as well as an object collection which includes costumes, equipment and props used in films. Contact them to schedule an appointment.

Louis B. Mayor Library (American Film Institute) - Dedicated to supporting AFI Conservatory studies by offering resources that complement the curriculum and promote scholarship. Resources include books and periodicals, photographs, published and unpublished scripts, a film and television collection (including all films made by AFI Conservatory Fellows and the Directing Workshop for Women, as well as the AFI Archives. Review access and use policies prior to contacting.

Margaret Herrick Library - Devoted to the history and development of the motion picture as an art form and an industry the Library holds periodicals, books and pamphlets, scripts, production files, oral histories, and much more which can be explored via catalogs and databases. Review the library's policies for access and use as well as their modified remote research and reference services before contacting them, but expect slower response times during closure for the pandemic.

The Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum (MCLM) Film & Recorded Sound Archives - Collections related to the history and culture of African Americans in the United States, with a special focus on Southern California and the American West, including more than 700 film titles with strengths in pre-1959 black films. Be sure to review their policies for access and use and complete a Research Application before contacting.

UCLA Performing Arts Collections - Acquires  materials in all formats that document the performing arts created in and around Los Angeles and Southern California including film, television, dance, theater, and music. Collections include scrapbooks, personal papers, scripts, oral histories, and publicity materials. Review their helpful guide to conducting film and television research as well as their guide specific to Women in Entertainment.

USC Cinematic Arts Library - Extensive book collection and archives focusing on the history of the film industry, including photographs, scores, and artifacts. Significant collections include the Constance McCormick Collection of print articles, photos and reviews; the Elmer Bernstein Collection of music, film, and related materials; The Archives of Performing Arts containing the studio collections of MGM, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Hal Roach, Republic Pictures, and Carolco Pictures; and The Warner Bros. Archives which contains the records of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. and its subsidiaries including First National and Vitagraph (1918-1968).

BAMPFA Film Library & Study Center - The library holds film-specific collections of books and magazines including rare holdings of early silent film magazines and Japanese film fan magazines (1950s-1960s), unpublished scripts (1970s-1980s), exhibitors manuals and press kits, festival catalogs and venue calendars, stills, and posters.

G. William Jones Film & Video Collection (Southern Methodist University) - more than 9,000 film prints and 3,00 videotapes as well as print materials including The Tyler, Texas Black Film Collection and The Sulphur Springs pre-nickelodeon films. Review the archives research and access policies.

Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research - Search archival holdings relating to the entertainment industry include more than 300 collections from playwrights, television and motion picture writers, producers, actors, designers, directors, and production companies with the greatest amount of material being records of the American film industry (1930-1960), American popular theater (1940s-1950s), and American TV (1940s-1970s). Materials preserved including historical records and personal papers, motion pictures, television shows, photographs and promotional graphics, and sound recordings. Their digital exhibits also offer a glimpse into the breadth of materials available in their collections and how they are being used by researchers.