William Keighley material
Special Collections
Margaret Herrick Library
© 2015
Title: William Keighley material
Date (inclusive): 1940-1981
Date (bulk): 1940-1967
Collection number: 1721
Creator:
Keighley, William
Extent:
1.7 linear feet of papers.
Repository:
Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Languages:
English
Important Information for Users of the Collection
Available by appointment only.
Property rights to the physical object belong to the Margaret Herrick Library. Researchers are
responsible for obtaining all necessary rights, licenses, or permissions from the appropriate companies
or individuals before quoting from or publishing materials obtained from the library.
William Keighley material, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Gift of LACMA, 2012
William Keighley was an American actor, director, and screenwriter most active in the 1930s and 1940s.
After having spent his youth acting and directing on Broadway during the 1910s and 1920s, he relocated to
Hollywood. He was the initial director of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), starring Errol Flynn, but
was replaced by Michael Curtiz. During World War II, he supervised the U.S. Army Air Force's motion
picture unit. He retired from filmmaking in 1953 and moved with his actress wife Genevieve Tobin to Paris
where he went on to become a cultural ambassador throughout Europe.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The William Keighley material spans the years 1940-1981 (bulk 1940-1967) and encompasses approximately
1.7 linear feet. The collection consists of three scripts for three films released in 1940: THE FIGHTING
69TH, FOUR MOTHERS, NO TIME FOR COMEDY, along with correspondence, honorary certificates, clippings,
biographical information, artifacts, and photographs. The material covers his role as director of the
U.S. Army Air Force's motion picture unit during World War II and his time spent in France during
retirement.
Arrangement
Arranged in the following series: 1. Production files; 2. Subject files; 3. Oversize.
actors
directors