This collection primarily contains material belonging to movie producer and director Dwain Esper and his wife Hildagarde, including photographs, correspondence, business records, and advertisements, many of which are connected to Esper's movies and career.

Dwain Esper (1892-1982) was an American producer and director of exploitation films including Narcotic (1933), Maniac (1934), Marihuana (1936), and Sex Madness (1938). He is best-known as producer/distributor of the cult classic Reefer Madness (1936). In 1920, Esper married Hildagarde Stadie (1895-1993), who also wrote some of his movies.

1.8 linear ft. (2 document boxes and 1 oversize flatbox)

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.