Finding Aid for the Al Gilks Papers LSC.1324

Finding aid prepared by Vanessa Villavicencio with assistance from Julie Graham; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2013.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu


Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Al Gilks papers
Creator: Gilks, Alfred
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1324
Physical Description: 1.0 Linear Feet (2 flat boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1920s-1970s
Date (bulk): 1920s-1950s
Abstract: Cameraman and cinematographer Al Gilks is credited with over sixty films. The collection consists of photographs, clippings, scripts, and printed trade publications related to Gilks?s career from the 1920s to the 1950s. Additionally there are mounted photographs related to his involvement with William K. Vanderbilt film, Over the Seven Seas.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other 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.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Al Gilks papers (Collection 1324). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Processing Information

Processed by Vanessa Villavicencio with assistance from Julie Graham.
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating existing description of our materials that contains language that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they could be described more accurately, by filling out the form located on our website: Report Potentially Offensive Description in Library Special Collections.  

UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 9969820173606533 

Biography/History

Al Gilks was born ca. 1892. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War I. He started his career as a cameraman in 1918. During World War II, Gilks served as a member of the Field Photographic Unit of the Office of Strategic Services under John Ford and was involved in the filming of the ?Canal Report?. Gilks worked at Paramount Studios for many years but was also involved in productions for other studios including MGM, RKO Radio Pictures, and C.V. Whitney Pictures. During his career, Gilks worked with the likes of Dorothy Arzner and Sam Wood, among others. His motion picture credits includes over sixty films such as An American in Paris, North of 36, Old Ironsides, Ruggles of Red Gap and Dr. Kildare features. In 1922, Gilks became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. While filming Old Ironsides in 1926, Gilks's Navy background was useful for capturing the natural sailing conditions and operation of one of the first "nautical" cameras. In 1932, Gilks was involved in Over the Seven Seas, a production documenting William K. Vanderbilt?s round-the-world cruise for the Marine Museum. In 1951, Gilks shared the Academy Award in cinematography for his work on the MGM production, An American in Paris. Gilks retired in 1960. He died in 1970 from a heart attack in Hollywood, California.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of material related to the career of cinematographer Al Gilks. Included are photographs, clippings, scripts, and printed trade publications. Among the photographs are 67 mounted images representing Gilks?s involvement with the William K. Vanderbilt film, Over the Seven Seas, a small number of publicity photographs from Old Ironsides, and a small number of stills and photographs from unidentified film projects. Scripts include Rius the Widower, Ruggles of Red Gap sequence B pages, and the television series Halls of Ivy. Clippings represent writings about Gilks and/or projects in which he was involved, such as Old Ironsides. A small number of trade publications publicize the 24th Academy Award winners, which included Gilks. Materials in this collection represent only a small portion of Gilks?s career.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Cinematographers -- United States -- Archives.
Photographs.
Gilks, Alfred--Archive.

box 2

Academy Award winners publicity featured in various publications. 1952 Mar-April.

General note

American Cinematographer, The Film Daily, Hollywood Reporter, Variety,
box 1

Academy Awards photographs. no date.

box 2

Academy Awards presentation program. 1951.

box 1

Academy Awards telegrams. 1952.

box 2

American Cinematographer. 1940s, 1952, 1969.

General note

7 selected issues.
box 1

American in Paris (An) - typed manuscript narrative by Gilks (10 pages). no date.

box 2

American Society of Cinematographers membership plaque. 1922.

box 1

Clippings. 1930, 1952.

box 1

Clippings. 1920s-1930s.

box 1

Correspondence. 1926-1957.

box 2

Daily Review Today article about Al Gilks. 1929 Feb.

box 2

Daily Variety. 1930s, 1950s, 1970s.

General note

8 selected issues.
box 1

Ephemera. no date.

General note

COI and Navy identification badges, Italian lire note, Russian ruble note, and three unidentified negatives.
box 1

Gilks' Film credits' list. ca. 1955.

box 1

Halls of Ivy (The) - teleplay by Barbara Merlin. 1954.

General note

Episode: Faculty Follies (#2).
box 1

Halls of Ivy (The) - television script. no date.

General note

Episode appears to be: Note the Quote.
box 2

Hollywood Reporter (The). 1930s, 1950s, 1970s.

General note

12 selected issues.
box 2

International Photographer. 1931, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1954.

General note

6 selected issues.
box 2

International Photographer issue featuring Gilks on cover (multiple copies). 1947.

box 1

Mariona Rebull and El viudo Rius clippings. no date.

General note

See also Rius the Widower.
box 1

Mariona Rebull and El viudo Rius photographs. no date.

box 2

North of 36 - article by Gilks. 1925 Jan.

box 1

Old Ironsides - clippings. 1926.

box 2

Old Ironsides - publicity. 1926-1927.

box 1

Old Ironsides - stills. no date.

box 2

Over the Seven Seas - contract. 1931 April.

box 4

Over the Seven Seas - mounted photographs (31 items). no date.

box 3

Over the Seven Seas - mounted photographs (36 items). no date.

box 1

Photographs and negative from unidentified projects. no date.

box 1

Photographs and stills from unidentified projects. no date.

box 1

Photographs inscribed to Gilks. no date.

box 2

Printed Material. 1934, 1970.

General note

Construction of Boulder Dam pamphlet, the Topographical Quarterly and the World map.
box 2

Programs. no date.

General note

Two Weeks with Love and Excuse my Dust.
box 1

Rius the Widower - shooting script. no date.

General note

See also Mariona Rebull and El viudo Rius.
box 2

Ruggles of Red Gap - Sequence B script material. no date.

box 1

To Have and to Hold - negatives. no date.