Finding aid for the Sol Lesser papers 2304

Brandon Werts for History Associates Incorporated

USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library

2022 January

Doheny Memorial Library G4

3550 Trousdale Parkway

Los Angeles, California 90089-0185

ctlibarc@usc.edu

URL: http://libraries.usc.edu/locations/cinematic-arts-library

Contributing Institution: USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library

Title: Sol Lesser papers

Creator: Lesser, Sol, 1890-1980

Identifier/Call Number: 2304

Physical Description: 16 Linear Feet 12 boxes

Date (inclusive): 1903-1976

Abstract: This collection contains scripts, clippings, pamphlets, contracts, photographs, and other materials from to the career of producer, theater owner, and an instructor of film studies, Sol Lesser, ranging from 1917 to 1976.

Language of Material: English.

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Sol Lesser, January 28, 1970.

Biographical / Historical

Sol Lesser (1890-1980) was an American film producer, movie theater owner, and an instructor of film studies upon retiring from his production company and theater chain businesses. He produced over 115 movies and co-owned around 175 movie theaters during his career.

Preferred Citation

[Box/folder no. or item name], Sol Lesser papers, Collection no. 2304, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Processing Information

This collection is not fully processed.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains scripts, clippings, pamphlets, contracts, photographs, and other materials from to the career of producer, theater owner, and college instructor of film studies, Sol Lesser, ranging from 1917 to 1976. The collection reflects Lesser's career as a film producer (1919-1958), co-owner of West Coast Theaters, and later as an instructor at the University of Southern California (USC). Films produced by Lesser include Oliver Twist and 13 different Tarzan features.

There are 48 screenplays (1933-1951); scenarios of 14 stage plays (1905-1920); correspondence, contracts, scrapbooks, production books, publicity, and photographs including approximately 230 stills from more than 30 films. There are also pamphlets, booklets, and magazines relating to the history of motion pictures. Among the screenplays are The Terror of Tiny Town (1933), Peck's Bad Boy (1934), Whispering Smith Speaks (1935), Rainbow on the River (1936), O'Malley of the Mounted (1936), It Happened Out West (1937), and the Tarzan features.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Scripts

Motion picture producers and directors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources

Actors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Photographs

Film sets -- Photographs

Oral histories (document genres)

Scrapbooks

Lesser, Sol, 1890-1980 -- Archives

Scripts

Box 5

Jungle Head Hunters

Box 5

Kon-Tiki

Box 5

Tarzan and the Amazons

Box 5

Tarzan and the Huntress

Box 5

Tarzan and the Leopard Woman

Box 5

Tarzan and the Mermaids

Box 5

Tarzan Triumphs

Box 5

Tarzan's Desert Mystery

Box 5

Tarzan's Magic Fountain

Box 5

Tarzan's Peril

Box 5

Tarzan's Savage Fury

Box 5

That Uncertain Feeling

Box 5

3 is a Family

Box 6

Thunder Mountain

Box 6

Hard Rock Harrigan

Box 6

Whispering Smith Speaks

Box 6

The Calling of Dan Mathews

Box 6

The Border Patrolman

Box 6

The Cowboy Millionaire

Box 6

Rainbow on the River

Box 6

King of the Royal Mounted

Box 6

Wild Brian Kent

Box 6

Secret Valley

Box 6

It Happened Out West

Box 6

O'Malley of the Mounted

Box 6

The Californian

Box 6

The Mine with the Iron Door

Box 6

The Dude Ranger

Box 6

Let's Sing Again

Box 6

When a Man's a Man

Box 6

Tarzan the Fearless

Box 7

Our Town

Box 7

Peck's Bad Boy

Box 7

Way Down South

Box 7

Panamint's Bad Man

Box 7

Hawaiian Buckaroos

Box 7

Make A Wish

Box 7

Rawhide

Box 7

Western Gold

Box 7

Escape to Paradise

Box 7

Everything's on Ice

Box 7

Fisherman's Wharf

Box 7

Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus

Box 7

Hawaii Calls

Box 7

Tarzan's Revenge

Box 7

Roll Along Cowboy

Box 7

Breaking the Ice

Box 7

Terror of Tiny Town

Box 1, Folder 1, Box 1, Folder 2

Play scenarios

Scope and Contents

Box 1 contains scenarios for plays by Charles E. Blaney and C.T. Dazey; box 2 contains scenarios for plays by Charles E. Blaney, John P. Ritter, and Norman Houston.

Box 1, Folder 3

Herbert Brenon correspondence

Box 1, Folder 4

Herbert Brenon clippings book ("Sorrell & Son") 1917-1918

Box 1, Folder 5

"Winged Victory": a sketchbook by Harry Horner 1943-11

Box 1, Folder 6

"Designs" magazine

Box 1, Folder 7

Miscellaneous film rental/distribution catalogs 1947-12

Box 1, Folder 8

Earl Theisen correspondence and documents re: the Hollywood Museum

Box 2, Folder 1-8, Box 2, Folder 10

Photographs

Box 2, Folder 9

"Hollywood in Miniature" information, clippings, and photographs

Box 2, Folder 11

Negatives and transparencies

Box 3, Folder 1

Frank Baxter correspondence (photocopies); Hollywood Museum Associates 1961 convention booklet; and "Bibliography of Stereoscopy"

Box 3, Folder 2

"With Williamson Beneath The Sea" contract, correspondence, and continuity script

Box 3, Folder 3-5, Box 3, Folder 7

Various pamphlets and periodical issues

Box 3, Folder 6

Sheet Music ("Love Your Spell is Everywhere" and "West of the Great Divide")

Box 4

Various booklets; 3 reel tapes ("Project Oral History" and "Marine Investigator" recordings); Sol Lesser's dissertation; roll of film; Sol Lesser nameplate; American Theatre Wing file

Box 8

Binders of early filming apparatus

Box 8

Magic Lantern glass slides

Box 8

Exhibit handouts and captions

Box 8

Chromatropes

Box 8

Various pamphlets related to the history early motion picture

Box 8

Binders with photographs and inventories of early film apparatus 1908-1915

Box 8

Scrapbook of Gary Cooper photographs and clippings in German

Box 9

Clippings related to Herbert Breton

Box 9

"Film Archives and Potential Film Acquisitions of the Hollywood Museum

Box 9

Marguerite Henry scrapbook

Box 9

Hollywood in Miniature oversize scrapbook pages

Box 9

Oversize photographs

Box 9

Glass slides

Box 10

Theater posters (5 folded)

Box 10

Theater Owners scrapbooks (2 albums)

Box 10

Oral history materials

Box 10

Thornton Wilder documents (photocopies)

Box 10

Miscellaneous Sol Lesser papers

Box 10

Various periodicals

Box 10

1906 San Francisco earthquake file

Box 10

"Stage Door Canteen" photograph album and photocopy of original screenplay

Box 11

Hollywood Museum files

Box 12

USC files