Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Collection Scope and Content Summary
  • Biography
  • Arrangement of the Collection
  • Indexing terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Abstract: The collection includes film and television scripts, shooting schedules, set breakdowns, and photographs of sets.
    Collector: Cramer, Duncan
    Dates: 1936-1952
    Dates: 1944-1949
    Collection number: 70
    Collection Size: 2 linear ft. of papers
    Repository: Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
    Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

    Access

    Available by appointment only.

    Publication Rights

    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.

    Preferred Citation

    Duncan Cramer papers, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

    Acquisition Information

    Gift of Duncan Cramer, 1972

    Collection Scope and Content Summary

    The Duncan Cramer papers span the years 1936-1952 (bulk 1944-1949) and encompass 2 linear feet. The collection includes materials relating to films for which Cramer was art director, as well as a few scripts relating to his work in television. For each film title there is generally a script, shooting schedule, breakdown of sets, and assortment of set stills. Films represented include ABILENE TOWN (1946), COPACABANA (1947), D.O.A. (1949), THE DARK MIRROR (1946), DELIGHTFULLY DANGEROUS (1945), THE FABULOUS DORSEYS (1947), FOUR FACES WEST (1948), LULU BELLE (1948), A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA (1946), and THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (1945). There are also photographs of the sets for THE FIGHTING SEABEES (1944) and RAMONA (1936).

    Biography

    Duncan Cramer (1901-1980) was born in Logansport, Indiana, and trained as an architect at Valparaiso and Purdue universities. Cramer entered the film industry by working in the art department at Thomas H. Ince Productions, and became a full-fledged art director with Douglas McLean Productions in 1925. Cramer worked at Fox and 20th Century-Fox from 1926 to 1938. Most of his career was spent independent of the studios. Cramer was involved with Four Star Productions television from 1952 to 1957. His credits extend from 1929 to the early 1960s.

    Arrangement of the Collection

    1. Production files; 2. Television files

    Indexing terms

    Cramer, Duncan
    Art directors
    Production designers
    Set decorators