Margaret Booth papers

Catalogued by Prouty, Howard; Catalogued by Coco, Anne
Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
333 S La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Published January 2023


Descriptive Summary

Abstract: The collection consists primarily of scripts from Booth's work in 1935-1936, and during the 1970s and 1980s. Also, there is correspondence related to Booth's Honorary Academy Award.
Collector: Booth, Margaret
Dates: 1935-1988
Dates: 1972-1984
Collection number: 214
Collection Size: 1.7 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

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

Acquisition Information

Gift of Margaret Booth, 1991

Collection Scope and Content Summary

The Margaret Booth papers span the years 1935–1988 (bulk from 1972–1984) and encompass 1.7 linear feet. The collection consists primarily of scripts from Booth's work in 1935-1936, and during the 1970s and 1980s. There is correspondence related to Booth's Honorary Academy Award, as well as the actual statuette. The collection does not include personal correspondence, or materials from Booth's work during the silent period or her early years at MGM.

Biography

Margaret Booth (1898–2002) was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1915. When her brother, Elmer, an actor for director D. W. Griffith, was killed in an automobile accident, Margaret was offered a job at Griffith's studio cutting negative. In 1919, the Griffith studio moved to New York and Booth went to work for Louis B. Mayer, where she began to learn how to edit film. In 1924, Mayer's company merged with Metro and Goldwyn and Booth became an assistant film editor and then a full-fledged editor. Over the next eleven years, Booth worked on numerous MGM films, notably ROMEO AND JULIET (1936). Booth's only Academy Award nomination was for MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935). In 1936, Booth was made supervising film editor at MGM, a position she held until her retirement in 1969. She was soon talked out of retirement by producer Ray Stark who hired her as supervising editor for his company, Rastar Productions. Booth supervised the editing work for Stark on THE WAY WE WERE (1973), FUNNY LADY (1975), MURDER BY DEATH (1976), THE GOODBYE GIRL (1977), CALIFORNIA SUITE (1978) and ANNIE (1982). Booth received an Honorary Academy Award in 1978 for her "contribution to the art of film editing in the motion picture industry." She received her last credit in 1982 for CHAPTER TWO.

Arrangement of the Collection

1. Production files; 2. Subject files

Indexing terms

Booth, Margaret
Editors


 

Manuscripts

 

Production files

folder 1

ANNIE--script 1981--1981

Record ID: 71434978

folder 2

THE BLACK BIRD--script 1974--1974

Record ID: 71434981

folder 3

CALIFORNIA SUITE--script 1978--1978

Record ID: 71434982

folder 4

CHAPTER TWO--script 1979--1979

Record ID: 71434983

folder 5

FUNNY LADY--script 1974--1974

Record ID: 71434984

folder 6

THE GOODBYE GIRL--script 1977--1977

Record ID: 71434985

folder 7

MURDER BY DEATH--script 1975--1975

Record ID: 71434986

folder 8

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY--script 1935--1935

Record ID: 71434987

folder 9

NEIL SIMON'S THE SLUGGER'S WIFE--script 1984--1984

Record ID: 71434988

folder 10

ROMEO AND JULIET--script 1935--1936

Record ID: 71434989

folder 11

SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES--script 1980--1980

Record ID: 71434990

folder 12

STEEL MAGNOLIAS--script 1988--1988

Record ID: 71434991

folder 13

THE SUNSHINE BOYS--script 1975--1975

Record ID: 71434992

folder 14

THE TOY--script 1982--1982

Record ID: 71434993

folder 15

THE WAY WE WERE--script 1972--1972

Record ID: 71434994

 

Subject files

folder 16

50th Annual (1977) Academy Awards--Honorary Award 1977--1977

Record ID: 71434995

folder 17

50th Annual (1977) Academy Awards--Honorary Award 1977--1977

Record ID: 71434997

folder 18

50th Annual (1977) Academy Awards--Honorary Award 1977--1977

Record ID: 71434998

folder 19

50th Annual (1977) Academy Awards--Honorary Award 1977--1977

Record ID: 71434999

folder 20

50th Annual (1977) Academy Awards--Honorary Award 1977--1977

Record ID: 71435000

folder 21

50th Annual (1977) Academy Awards--programs 1977--1977

Record ID: 71435001

folder 22

Boxoffice magazine--certificates Circa 1935--1935

Record ID: 71435002

folder 23

Crystal Award--correspondence 1983--1983

Record ID: 71435003

folder 24

Crystal Award--clippings 1983--1983

Record ID: 71435004

folder 25

Crystal Award--general 1983--1983

Record ID: 71435005

folder 26

Motion Picture Country House 1988--1988

Record ID: 71435006