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Finding aid of Rick Mechtly cinema clippings collection Coll2012.162
Coll2012.162  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Administrative History
  • Access
  • Conditions Governing Use
  • Acquisition Information
  • Arrangement
  • Scope and Content
  • Preferred Citation
  • Processing Information

  • Title: Rick Mechtly Cinema Clippings Collection
    Identifier/Call Number: Coll2012.162
    Contributing Institution: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
    Language of Material: English
    Physical Description: 3.8 linear feet. [3 records boxes]
    Date (inclusive): 1966-2011
    Abstract: Clippings of articles, columns, and reviews regarding LGBT actors, motion pictures, and film festivals. The files were culled from a variety of mainstream and LBGT magazines and newspapers, 1966-2011. Mechtley began collecting LGBT film clippings in the 1970s. Vito Russo introduced Metchly to other columnists and film festival directors.

    Administrative History

    While living in Hollywood, California in the early 1970s, Rick Mechtly discover Vito Russo's column in the New York gay newspaper, GAY. Enthralled by Russo's pithy remarks, Mechtly started to assemble a collection of LGBT film related articles, columns, and reviews. Soon after GAY folded, Russo began touring the country with his lecture and film clip presentation, Celluloid Closet. With no other contact information, Mechtly decided to write to Jack Nichols, editor of GAY, in hopes of him forwarding a letter to Russo. It worked, Russo contacted him in 1978 and they briefly chatted about Mechtly’s preservation of Russo’s columns. Russo insisted that Mechtly had the beginnings of a collection and suggested he make himself the “community’s clipper” of such materials. For more obscure clippings, Russo put him in touch with Peter Lowry, founder of the New York City Gay Film Festival, and Brenda Webb, founder of the Chicago Gay Film Festival. In 1981, Russo suggested that Mechtly share some of his oldest clippings with Larry Horne. Horne and others at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) were planning the first Los Angeles International Gay & Lesbian Film & Video Festival, which later became known as Outfest. After exchanging letters about once a year, in 1987 Mechtly and Horne were finally able to meet at the festival. In early 1988, Mechtly contacted Russo, inquiring about his inspiration for gay film writing. As he suspected, Russo was greatly influenced by Jack Babuscio, a writer for London’s Gay Times. Mechtly offered to collect the (recently deceased) Babuscio’s columns, in their entirety, for Russo. Of the nearly ninety columns, Mechtly already possessed three dozen. From there, he sought help from ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, where another three dozen columns were uncovered. And at the recommendation of Horne, he contacted Stephen Bourne from the British Film Institute in London. Bourne assisted Mechtly in recovering the remaining columns. Upon receiving this gift, Russo called Mechtly to express his gratitude for the Babuscio collection.
    Edited from Rick Mechley's text by Stacy Syroka

    Access

    The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

    Conditions Governing Use

    All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries 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.

    Acquisition Information

    Deed of gift dated, December 15, 2012.

    Arrangement

    This collection is arranged in the following series:
    Series 1. Columns and correspondence
    Series 2. Clippings

    Scope and Content

    The bulk of the collection consists of articles, columns, and reviews regarding LGBT actors, motion pictures, and film festivals. Mechtly culled clippings from a variety of mainstream and LBGT magazines and newspapers, 1966-2011. The clippings includes Jack Babuscio's column, Screen Gays, Stephen Bourne's articles and columns, and many others. To a lesser extent the collection contains correspondence from Bourne and others to Mechtly.

    Preferred Citation

    Box #, folder #,Rick Mechtley Cinema Clippings Collection, 2012-162, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives,Libraries, University of Southern California

    Processing Information

    Collection processed by staff, December 2012.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Babuscio, Jack, 1937-1990
    clippings files
    Gays in motion pictures
    Lesbians in motion pictures