Finding Aid for the W.W. Hodkinson papers LSC.1171
Processed by Anne Caiger, 2005; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé and edited by Josh Fiala.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2019 October 25.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: W.W. Hodkinson papers
Creator:
Hodkinson, W.W. (William Wadsworth)
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1171
Physical Description:
13.5 Linear Feet
(27 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1881-1971
Abstract: W.W. (William Wallace) Hodkinson (1881-19710) opened one of the nation's first movie theaters in Ogden, Utah in 1907. He became
a leading West Coast film distributor, and founded Paramount company in 1914 for distributing films of Adolph Zukor's Famous
Players Company. He left the motion picture business in 1929 to form Hodkinson Aviation Corporation, and later formed the
Central American Aviation Corporation and Companía Nacional de Aviación in Guatemala. The collection consists of correspondence,
financial records, diaries, reports, notes, photographs, tape recordings, clippings, and other printed material related to
Hodkinson's involvement with the motion picture and aviation industries.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
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.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
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], W.W. Hodkinson papers (Collection 1171). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Processing Information
Original rough box numbers are given in square brackets following each entry; the original labels which contained brief descriptions
of contents have been retained in the Collections File.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biographical History
Hodkinson was born in 1881 in Pueblo, Colorado; worked as railroad telegrapher and correspondence school salesman; opened
one of the nation's first movie theaters in Ogden, Utah in 1907; became a leading West Coast film distributor; went to New
York in 1914 to negotiate film contracts, remaining to become one of the leading East Coast distributors; founded Paramount
company in 1914 for distributing films of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Company; company name changed in 1918 to Paramount
Pictures; left motion picture business in 1929 to form Hodkinson Aviation Corporation, and later formed the Central American
Aviation Corporation and Companía Nacional de Aviación in Guatemala; he died in 1971.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of correspondence, financial records, diaries, reports, notes, photographs, tape recordings, clippings,
and other printed material related to the involvement of William Wallace Hodkinson with the motion picture and aviation industries.
Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
- Original diaries (Boxes 1-4).
- Aviation (Boxes 5-8).
- Motion picture industry (Boxes 9-27).
Related Materials
Pioneer film distributor
Interview of name of W.W. Hodkinson [oral history transcript] / Elizabeth I. Dixon, interviewer. UCLA Library Special Collections,
Center for Oral History Research interview, 1966-1967. Available at UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Aeronautics, Commercial -- Archives.
Motion pictures -- Distribution -- Archives.
Diaries.
Paramount Pictures Corporation (1914-1927)
Hodkinson, W.W. (William Wadsworth), 1881-1971--Archives.
Original Diaries
1920s-1960s
box 1
1928-early 1930s; 1950s-early 1960s.
box 4
1950s-1960s.
Scope and Contents note
[Also], clippings.
General note
[K]
Material
re WWH's Involvement in Aviation
box 5
Correspondence
re Hodkinson Aviation Corporation Limited.
1929-1940s
box 6
Correspondence and papers.
1920s-1930s
Scope and Contents note
Includes copy certificate of incorporation and Bylaws, 1929 for Hodkinson Aviation Corporation, and material
re proposed aerial survey of Guatemala and other Latin American countries.
General note
[V]
box 7
Correspondence and papers
re Central American Aviation Corporation Limited.
1933-1935
box 7
Correspondence with William Vogel.
1939
box 7
Cassette tape recordings by WHH.
1966-1969
Scope and Contents note
For his autobiography[?].
General note
[F]
box 8
Correspondence and papers.
1931-1935
Scope and Contents note
Including traffic reports and clippings
re Central American Aviation Corporation Limited, and Companía Nacional de Aviación, Incorporated, in Guatemala.
General note
[P]
Material Mostly
re Motion Picture Industry
box 9
Correspondence, A - R.
circa 1928-1969
Scope and Contents note
Includes reference to the future of United Artists, new ideas regarding motion picture distribution, correspondence from Frank
Garbutt (co-founder of Famous Players-Lasky, later Paramount), Hodkinson's view on Jews in the film industry, history of Paramount
Studios, letters regarding Mary Pickford and her ownership of United Artists,
Includes some material
re aviation.
General note
[R]
box 10
Correspondence, S - Z and some miscellaneous.
circa 1924-1966
General note
[A]
Contents include:
1913 issue of Moving Picture World; 1917 issue of Mack Sennett Weekly; Hodkinson's thoughts on television (1950); discussion
of 3-D films, use of glasses, 3-D television; mention of the first use of Cinescope; mention of Cinerama; use of televisions
in movie theaters; map of Paramount Pictures studio; motion picture advertising.
box 11
Correspondence.
circa 1914-1940
Scope and Contents note
Contents include: Includes material
re film marketing plans; 1913 film budgets, D.W. Griffith contract for The Clansman; Progressive Motion Picture Company (Paramount)
1914 correspondence; film distribution to South America; holiday wishes telegram from Adolph Zukor; correspondece with Frank
Garbutt; legal papers related to Progressive Motion Picture Co. and Famous Players Film Co.;
General note
[C]
box 12
Correspondence.
mostly 1930s-1940s, some 1960s
Scope and Contents note
Includes monthly statements and correspondence
re airline company, 1935.
General note
[U]
box 13
Correspondence.
circa 1925-1940s
Scope and Contents note
Includes a few clippings.
General note
[W]
box 14
Clippings, notes and reminiscences.
1930s-1960s
Scope and Contents note
Includes a few letters.
General note
[B]
box 15
Correspondence and papers.
1925-1930s
Scope and Contents note
re films "The True Noth," and "Alaskan Adventures."
Includes some clippings and material
re airline company.
General note
[AA]
box 16
Correspondence, papers, clippings and notes, mostly
re television.
1945-1960s
box 17
Correspondence, papers, clippings and notes.
1920s, 1950s-1960s
Scope and Contents note
Includes material
re "Alaskan Adventures," correspondence and report
re airline company, and reminiscenes of WWH, 1960s.
General note
[Q]
box 18
Clippings and notes.
mostly 1947-1952
box 19
Correspondence, clippings and notes.
1920s-circa 1951
Scope and Contents note
Includes brochures.
General note
[BB]
box 20
Clippings and notes.
1920s-1960s
Scope and Contents note
Includes a very few items of correspondence.
General note
[Y]
box 21
Clippings and notes.
1920s-1950s
Scope and Contents note
Includes some correspondence and papers
re WWH's real estate.
General note
[Z]
box 22
Correspondence and legal papers
re action involving real estate.
1942
box 22
Correspondence, clippings and notes.
circa 1920s-1950s
box 23
Correspondence, clippings and ephemera.
mostly circa 1914-1916
General note
[H "Pre-motion pic to Progressive and Paramount [1916]"]
box 24
Government and other reports, and copy case papers.
1920s-1940s
General note
[J "Block booking law case, printed materials"]
box 25
Correspondence and papers
re WWH Corporation.
1924-circa 1940
Scope and Contents note
Includes annual report, 1924 and brochures.
General note
[T]
box 26
Correspondence, clippings and papers.
1930s-1940s
Scope and Contents note
Includes material for WWH's distribution plan and exhibits for meetings.
General note
[N]
box 27
Writings by WWH.
1920s-1940s
box 27
Issues of
The Saturday Evening Post.
1938, 1949
