Finding Aid for the King Vidor Papers, 1920-1965

Processed by Manuscripts Division staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Alight Tsai

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library

Box 951575

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575

Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Finding Aid for the King Vidor Papers, 1920-1965

Collection number: 934

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Los Angeles, CA

Contact Information

Manuscripts Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Processed by:: Manuscripts Division staff
Encoded by:: Alight Tsai
Encoding supervision by:: Caroline Cubé
Text converted and initial container list EAD tagging by:: Apex Data Services
Online finding aid edited by:: Josh Fiala, July 2003

Descriptive Summary

Title: King Vidor Papers,

Date (inclusive): 1920-1965

Collection number: 934

Creator: Vidor, King, 1894-1982

Extent: 14 boxes (7 linear ft.)

Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections.

Los Angeles, California 90095-1575

Abstract: King Wallis Vidor (1894-1982) made over fifty feature films and received five Academy Award nominations before retiring from films in the late 1950s. His directorial debut was The turn in the road (1919), but he is best known for The big parade (1925), The champ (1931), and Duel in the sun (1947). The collection contains annotated scripts, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera for 22 films Vidor produced or directed including The big parade, Duel in the sun, Northwest passage, and Stella dallas.

Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Language: English.

Administrative Information

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary 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.

Restrictions on Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.

Additional Physical Form Available

A copy of the original version of this online finding aid is available at the UCLA Department of Special Collections for in-house consultation and may be obtained for a fee. Please contact:

Public Services Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Gift of King Vidor, 1966.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], King Vidor Papers (Collection 934). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Biography

King Wallis Vidor was born February 8, 1894 in Galveston, Texas; made fifty-six feature films in forty years; married Florence Arto, 1915 (divorced 1925); married Eleanor Boardman, 1926 (later divorced); married Elizabeth Hill; his directorial debut was The turn in the road (1919); made Hallelujah! (1929), the first sound picture with an all black cast; best known for The big parade (1925), The crowd (1928), The champ (1931), Stella Dallas (1937), and Duel in the sun (1947); wrote an autobiography, A tree is a tree (1953); retired from films in the late 1950s; taught a graduate cinema class during the 1960s at UCLA; received Edinburgh Film Festival award for career achievements, 1964; after receiving five Academy Award nominations during the course of his career, he was granted a special award for his innovations in cinema, 1979; died of congestive heart failure, Paso Robles, California, on November 1, 1982.

Scope and Content

Collection consists of materials related to Vidor's career as a motion picture director and producer. Contains annotated scripts, correspondence, photographs, and ephemera for 22 films including The big parade, Duel in the sun, Northwest passage, and Stella dallas.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Vidor, King, 1894-1982--Archives.

Motion picture producers and directors--United States--Archival resources.

Silent films--Production and direction--United States--Archival resources.

Film scripts.

Related Material

Filming of Duel in the sun [oral history transcript] / Ray Rennahan, interviewee. UCLA Oral History Department interview, 1969. Available at Department of Special Collections, UCLA.

Container List

Box 1

Three Wise Fools (M-G-M, 1946).

Scope and Content Note

Completely annotated continuity.
Completely annotated scenario by King Vidor.

Box 1

The Strangers' Return (M-G-M, 1933).

Scope and Content Note

Typed copy of novel with King Vidor's holographic notes for adaptation.
Fully annotated treatment.

Box 1

So Red the Rose (Paramount, 1935).

Scope and Content Note

One final annotated script.
One annotated censorship script.

Box 1

Wild Oranges (Metro-Goldwyn, 1924).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated working script and production breakdown.
Script and holographic notes.

Box 2

H.M. Pulham, Esqire (M-G-M, 1941).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated working script.
Annotated script before J.P. Marquand arrived.
Photographs -- clippings.

Box 2

The Texas Rangers (Paramount, 1936).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated working script.
Progression of scripts including production orders, and casting notes -- annotated.
Rare personal photographs.

Box 3

Wedding Night (United Artists, 1935).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated script.

Box 3

His Hour (Metro-Goldwyn, 1924).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated working script.
Original treatment by Elinor Glyn -- holographic notes.

Box 3

Hallelujah! (M-G-M, 1929).

Scope and Content Note

Annotated script.

Box 3

Stella Dallas (United Artists, 1937).

Scope and Content Note

Annotated script and working notes.
Silent picture detail upon which remake was based.
Clippings and publicity.

Box 4

The Jack Knife Man (First National, 1920).

Scope and Content Note

Key album of photographs.

Miscellaneous

Box 4

Production and correspondence, 1939-1941. In re Northwest Passage.

Box 4

Production and correspondence, 1937-1959.

Box 4

Southern Storm.

Scope and Content Note

Original manuscript -- annotated.

Box 4

Museum of Modern Art -- pamphlets.

Box 5

The Standard, 1933.

Box 5

The Hollywood Reporter, Thirteenth Anniversary Edition.

Box 5

The Cast, February 1933.

Box 5

The Cast, October 1932.

Box 5

Witch Of The Wilderness (Original, never produced).

Box 5

Six miscellaneous folders.

Box 6

Proud Flesh (Metro-Goldwyn, 1925).

Scope and Content Note

Working script, fully annotated, including production notes, cuts and revisions.

Box 6

The Big Parade (M-G-M, 1925).

Scope and Content Note

Holographic production notes; instructions to assistant director; cutting notes; grosses; prop lists; daily reports -- fully annotated.

Box 6

Miracles Can Happen (United Artists, 1948).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated script progression including all changes and additions.

Box 6

Duel in the Sun (Selznick, 1946).

Scope and Content Note

Original continuity sketches -- water color, pencil, pen and ink.
Clippings and reports.

Box 7

Comrade X (M-G-M, 1940).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated working script including all changes and revisions and progression of scripts.

Box 7

The Patsy (M-G-M, 1928).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated treatment and script.

Box 7

The Fountainhead (Warner Brothers, 1949).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated working script.

Boxes 8 & 9

Northwest Passage (M-G-M, 1940).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated working script with additions and notes.
Fully annotated dialogue cutting continuity.
One script with changes.
An earlier script by Robert Sherwood -- not used.
Clippings and publicity.

Boxes 9 & 10

The Citadel (M-G-M, 1938).

Scope and Content Note

Fully annotated progression of scripts, including working script.
Miscellaneous holographic research and notes.
Folder of photographs.

Boxes 11 & 12

Our Daily Bread (United Artists, 1934).

Scope and Content Note

Holographic production notes and correspondence.
Interviews, reviews, advertising.
Two albums of photographs.
Photographs of King Vidor ( re The League of Nations Medal).

Boxes 13 & 14

American Romance (M-G-M, 1944).

Scope and Content Note

Progression of scripts leading to final script. Includes retakes, outtakes, fully annotated working script with holographic notes, changes, revisions, cuts and research.
Holographic file on Vincent Lawrence (writer) and Holographic file on William Ludwig (writer).
Miscellaneous correspondence with studio, agent, etc.

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