Title:

The Henry Koster collection of home movies, approximately 1934-1967

Home movies. Henry Koster

Creator/Contributor:

Koster, Henry, 1905-1988, creator

This collection of home movies was photographed by film director, Henry Koster. Using a 8 mm. camera, Koster filmed his travels to Europe from Amsterdam to Budapest in the mid-1930s, his children and family as they celebrated birthdays and milestones such as his son Nicky walking for the first time, Nicky's first day at school, Nicky's graduation, children's pony rides, an early 1940s Rose Bowl game, Catalina Island in the 1950s, visits with Koster's mother, Emma Kosterlitz, vacations to Las Vegas and Hoover Dam, Sun Valley (Idaho), Berlin (Germany) and Venice (Italy), the Kosters at home in Los Angeles, and visiting at the homes of their celebrity friends, such as Charles Laughton and Elsa Lancaster, Larry Adler, Danny Kaye, and Darryl F. Zanuck. The bulk of the collection is behind-the-scenes footage from a number of the films Koster directed that feature footage of many in the cast: Katherina, die Letzte (1936), Three smart girls (1936), One hundred men and a girl (1937), First love (1939), Spring parade (1940), Music for millions (1941), Unfinished dance (1947), The Inspector General (1949), Come to the stable (1949), Wabash Avenue (1950), Harvey (1950), My blue heaven (1950), No highway (1951), Fräulein (1958), D-Day the sixth of June (1956) and The story of Ruth (1960).

Date:

1934 (issued)

Subject:

Koster, Henry -- 1905-1988 -- Archives

Motion picture producers and directors -- Archival resources

Koster, Henry -- 1905-1988 -- Family

Koster, Henry -- 1905-1988 -- Homes and haunts

Catherine the last

Three smart girls

One hundred men and a girl

First love (Motion picture : 1939)

Spring parade

Music for millions

Unfinished dance

Inspector General (1949)

Come to the stable

Wabash Avenue

Harvey (Motion picture : 1950)

My blue heaven

No highway in the sky

Fräulein

D-Day the sixth of June

Story of Ruth

Laughton, Charles -- 1899-1962

Lanchester, Elsa -- 1902-1986

Kaye, Danny

Adler, Larry

Zanuck, Darryl Francis -- 1902-1979

APPOINTMENT REQUIRED FOR VIEWING MATERIALS ONSITE. Inquire at the Archive Research and Study Center for further information (email: arsc@ucla.edu).

Materials entirely in English.

Henry Koster (1905-1988) was born Herman Kosterlitz in Berlin, Germany, on May 1, 1905. In 1936 he was signed to a contract with Universal and brought to Hollywood with producer Joe Pasternak (1901-1991). At Universal he directed Three smart girls (1936) with Deanna Durbin (1921-). The picture was a huge success and pulled Universal from the verge of bankruptcy. His second film, One hundred men and a girl (1937) with Durbin and Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977) put Universal, Durbin, Pasternak and himself on top. He went on to do numerous musicals and family comedies during the late 1930s and early 1940s, many with Betty Grable (1916-1973), Durbin and other musical stars of the era. He stayed at Universal until around 1941, then worked for MGM before moving over to 20th Century-Fox in the late 1940s. He was nominated for an Academy Award for The bishop's wife (1947) and in 1950 directed what was his biggest success to date, Harvey (1950), a comedy starring James Stewart (1908-1997). Koster directed the first American film in which Richard Burton (1925-1984) appeared, My cousin Rachel (1952), then was assigned by 20th Century-Fox to direct its first CinemaScope picture, The robe (1953), also with Burton, which was a tremendous success. He directed some more costume dramas, including Désirée (1954) with Marlon Brando (1924-2004), The virgin queen (1955) with Bette Davis (1908-1989), and The naked Maja (1958) with Ava Gardner (1922-1990), then returned to family comedies and musicals, including Flower drum song for Universal in 1961. His last picture was The singing nun in 1965. Koster retired to Leisure Village, Camarillo, California, to indulge in his lifelong interest in painting. He died on September 21, 1988.

Donation; Henry Koster's son, Robert Koster; 10 DVD-R videodiscs; 2007.

8 mm. originals; Academy Film Archive; 1313 Vine Street, Hollywood, California 90028; 310-247-3016.

Henry Koster home movies.

Copyright has not been assigned to the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Type:

motion picture

Home movies and video.

videodisc

English

DVD3915 -DVD3924 M

Origin:

California

APPOINTMENT REQUIRED FOR VIEWING MATERIALS ONSITE. Inquire at the Archive Research and Study Center for further information (email: arsc@ucla.edu).

Copyright has not been assigned to the UCLA Film & Television Archive.