Jim Tushinski collection of Tom Graeff films, 1951-1959, circa 1966.

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Summary

Creators:
Tushinski, Jim.
Abstract:
This collection consists of the following films created by Tom Graeff: Toast to our brother. 1951 (opt sd., col. ; 16 mm. safety print); The Orange Coast College story. 1954 (DVD ; sd., col.); Island sunrise. ca. 1954 (si., col. ; 16 mm. safety print); Teenagers from outer space. 1959 (2 film reels ; opt sd., b ; 16 mm. safety print); and a collection of home movies shot at Lake Arrowhead, California, circa 1966 (si., col. ; 16 mm. safety print). The collection includes a DVD of Teenagers from outer space made from the 16 mm. safety print that is part of this collection, except with a digitally re-created title and credits sequence. Also included is the 2008 enhanced and restored DVD version of the short film Island sunrise that includes a new soundtrack. The remaining 16 mm. film reels in this collection have a corresponding DVD reference copy available made by Gorilla Factory Productions.
Extent:
5 film reels (approximately 6000 feet of film) ; and 6 DVDs.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Jim Tushinski Collection of Tom Graeff Films at the UCLA Film Television Archive.

Background

Biographical / historical:
Jim Tushinski is a writer and independent filmmaker. His films include the independent short, Jan-Michael Vincent is my muse (2002) and the feature-length documentary, That man, Peter Berlin (2005). While a child in the 1960s, he became a fan of the independently produced 1950s black and white B movies that regularly appeared on television. One of the films he came across during this period was Teenagers from outer space (1959), a title that was shown on television often. The film's director, Tom Graeff (1929-1970) was an independent filmmaker who worked in Los Angeles and Orange County in the 1950s and 1960s. Inspired by the career of Roger Corman, Graeff set out to find his own way in Hollywood, making the films he wanted to make. He made his first featurette, Toast to our brother (1951) while a student at UCLA and made his first feature film, a comedy fantasy, The noble experiment in 1955, a film that is now presumed lost. As an adult, Tushinski came across a mention of Graeff on a Website that suggested that Graeff had cast his boyfriend in the lead role of Derek, the rebellious alien who saves Earth from invasion in Teenagers from outer space (1959). Searching the Internet, Tushinski uncovered a few more references and learned about an article in the journal Scarlet Street that purported to tell the story behind Tom Graeff and the making of Teenagers from outer space (1959). That article, written by Richard Valley and Jessie Lilley in 1993, kicked off Tushinski's journey to uncover who Tom Graeff was and how he managed almost single handedly to get his films made. This led to scouring archives and public records, and interviewing people who knew and worked with Graeff. Tushinski has also been granted access to a number of Tom Graeff's personal papers and film prints and is uncovering details of Graeff's life that have never before been made public. The work has evolved into the Tom Graeff Biography Project, Tushinski's work-in-progress biography of the troubled filmmaker, who committed suicide in 1970.
Acquisition information:

Jim Tushinski;

Jim Tushinski;

Physical description:

5 film reels (approximately 6000 feet of film) ; 16 mm. safety prints.

6 DVDs.

Dimensions:
16 mm. safety prints.
Note:
APPOINTMENT REQUIRED FOR VIEWING MATERIALS ONSITE.

Access and use

Restrictions:
APPOINTMENT REQUIRED FOR VIEWING MATERIALS ONSITE.
Terms of access:
Copyright has not been assigned to the UCLA Film Television Archive.
Preferred citation:
Jim Tushinski Collection of Tom Graeff Films at the UCLA Film Television Archive.
Location of this collection:
302 East Melnitz
Box 951323
Los Angeles, CA 90095, US
Contact:
(310) 206-8013
archive@ucla.edu
Website