Albert Lewin papers, 1909-1968

Collection context

Summary

Creators:
Lewin, Albert, 1894-1968
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of American writer, producer, and director Albert Lewin (1894-1968) consisting of stills, scrapbooks, manuscripts, business and personal correspondence, publicity, personal photographs, clippings, sheet music, and screenplays.
Extent:
44 Linear Feet 32 boxes
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Albert Lewin papers, Collection no. 2144, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the papers of American writer, producer, and director Albert Lewin (1894-1968) consisting of stills, scrapbooks, manuscripts, business and personal correspondence, publicity, personal photographs, clippings, sheet music, and screenplays.

The Correspondence includes letters from Jean Renoir, George Cukor, Man Ray, John Wayne, and letters exchanged between Lewin and his wife, Millie. There is also correspondence related to Lewin's 1966 book The Unaltered Cat. There are bound musical scores for The Cuban Love Song (1931) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). Screenplays include The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), The Private Affairs of Bel Ami (1947), and Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951).

Biographical / historical:

Albert Lewin (1894–1968) was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Lewin graduated from New York University with a B.A. in English, followed by a Masters in English from Harvard University, and subsequently taught at the University of Missouri from 1916 to 1918. He would have gone on to a professorship, if not for a chance viewing of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), which persuaded him to enter the film business.

Lewin worked as a drama and film critic for the Jewish Tribune until the early 1920s, when he went to Hollywood to become a reader for Samuel Goldwyn. Later he worked as a script clerk, and then became an MGM screenwriter in 1924. Lewin was appointed head of the studio's script department and by the late 1920s was producer Irving Thalberg's personal assistant. In 1942, Lewin began to direct. He made six films, writing all of them and producing several himself. As a director and writer, he showed literary and cultural aspirations in the selection and treatment of his themes.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Robert Goldfarb (nephew), January 13, 1969 and July 30, 1969.
Processing information:

Collection is unprocessed.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is currently unavailable for access because of its size and current level of processing. Contact the Cinematic Arts Library at ctlibarc@usc.edu for details.

Terms of access:

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library 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.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Albert Lewin papers, Collection no. 2144, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California.

Location of this collection:
Cinematic Arts Library
Doheny Memorial Library, Room G4
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0185, US
Contact:
(213) 740-8383