Finding aid for the Thelma White papers 2683
Marissa Chavez and Sarah Jardini for History Associates Incorporated
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
2023 January
Doheny Memorial Library G4
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0185
ctlibarc@usc.edu
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
Title: Thelma White papers
Creator:
White, Thelma, 1911-2005
Identifier/Call Number: 2683
Physical Description:
6.23 Linear Feet
6 boxes
Date (bulk): 1920s-1990s
Abstract: Collection consists of the correspondence, memorabilia, acting files, and photographs of American actress Thelma White (1910-2005).
Language of Material:
English.
Biographical / Historical
Thelma White (1910-2005) was an American vaudeville, radio, and motion picture actress. White began performing at age 2 in
her family's circus performance show as a "living doll", who stood in place and began cooing and wriggling on cue. She went
on to perform in Vaudeville acts at age 10 and worked with the Ziegfeld Follies. She arrived in Hollywood in 1920 and appeared
in her first film
A Night in a Dormitory (1930). White's best known role was as Mae in the exploitation film
Reefer Madness (1936), originally titled
Tell Your Children. She toured with the United Servicemen Overseas and performed as the leader of an all-woman swing band, named Thelma White
and Her All-Girl Orchestra, during World War II. While performing in the Aleutian Islands, she contracted an undisclosed "crippling
disease" and was bedridden for 5 years. Following her recovery White briefly returned to film, but eventually she shifted
to working as an agent.
Scope and Contents
Collection consists of correspondence, memorabilia, acting files, clippings, and photographs of American actress Thelma White
(1910-2005). Materials include fan mail, biographical information, and a travel scrapbook.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Conditions Governing Use
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], Thelma White papers, Collection no. 2683, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University
of Southern California.
Processing Information
Collection is unprocessed
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Acting
Actresses -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Actresses -- Photographs
Actresses -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Correspondence
Fan mail
Memorabilia
Motion picture actors and actresses -- United States -- Archival resources
Vaudeville
Vaudeville -- United States -- 20th century -- Archival resources
White, Thelma, 1911-2005 -- Archives
Box 1, Folder 13
Personal fan letters and friendship notes
Box 1, Folder 23-24
Autobiographical/biographical information
Box 1, Folder 25
Correspondence with Ron Hutchinson
Box 1, Folder 26-32
Scrapbook, press, publicity
Box 2, Box 3
Thelma White Production Co. files
Box 3
Thelma White Agency files
Box 4
Acting files and memorabilia
Box 5
Framed acting memorabilia
