Batty (Bill) papers, 1928-1989

Collection context

Summary

Title:
Bill Batty papers
Dates:
1928-1989
Creators:
Batty, Bill
Extent:
4 linear feet of papers. 3 linear feet of photographs.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Bill Batty papers, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Background

Scope and content:

The Bill Batty papers spans the years 1928-1989 and encompasses 7 linear feet. The collection contains clippings, correspondence in response to Batty's fan letter inquiries, and two scrapbooks. Photographs and slides document Batty's trips to Hollywood between 1948 and 1989. Included are candid on-set photographs and autographed photographs.

Biographical / historical:

William R. Batty was a film fan and theater enthusiast in Middletown, Connecticut, who made a living in the marine hardware business. His friendship with actress Sue Carol, to whom he first wrote in 1927, spurred in a life-long interest in Hollywood personalities. In 1948, Batty was a guest at the Hollywood home of Carol and her husband, Alan Ladd. Over the next forty years, Batty made more than two dozen excursions to Los Angeles to mingle with Carol and other actors. He often met Hollywood actors during the summer season at the Norwich and Ivoryton playhouses in Connecticut and would later seek them out in California, along with studio publicists, such as Frank Neill at 20th Century-Fox. Batty's writings about the trips appeared in local Connecticut newspapers.

Acquisition information:
Gift of the William Batty estate, 2003
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series: 1. Subject files; 2. Scrapbooks; 3. Photographs.

Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
fans
Names:
Batty, Bill , 1909-2003--Archives.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Special Collections
Date Prepared:
© 2014
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid derived from Inmagic. Date of source: July 14, 2014

Access and use

Restrictions:

Available by appointment only.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the physical object belong to the Margaret Herrick Library. Researchers are responsible for obtaining all necessary rights, licenses, or permissions from the appropriate companies or individuals before quoting from or publishing materials obtained from the library.

Preferred citation:

Bill Batty papers, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Location of this collection:
333 S. La Cienega Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211, US
Contact:
(310) 247-3036 extension 2226