Paramount Pictures production records, circa 1924-1970

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Summary

Title:
Paramount Pictures production records
Dates:
circa 1924-1970
Creators:
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Extent:
290 linear feet of papers.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Paramount Pictures production records, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Background

Scope and content:

The Paramount Pictures production records span the years circa 1924-1970 and encompass approximately 290 linear feet. The collection contains documentation on most Paramount sound films released between the 1930s and 1970s. The files originated from several studio divisions, including the Production Department, the Budget Bureau, and the Production Estimating Department. Often included are budgets, costs, call sheets, reports, schedules, and script supervisor's notes. More than 1,000 unproduced projects are represented, often with pre-production information related to story rights, scenario costs, or budget estimates.

Biographical / historical:

Paramount Pictures, Inc., is one of Hollywood's oldest continually operating film studios. Its history began in 1912, when studio executive Adolph Zukor imported the French feature film QUEEN ELIZABETH, starring Sarah Bernhardt, and used it to launch his Famous Players Film Company. Famous Players merged with the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in 1916 to form Famous Players-Lasky, which acquired a controlling interest in Paramount Pictures Corporation, a distribution entity founded in 1914. In 1933 the company declared bankruptcy, Lasky was ousted, and the company underwent reorganization. It emerged as Paramount Pictures, Inc., with Zukor serving as chairman of the board emeritus. Gulf+Western acquired the company in 1966, followed by Viacom, Inc., in 1994. The studio is located in Hollywood.

Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series: 1. Production files, subseries A-B as follows: A. Produced; B. Unproduced; 2. Subject files, subseries A-O as follows: A. General; B. Sound Department (General Accounting files); C. Accounting records (miscellaneous); D. Budget Bureau files; E. Contract files; F. "Flimsies"; G. Major Pictures Corp.; H. Photographs; I. Production Estimating Department files; J. Production Estimating Department files (unproduced projects); K. Production Office files; L. Robert Evans files; M. Story Department file re contracts; N. Story Department files re project development; O. Unclassified

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

Indexed terms

Subjects:
film documentations
Names:
Paramount Pictures, Inc.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Special Collections
Date Prepared:
© 2014
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid derived from Inmagic. Date of source: January 31, 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:

Paramount Pictures production records, 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
specialcollections@oscars.org
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