Paramount Pictures production records

Special Collections
Margaret Herrick Library © 2014


Descriptive Summary

Title: Paramount Pictures production records
Date (inclusive): circa 1924-1970
Collection number: 215
Creator: Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Extent: 290 linear feet of papers.
Repository: Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Languages: English

Important Information for Users of the Collection

Access

Available by appointment only.

Publication rights

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.

Biography

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.

Collection Scope and Content Summary

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.

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

Indexing Terms

Paramount Pictures, Inc.
film documentations