Finding Aid for the Albert Lewin papers 2144
Sarah Jardini for History Associates Incorporated
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
2022 February
Doheny Memorial Library G4
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0185
ctlibarc@usc.edu
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
Title: Albert Lewin papers
Creator:
Lewin, Albert, 1894-1968
Identifier/Call Number: 2144
Identifier/Call Number: 506
Identifier/Call Number: /repositories/5/resources/1030
Physical Description:
43 Linear Feet
31 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1909-1968
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.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: 1
Container: 2
Container: 3
Container: 4
Container: 5
Container: 6
Container: 7
Container: 8
Container: 9
Container: 10
Container: 11
Container: 12
Container: 13
Container: 14
Container: 15
Container: 16
Container: 17
Container: 18
Container: 19
Container: 20
Container: 21
Container: 22
Container: 23
Container: 24
Container: 25
Container: 26
Container: 27
Container: 28
Container: 29
Container: 30
Container: 31
Container: 32
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.
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).
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.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Robert Goldfarb (nephew), January 13, 1969 and July 30, 1969.
[Box/folder no. or item name], Albert Lewin papers, Collection no. 2144, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University
of Southern California.
Collection is unprocessed.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Motion picture music -- Archival resources
Motion picture producers and directors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Screenwriters -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Clippings (information artifacts)
Screenplays
Lewin, Albert, 1894-1968 -- Archives
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Paramount Pictures Corporation