Mechtly (Rick) Cinema Clippings Collection, 1966-2011

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Summary

Title:
Rick Mechtly Cinema Clippings Collection
Dates:
1966-2011
Abstract:
Clippings of articles, columns, and reviews regarding LGBT actors, motion pictures, and film festivals. The files were culled from a variety of mainstream and LBGT magazines and newspapers, 1966-2011. Mechtley began collecting LGBT film clippings in the 1970s. Vito Russo introduced Metchly to other columnists and film festival directors.
Extent:
3.8 linear feet. [3 records boxes]
Language:
Preferred citation:

Box #, folder #,Rick Mechtley Cinema Clippings Collection, 2012-162, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives,Libraries, University of Southern California

Background

Scope and content:

The bulk of the collection consists of articles, columns, and reviews regarding LGBT actors, motion pictures, and film festivals. Mechtly culled clippings from a variety of mainstream and LBGT magazines and newspapers, 1966-2011. The clippings includes Jack Babuscio's column, Screen Gays, Stephen Bourne's articles and columns, and many others. To a lesser extent the collection contains correspondence from Bourne and others to Mechtly.

Biographical / historical:

While living in Hollywood, California in the early 1970s, Rick Mechtly discover Vito Russo's column in the New York gay newspaper, GAY. Enthralled by Russo's pithy remarks, Mechtly started to assemble a collection of LGBT film related articles, columns, and reviews. Soon after GAY folded, Russo began touring the country with his lecture and film clip presentation, Celluloid Closet. With no other contact information, Mechtly decided to write to Jack Nichols, editor of GAY, in hopes of him forwarding a letter to Russo. It worked, Russo contacted him in 1978 and they briefly chatted about Mechtly’s preservation of Russo’s columns. Russo insisted that Mechtly had the beginnings of a collection and suggested he make himself the “community’s clipper” of such materials. For more obscure clippings, Russo put him in touch with Peter Lowry, founder of the New York City Gay Film Festival, and Brenda Webb, founder of the Chicago Gay Film Festival. In 1981, Russo suggested that Mechtly share some of his oldest clippings with Larry Horne. Horne and others at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) were planning the first Los Angeles International Gay & Lesbian Film & Video Festival, which later became known as Outfest. After exchanging letters about once a year, in 1987 Mechtly and Horne were finally able to meet at the festival. In early 1988, Mechtly contacted Russo, inquiring about his inspiration for gay film writing. As he suspected, Russo was greatly influenced by Jack Babuscio, a writer for London’s Gay Times. Mechtly offered to collect the (recently deceased) Babuscio’s columns, in their entirety, for Russo. Of the nearly ninety columns, Mechtly already possessed three dozen. From there, he sought help from ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, where another three dozen columns were uncovered. And at the recommendation of Horne, he contacted Stephen Bourne from the British Film Institute in London. Bourne assisted Mechtly in recovering the remaining columns. Upon receiving this gift, Russo called Mechtly to express his gratitude for the Babuscio collection.

Edited from Rick Mechley's text by Stacy Syroka

Acquisition information:
Deed of gift dated, December 15, 2012.
Processing information:

Collection processed by staff, December 2012.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1. Columns and correspondence

Series 2. Clippings

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Michael C. Oliveira
Sponsor:
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Date Prepared:
© 2012
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-05-04T11:04-0700

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries 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 #,Rick Mechtley Cinema Clippings Collection, 2012-162, ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives,Libraries, University of Southern California

Location of this collection:
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007, US
Contact:
(213) 821-2771
askone@usc.edu
Website