Story (Ralph) outtakes and television programs, 1964-1972

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Summary

Title:
Ralph Story outtakes and television programs
Dates:
1964-1972
Creators:
Story, Ralph
Abstract:
The collection includes outtake reels from the television show Ralph Story's Los Angeles and footage (some including sound) from the 1971-1972 season of the show Story in Hollywood.
Extent:
261.0 linear ft. 286 film reel boxes, 1 banker's box
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Ralph Story outtakes and television programs, Collection no. 0249, Regional History Collections, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes the outtake reels created during the production of the televsion show Ralph Story's Los Angeles. Also included in this collection are 130 reels of outtakes or roughly 55,000 feet of edited and unedited color film and 18,000 feet of Mag-trak sound used for the production of the 1971-1972 television series Story in Hollywood.

Biographical / historical:

Ralph Story was born Ralph Bernard Snyder on August 19, 1920 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. From an early age, Story was involved in broadcasting, working as a part time radio announcer during high school and college. Story dropped out of college to pursue a career in radio full time but his plans were put on hold when he joined the Air Force during World War II. Story served as a flight instructor and P-51 Pilot, flying 63 missions over Europe during the war.

After the war, Story resumed his career as a radio announcer and program director working in Buffalo, New York for CBS radio affiliate WGR. In 1948, Story was transferred to Los Angeles where he was assigned the duties of program director and morning DJ at KNX. Subsequently, he changed his last name from Snyder to Story after the suggestion of the station's managers.

The popular segment developed into a local program about people and places in Los Angeles called Ralph Story's Los Angeles. Ralph Story's Los Angeles was a half-hour television program broadcast on KNXT in Los Angeles from January 14th, 1964 to November 23rd, 1969. During that time, 249 programs were created from 660 segments filmed mostly in and around Los Angeles. The program immediately became the top-rated local program in Los Angeles and remained in that lofty position until its finale in 1969.

Story in Hollywood aired on KABC from 1971-1973, and featured episodes about different aspects of Hollywood, including stunt women, extras, autograph collectors and celebrity photographers.

In the 1970s, Story became the co-host of AM-Los Angeles, a morning news show that was the predecessor to Good Morning America. Story stayed in Los Angeles once the show moved to New York City. He continued working in the industry until the mid-1980s when he retired and moved with his wife to Los Olivos. In 1984, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Story their highest honor, the Governors Award. Ralph Story died on September 26, 2006 from emphysema.

Acquisition information:
The collection was given to the University of Southern California by Ralph Snyder Story on December 17, 1991.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Rebecca Hirsch and Nick Hazelton
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the Council on Library and Information Resources.
Date Prepared:
2011
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2012-09-07T03:51-0700

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to use film must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections 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# or item name], Ralph Story outtakes and television programs, Collection no. 0249, Regional History Collections, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Location of this collection:
Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library, Room 209
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182, US
Contact:
(213) 740-5900
specol@usc.edu
Website