The Jonathan Demme Papers consists of approximately 150 linear feet of materials from 1970-2000. Materials include correspondence, legal and business documents, and photographs, as well as extensive documentation of film production, including pre- and post-production phases. In some cases, awards and publicity materials are also included.
The "Silence of the Lambs" series consists of approximately 13 linear feet. The material follows the project through the phases of production, and includes many drafts of the final script and novel adaptation, as well as extensive pre-production and location scouting information.
As of November 2023, only the "Silence of the Lambs" series has been processed and made available to researchers.
Roberth Jonathan Demme (1944-2017) was an American film and telivision director noted for his work in a variety of film styles. Demme began his career working for producer Roger Corman. His early work included "Caged Heat" in 1974 and "Melvinn and Howard" in 1980, for which he recieved significant critical acclaim and two Academy Awards.
Demme formed his own production company with Edward Saxon and Peter Saraf in 1987, and shortly thereafter began work on "The Silence of the Lambs", which would go on to win awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress in 1991. Demme went on to make "Philadelphia", one of the first major films to address the AIDS crisis, and adapted Toni Morisson's "Beloved" in 1998.
Through his work in the 1980s through the early 2000s, Demme became known for his dramatic close-up films. His career continued to draw widespead acclaim and attention, as he worked various on adaptations, original dramas, and documentaries and biopics. He also engaged in various political projects, including directing a series of commercials for the liber advocacy group People for the American Way in 1981, and directing a video for Artists United Against Apartheid in 1985.
Jonathan Demme died in New York in 2017.
The Jonathan Demme Papers are arranged chronologically by project, with each titled project being its own series. Materials are largely arranged as they arrived, with little intervention other than rehousing.
The "Silence of the Lambs" series is divided into 10 subseries by material type: Correspondence, Legal records, Business and Financial Records, Scripts, Production, Post-production, Distribution, Publicity, Awards, and Photographs. Materials within these subseries are arranged chronologically, and then alphabetically, as applicable.
