Collections

Forms part of Robert Altman Archive. Includes materials for films The Afterglow, Black and Blue, Cookie's Fortune, The Gingerbread Man, Gun, Kansas City, McTeague, Mrs, Parker and the Vicious Circle, The Player, Pret-a-Porter, and Robert Altman's Jazz '34: Remembrances of Kansas City Swing,. Records include scripts, legal files, publicity materials, photographs and correspondence.

Other Projects and Scripts (6 linear feet) consists of material sent to Robert Altman for consideration as potential film projects. Frequently, Wren Arthur, Altman's assistant, would read and critique these materials, and serve as the contact person for the individual submissions. The material is generally from 1989 to 2003, and arranged by author's last name. Where possible, a submission date is noted.

Other Projects and Scripts (6 linear feet) consists of materail sent to Robert Altman for consideration as potential film projects. Notably, the series includes scripts by Elmore Leonard, Kurt Vonnegut, Tim Burton, Donald Freed, and Anne Rapp. Frequently, Wren Arthur, Altman's assistant, would read and critique these materials, and serve as the contact person for the individual submissions. The material is generally from 1989 to 2003, and arranged by author's last name. Where possible, date is noted. Occasionally, a cover letter was included with script submissions. Many of these projects were never produced, by Altman or any other filmmaker.

In addition, the series includes correspondence, treatments, and other documents from various scripts and projects that were sent to Robert Altman and rejected as potential projects. Much of the material consists of script cover letters sent to Altman with the accompanying return correspondence written by one of Altman's staff. These "passed projects" are arranged alphabetically by the script writer's last name where possible. Among them include script submissions from Carrie Fisher, Billy Baldwin, Paul Newman, Joan Tewkesbury, Linda Yellen, and Stanley Tucci. In addition, Altman was asked to consider such projects as Thank You for Smoking, Benjamin Button, Michael, and The Killer Inside Me.

Also included are various script treatments organized alphabetically by script writer. These treatments, or script coverages, were generally written by one of Altman's employees and included a summary of the script as well as a recommendation to pass or consider the project. The materials under the "possible projects" heading contain those projects that were considered by Altman in some capacity and often contain extended correspondence.

The materials contained under the description "Open-Directing Projects" are printouts sent to Altman by Addis Weschler & Associates describing films in various stages of production that are in need of a director.

Books, correspondence, photos, contracts, manuscripts, magazines, and ephemera relating to the works of playwright and screenwriter Clifford Odets.

This collection is organized into eight series.

The Books Series consists of published stage plays and screenplays written by Odets, books belonging to or inscribed by Odets, biographical publications about Odets, novels that Odets adapted into screenplays, and stage plays written by other Group Theatre writers. The bulk of the Correspondence Series is Odets's letters to his friend Bill Kozlenko. Other letters sent by Odets to a variety of correspondents are also included.

The Contracts Series consists of contracts Odets signed with movie studios.

The Manuscripts Series consists of scripts, notes, and test scenes from Odets's various projects, including a scrapped film called Joseph. Also included are proofs of The Time Is Right: The 1940 Journal of Clifford Odets, published posthumously in 1988.

The Photographs Series includes portraits and photos of Odets, portraits of Odets's first wife Luise Rainer, and photos of film and stage productions of Odets's works.

The Magazines Series comprises magazines with articles or advertisements about Odets or his works or colleagues, organized chronologically.

The bulk of the Ephemera Series are playbills and lobby cards for Odets's plays and movies. Also included are one sheets, small flyers, pressbooks, and tickets. Two of the pamphlets feature Odets's writing, while the pamphlet by Margaret Brenman-Gibson is an analysis of Odets and his work.

The A/V Series consists of two LPs: a recording of the original Broadway cast of the Golden Boy musical adaptation and a recording of Odets in conversation with Herman Harvey.

The Jonathan Demme Papers consist of materials related to Demme's extensive filmography from 1970-2008, including "The Silence of the Lambs". Materials are arranged chronologically by project, and cover most aspects of pre- and post-production, as well as publicity and related awards. As of November 2023, only the "Silence of the Lambs" series has been processed and made available. Additional series will be completed at a later date.

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.