Summary Information
United Artists Corporation Records
1918-1969
- United Artists Corporation
U.S. Mss 99AN
approximately 687.0 cubic feet, 374 reels of microfilm (35 mm), and 5090 films
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Records of United Artists Corporation (UA) and its subsidiaries Warner Bros. Pictures, Monogram Pictures, Ziv-TV, Eagle-Lion, Producers Releasing Corporation, and Wanger Productions as well as Vitaphone shorts. Contains corporate records, legal records, executive records, financial records, advertising files, sales records, and films. Corporate records, which include correspondence, reports, financial and legal records, and advertising materials, relate almost entirely to the first ownership and more particularly to operations during the 1930s and 1940s. Although few documents directly relate to the original partners, the collection offers excellent files on the legal, financial, sales, and advertising aspects of distribution. There are production files and scripts for only a few UA releases and no UA films in the collection, as these records belonged to their producers. Films, scripts, and related papers are present, however, in the extensive purchased film library which comprises the remainder of the collection.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0099an ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
United Artists Corporation was a privately-owned corporation formed in 1919 by Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, and D.W. Griffith to distribute motion pictures made by them and other independent producers. After considerable financial and public success during the 1930s, UA declined until its sale to Arthur B. Krim and Robert S. Benjamin in 1951; in 1967 it became a subsidiary of Transamerica Corporation.
Scope and Content Note
Records of United Artists Corporation and its subsidiaries Warner Bros. Pictures, Monogram Pictures, Ziv-TV, Eagle-Lion, Producers Releasing Corporation, and Wanger Productions as well as Vitaphone shorts. Contains corporate records, legal records, executive records, financial records, advertising files, sales records, and films.
Corporate records, which include correspondence, reports, financial and legal records, and advertising materials, relate almost entirely to the first ownership and more particularly to operations during the 1930s and 1940s. Although few documents directly relate to the original partners, the collection offers excellent files on the legal, financial, sales, and advertising aspects of distribution. There are production files and scripts for only a few UA releases and no UA films in the collection, as these records belonged to their producers. Films, scripts, and related papers are present, however, in the extensive purchased film library which comprises the remainder of the collection.
Legal records, 1919-1951, constitute both the largest and most important part of the collection for study of corporate policies, activities, and structure. These include extensive files maintained by O'Brien, Driscoll, and Raftery, the firm which represented UA during the entire tenure of the original ownership, and several internal files relating to ownership of films and allocation of payments. Included are correspondence, minutes, contracts, briefs, and other legal documents. While these records provide access to the full range of corporate activity, they are especially useful for stockholders suits, court cases concerning plagiarism and censorship, anti-trust actions, and contracts and negotiations with producers. Also present are papers about UA's legal relationship with other corporations, studios, and organizations such as the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America.
Names prominently noted in the files include Benedict Bogeaus, James Cagney, Walt Disney, Harry Goetz, Samuel Goldwyn, Howard Hughes, Buster Keaton, Alexander Korda, David Loew, J. Arthur Rank, Hal Roach, Edward Small, David O. Selznick, Hunt Stromberg, Gloria Swanson, Walter Wanger, Herbert Wilcox, and Darryl F. Zanuck. Further references to individuals as well as to corporations and film titles are indexed in the unpublished register. Available as one reel of microfilm are minutes of meetings of stockholders, the board of directors, and various executive committees; incorporation papers; and reports.
Executive records, 1921-1951, range from routine to policy-level matters. Included are papers generated in the offices of president A.H. Giannini, vice-presidents George L. Bagnall, Arthur W. Kelley, and Gradwell Sears; and treasurer William P. Philips. Unprocessed files relate to Harry Buckley, Edward C. Raftery, George J. Schaeffer, Loyd Wright, and several financial officers.
Financial records, 1919-1959, include foreign and domestic ledgers, journals, and other financial documents for the parent corporation and for major subsidiaries and related corporations such as Hal Roach Studios, Selznick International Pictures, and Samuel Goldwyn Inc.
Advertising files, 1933-1953, generated by several executives document the corporation's relations with publicists, advertising agencies, theater owners, and production executives. Information on individual promotion campaigns, budgets, advertising in newspapers and magazines and on radio, and personal appearances by and interviews of film stars is included. Many files contain examples of publicity materials and press releases. Of special note are the files on the “roadshow” promotion of Henry V (1946) and the involvement of Monroe E. Greenthal in the publicity and advertising division of the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry.
Sales records, 1929-1950, which document both foreign and domestic activities, are only partially processed. Processed domestic files detail UA's role as an intermediary between production companies and exhibitors and are particularly revealing with regard to the experiences of the small exhibitor at the onset of the sound era. The more extensive foreign files deal with sale of film distribution rights to foreign clients. This section is indexed by film title, individual and corporate name, and subject. Also included are two boxes of minutes, correspondence, and subject files on UA's participation in the Motion Picture Export Association, a group of American film distributors formed to handle the special problems encountered in occupied countries after World War II.
Subsidiary records include legal records of Eagle-Lion Classics Inc., and Producers Releasing Corporation; production files on Sundown (1941), the only production files in the collection; pre-production files on 14 films produced by Walter Wanger; and financial records of Walter Wanger Productions Inc., and United Artists Productions Inc., its successor.
Other records include intra-corporation circular letters, United Artists scripts, press books of UA releases (some available on microfilm), and photo stills of various releases. Also part of the collection is a large film library purchased from Monogram Pictures, Warner Bros., RKO, and Ziv Television Productions.
Warner Bros. material includes over 800 feature films (including 50 silent film), from 1918 to 1950, with the bulk from 1931 to 1947. The films are supplemented by scripts and drafts, dialogue continuities, negative stills, microfilmed press books, contracts, and copyright files.
The RKO library consists of 706 feature films produced and released mostly during the 1930s and 1940s.
The Monogram Pictures film library consists of feature films, sound track transcripts, negative stills, and microfilm copies of press books and other advertising material.
The United Artists series includes 30 scripts, approximately 90 dialogues, pressbooks for numerous titles, over 100 cubic feet of still negatives, and over 125 cubic feet of still photographs.
The Cartoons series contains 357 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies and Looney Tune cartoons, and 230 Popeye the Sailor cartoons. Also includes dialogues and still negatives of Warner Bros. and Popeye cartoons.
The Ziv Television film library includes 38 series produced by Frederick W. Ziv, a major packager of syndicated programs. Included are Bat Masterson (NBC), Boston Blackie (NBC), Favorite Story, Highway Patrol, I Led Three Lives, Lockup, Mr. District Attorney, Ripcord, Science Fiction Theatre (NBC), Sea Hunt, Tombstone Territory (ABC), West Point (ABC), Yesterday's Newsreel, and other titles. There are also drafts and shooting scripts and dialogues for most programs, some 40,000 positive and negative stills, and a few production files.
The Vitaphone series includes 1460 short subjects films, as well as more than 250 scripts for shorts, and around 600 dialogues for Vitaphone shorts.
Arrangement of the Materials
Arranged into 18 series: A. Legal; B. Executive; C. Financial; D. Advertising and Publicity; E. Domestic Sales; F. Foreign; G. Subsidiaries; J. Sales Contracts; K. Playdate Department; L. Print Department; H. Other; 1. Warner Bros.; 2. RKO; 3. Monogram; 5. United Artists; 6. Cartoons; 7. Ziv-TV; 8. Vitaphone.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by the United Artists Corporation via Robert Schwartz, New York, N.Y., 1968-1976. Accession Number: MCHC68-086; MCHC69-047; MCHC69-083; MCHC69-088; MCHC69-106; MCHC69-113; MCHC69-119; MCHC69-125; MCHC69-138; MCHC69-139; MCHC69-145; MCHC69-165; MCHC69-166; MCHC69-168; MCHC69-169; MCHC69-174; MCHC69-175; MCHC71-106; MCHC72-032; MCHC76-111; MCHC82-046; M92-282; M95-220; M95-233
Processed by WCFTR and WHS staff.
United Artists Series Finding Aid Links
| LEGAL |
| |
| Series 1A |
United Artists Corporation Minutes, 1919-1951 |
| Series 2A |
O’Brien Legal Files, 1919-1951 |
| Series 3A |
Producers’ Legal Files, 1933-1966 |
| Series 4A |
Henry J. Muller Legal Files, 1919-1951 (bulk 1930-1945) |
| Series 5A |
Loyd Wright Legal Files, 1919, 1931-1961 |
| Series 6A |
Anti-Trust Cases, 1931-1956 |
| Series 7A |
Odeon Cinema Holdings Limited Legal Files, 1934-1950 (bulk 1938-1950) |
| Series 8A |
Sargoy & Stein legal files: United Artists Corporation records, Series 8A, 1941-1958 |
| EXECUTIVE |
| |
| Series 1B |
George Bagnall Files, 1936-1950 |
| Series 2B |
Harry D. Buckley Files, 1922-1952 |
| Series 5B |
Dr. A.H. Giannini Files, 1935-1939 |
| Series 6B |
Arthur W. Kelly Files, 1946-1951 |
| Series 7B |
Edward Raftery Files, 1926, 1932, 1940-1947 |
| Series 8B |
Gradwell Sears Files, 1941-1951 |
| Series 9B |
William P. Philips Files, 1921-1935 |
| Series 10B |
George J. Schaefer Correspondence, 1933-1938 |
| FINANCIAL |
| |
| Series 1C |
Pre-incorporation Journal/Ledger, 1919-1920 |
| Series 2C |
Corporate Financial Journals, 1919-1950 |
| Series 3C |
Corporate Ledgers, 1919-1950 |
| Series 4C |
Balance Sheets and Associated Papers, 1919-1950 |
| Series 5C |
Foreign General Ledgers, 1929-1950 |
| Series 6C |
Played and Earned Figures, 1919-1950 |
| Series 7C |
Contract Control Cut-Off Ledgers and Registers, 1933-1942 |
| Series 8C |
Film Contract Registers, 1919-1941 |
| Series 9C |
Contract Summaries, 1941-1944, 1947-1951 |
| Series 10C |
Cabled Foreign Reports, 1935-1951 |
| ADVERTISING AND PUBLICITY |
| |
| Series 1D |
Monroe Greenthal, Advertsiting and Publicity Files, 1933-1941 |
| Series 2D |
Lynn Farnol Files, 1940 |
| Series 3D |
Monroe Greenthal, War Activities Committee Files, 1941 |
| Series 4D |
Paul Lazarus Jr. Files, 1943-1949 |
| Series 5D |
Tom Waller Files, 1942-1947 |
| Series 6D |
Alfred Tamarin Files, 1945-1953 |
| Series 7D |
Howard LeSieur Files, 1946-1950 |
| Series 9D |
“Henry V” Road Show File, 1946-1949 |
| Series 10D |
News Releases and Bulletins, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1940 |
| Series 11D |
Research Data Volumes, circa 1932-circa 1939 |
| Series 12D |
Samuel Cohen Press Releases, 1932-1946 |
| DOMESTIC SALES |
| |
| Series 1E |
Paul Lazarus Sr. Sales Correspondence, 1929-1949 |
| FOREIGN |
| |
| Series 1F |
Black Books of Foreign Statistics, circa 1925-1950 |
| Series 2F |
Foreign Correspondence and Legal Files, 1930-1953 |
| Series 3F |
Foreign Department Cables, 1946-1951 |
| Series 4F |
Walter Gould Correspondence, 1933-1950 |
| Series 5F |
Files on the Motion Picture Export Association, 1946-1958 |
| Series 7F |
Consolidated Weekly Reports, 1939-1952 (bulk 1949-1951) |
| Series 8F |
Edward Bauser correspondence: United Artists Corporation records, Series 8F, 1947-1950 (bulk 1950) |
| SUBSIDIARIES |
| |
| Series 1G |
Eagle-Lion Legal Files, 1948-1950 |
| Series 2G |
Producers Releasing Corporation Legal Files, 1940-1950 |
| Series 3G |
“Sundown” Production File, 1941 |
| Series 4G |
Wanger Pre-Production Files, 1936-1956 |
| Series 5G |
Wanger Productions Financial Volumes, 1936-1950 |
| Series 6G |
United Artists Productions Balance Sheets, 1944-1950 |
| Series 7G |
“Algiers” Distribution File, 1935-1937 |
| Series 8G |
William J. Heineman Files, 1943-1951 |
| Series 9G |
Eagle-Lion International Sales Department Files, 1947-1951 |
| Series 11G |
Eagle-Lion Advertising Files, 1948-1951 |
| Series 13G |
Elijah Brien Domestic Sales Files, 1948-1950 |
| Series 14G |
Robert Benjamin Files, 1946-1951 |
| Series 15G |
Ziv-United Artists legal Files, (bulk 1951-1963) |
| SALES CONTRACTS |
| |
| Series 1J |
Analysis of Exchange Business Statements Ledgers, 1928-1944 |
| Series 2J |
Stephen McGrath Contract Correspondence, 1931, 1947 |
| Series 3J |
Paul Lazarus Sr. Contract Correspondence, 1936-1942 |
| PLAYDATE DEPARTMENT |
| |
| Series 1K |
Confidential Reports Checking Cost Ledger, 1948-1951 |
| Series 2K |
Circuit Ledgers, 1927-1950 |
| Series 3K |
Playdate Department Correspondence, 1936-1950 |
| PRINT DEPARTMENT |
| |
| Series 1L |
Robert Hilton Files, 1932-1953 |
| Series 2L |
John Lyons Files, 1950-1952 |
| OTHER |
| |
| Series 1H |
Circular Letters, 1936-1943, 1949-1950 |
| Series 2H |
Music Cue Sheets, 1932-1956 |
| Series MCHC82-046 |
United Artists Records used for United Artists: The Company That Changed the Film Industry, Volume 2: 1951-1978, 1950-1980 |
| WARNER BROS. |
| |
| Series 1.1 |
Warner Bros. Films, 1918-1950 |
| Series 1.2 |
Warner Bros. Scripts, circa 1928-1950 |
| Series 1.3 |
Warner Bros. Dialogues, 1928-1949 |
| Series 1.4 |
Warner Bros. Pressbooks, 1928-1941 |
| Series 1.5 |
Warner Bros. Still Negatives, 1926-1949 |
| Series 1.7 |
Warner Bros. Contract and Legal Files, circa 1923-circa 1967 |
| Series 1.7A and 6.7A |
Warner Bros. Music Synchronization Licenses, 1930-1950 |
| RKO |
| |
| Series 2.1 |
RKO Films, 1929-1955 |
| MONOGRAM |
| |
| Series 3.1 |
Monogram Films, 1931-1946 |
| Series 3.3 |
Monogram Dialogues, circa 1931-circa 1953 |
| Series 3.4 |
Monogram Pressbooks, 1931-1946 |
| Series 3.5 |
Monogram Still Negatives, 1931-1946 |
| UNITED ARTISTS |
| |
| Series 5.2 |
United Artists and Miscellaneous Scripts, 1937-1956 |
| Series 5.3 |
United Artists Dialogues, 1928-1956 |
| Series 5.4 |
United Artists Pressbooks, 1932-1954 |
| Series 5.5 |
United Artists Still Negatives, 1925-1957 |
| Series 5.6 |
United Artists Still Postitives, 1918-1955 |
| CARTOONS |
| |
| Series 6.1 |
Merrie Melodies, Looney Toons, and Popeye Cartoons, 1931-1957 |
| Series 6.3 |
Warner Bros. and Popeye Cartoons Dialogues, circa 1930-circa 1969 |
| Series 6.5 |
Warner Bros. and Popeye Cartoons Still Negatives, 1931-1938 |
| ZIV TV |
| |
| Series 7.1 |
Ziv-TV Productions, 1948-1962: see list of titles below under "Series 7.1 Ziv-TV Productions Title List and Finding Aid Links" |
| Series 7.2 |
Ziv-TV Script Files, 1950-1965 |
| Series 7.5 |
Ziv-TV Still Negatives, 1949-1962 |
| Series 7.6 |
Ziv-TV Still Postitives, 1949-1962 |
| Series 7.7 |
Ziv-TV Production Files, circa 1949-1958 |
| Series 7.8 |
Ziv-TV Legal Files, 1958-1962 |
| VITAPHONE |
| |
| Series 8.1 |
Vitaphone Short Films, 1926-1949 |
| Series 8.2 |
Vitaphone Shorts Scripts, circa 1930s-circa 1950s |
| Series 8.3 |
Vitaphone Short Films Dialogues, circa 1930s-circa 1950s |
| Series 8.5 |
Vitaphone Music Licenses, 1927-1946 |
| DA 001-DA 026 |
Adventure at Scott Island, 1957-1958 |
| DA 027-DA 090 |
The Aquanauts, 1960-1961 |
| DA 091-DA 198 |
Bat Masterson, 1958-1961 |
| DA 199-DA 237 |
Bold Venture, 1959 |
| DA 238-DA 294; DC 857 |
Boston Blackie, 1951-1953 |
| DA 295-DA 332 |
The Case of the Dangerous Robin, 1960-1961 |
| DA 333-DA 371 |
Dial 999, 1958-1959 |
| DA 372-DA 410 |
Dr. Christian, 1956-1957 |
| DA 411-DA 449 |
The Eddie Cantor Comedy Theatre, 1955 |
| DA 450-DA 487 |
The Everglades, 1961-1962 |
| DA 488-DA 565 |
Favorite Story, 1952-1954 |
| DA 566-DA 604 |
Harbor Command, 1957-1958 |
| DA 605-DA 760 |
Highway Patrol, 1955-1959 |
| DA 761-DA 799 |
Hudson's Bay, 1959-1960 |
| DA 800-DA 916 |
I Led Three Lives, 1953-1956 |
| DA 917-DA 954 |
King of Diamonds, 1961 |
| DA 955-DA 999; DB 001-DB 033 |
Lock-Up, 1959-1960 |
| DB 034-DB 072 |
Mackenzie's Raiders, 1958-1959 |
| DB 073-DB 108 |
Man and the Challenge, 1959-1960 |
| DB 109-DB 147 |
The Man Called X, 1956-1957 |
| DB 187-DB 224 |
Men into Space, 1959-1960 |
| DB 225-DB 263 |
Men of Annapolis, 1956-1957 |
| DB 264-DB 301 |
Miami Undercover, 1961 |
| DB 302-DB 379 |
Mr. District Attorney, 1954-1955 |
| DB 148-DB 186 |
The New Adventures of Martin Kane, 1957 |
| DB 380-DB 454; DC 521; GA 664 |
Ripcord, 1961-1962 |
| DB 455-DB 493 |
Rough Riders, 1958-1959 |
| DB 494-DB 571 |
Science Fiction Theatre, 1955-1956 |
| DB 572-DB 726 |
Sea Hunt, 1958-1961 |
| AA 566-AA 601 |
Sports Album, 1948-1949 |
| DB 727-DB 764; DC 959 |
Target, 1958 |
| DB 765-DB 803 |
This Man Dawson, 1959-1960 |
| DB 804-DB 894 |
Tombstone Territory, 1959-1960 |
| DB 895-DB 920 |
The Troubleshooters, 1959-1960 |
| DB 921-DB 959 |
The Unexpected, 1951-1952 |
| DB 960-DB 998; VBB 235 |
West Point, 1956-1958 |
| DB 999; DC 001-DC 012 |
World of Giants, 1959 |
| CA 360-CA 498 |
Yesterday's Newsreel, 1948-1950 |
|
