The Isaac Kleinerman collection was donated in five parts from 1973-1988. The collection is organized into two parts: Papers and Films.
The PAPERS pertain to the CBS television series The Twentieth Century, The 21st Century, and World War One, as well as to a few episodes of CBS Reports and CBS News Specials; in addition to NBC television series and mini-series Victory at Sea, Project XX, and The Unknown War. Included in the collection are scripts, interview transcripts made in preparation for episodes, research reports, shooting outlines, shooting suggestions, and notes and correspondence, which date from approximately 1955-1980. The files are incomplete. Materials are arranged chronologically by series then chronological within each series.
Also included are academic papers written about the NBC produced television series Victory at Sea. In addition, the collection contains correspondence, scripts, and other material related to several unproduced productions including scripts, outlines, and a press kit for an unproduced television series Incredible Crimes; as well as a film tentatively titled either The Day Hitler Died or Hitler: The Incredible Story, or otherwise referenced to as the “Hitler Project.” There are a few miscellaneous materials filed at the end of the series.
The FILMS series consist of documentaries, produced for NBC and CBS, circa 1945-circa 1980. The films are roughly organized chronologically and chronologically within each series, with undated at the end of the series. Most of the films are less than 30 minutes in length, although there are several two-part episodes in the collection. The television series included are: Victory at Sea, Project XX, World War One, The Twentieth Century, and its follow up The Twenty-First Century.
Victory at Sea was conceived by producer Henry Saloman, this series of 26 programs about U.S. naval operations in World War II was one of television's early historical compilation documentary series. It received immediate popular and critical acclaim; was nationally and internationally syndicated; and won numerous awards, including a Peabody Award. The collection includes two episodes of the original twenty-six. Also included is the 1960 full length feature film produced and compiled from the original series. (See finding aid for Victory at Sea films for all twenty-six episodes)
Project XX was a series of specials examining the social and political turmoil of the 20th century in such programs as “Nightmare in Red” (1955), “The Jazz Age” (1956), and “Back in the 30s” (1959). The collection includes six episodes of the original thirty-three. (See finding aid for Project XX films for twenty-four of the thirty-three episodes.)
World War One was a historical survey of the war, narrated by Robert Ryan, and produced by Kleinerman, aired during the 1964/1965 season on CBS. The collection includes all twenty-six episodes of the television documentary.
The Twentieth Century, a collaboration with CBS News director Burton Benjamin, covering topics or persons of historical and current significance. Narrated by journalist Walter Cronkite, the series used archival footage and testimony from eyewitnesses. The collection includes 195 episodes of the original 221. The follow-up series The 21st Century, also narrated by Walter Cronkite, looked at advances in science and technology. The collection includes 34 episodes of an unknown number of original episodes.
After retiring from CBS in 1975, Kleinerman formed an independent production company with his wife Linda Richardson. Among other programs they produced a series on the Soviet Union in World War II, as well as a documentary about China.
Also included are the several short subjects from the beginning of his career including The Will to Live (RKO-Pathé, [194?]), Letter to a Pilot (RKO-Pathé, 1950), and A Conversation with John Hall Wheelock (NBC, 1954).
