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20th Century Fox Film Scripts Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MsC0302

  • Staff Only
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Scope and Contents

The Twentieth Century-Fox Film Scripts Collection is housed in approximately 200 linear feet of archivalboxes. The material is divided into three sections: film scripts, files on the Roxy Theater, and a file on the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. Nearly 1,500 titles from the years 1929--1971 are represented in the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Scripts collection. Film materials include motion picture screenplays (both American and foreign) and television scripts, including 100 episode scripts of "PeytonPlace" and 40 episode scripts of "The Tammy Grimes Show". The screenplays range from typescript drafts to dialogue and cutting continuity scripts. Many of the continuity scripts, particularly the "Edited Books," are marked in a variety of pencils and inks with notes which suggest they were used in the process of sub-titling prints for overseas distribution. The annotations may prevent clear photocopies being made.   In the early days of motion picture production, studios owned their own theater chains. Twentieth Century-Fox owned the Roxy Theater of New York, then the largest theater in the world with a seating capacity of 6,200. Files on the Roxy Theater include: tax assessments from the 1940's, correspondence and general business agreements. Rounding out the collection is a small section of papers on the TwentiethCentury-Fox Film Corporation. These papers contain: annual reports of 1969--1970, an insurance manual for the corporation and general business agreements.   Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation is an American film producing and distributing corporation formed by the merger of two companies in the early half of the century. In 1915 William Fox began the Fox Film Corporation; and in 1925 he bought controlling interest in the Roxy Theater of New York, N.Y. Fox Film Corporation merged with Darryl F. Zanuck's Twentieth Century Pictures in 1935 to form the present day Twentieth Century Fox Corporation.

Dates

  • Creation: 1929-1971

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

To obtain photocopies or scans from any script within the Twentieth Century Fox Collection, patrons (whether onsite or off) will need to contact Twentieth Century Fox for consideration. Please email lib-spec@uiowa.edu for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright restrictions may apply; please consult Special Collections staff for further information.

Extent

200.00 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

American film producing and distributing corporation. Materials include motion picture screenplays (both American and foreign) and television scripts. The screenplays range from various dra s to dialogue and cutting continuity scripts. Correspondence and general business agreements.

Method of Acquisition

This collection was accessioned in 1972, at a time when the New York corporate offices were closing and when corporate storage areas in the New York area were being eliminated. Dr. Richard Dyer MacCann, then Professor of Film in the Division of Television, Radio, and Film, Department of Speech and Dramatic Art at the University of Iowa, persuaded company officials that these materials should be preserved, and worked with Leslie W. Dunlap, Dean of Library Administration, and the company's legal staff to produce an agreement on the conditions under which they could be used.

Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Edition statement
Collection title was updated to 20th Century-July 2024.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Iowa Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City IA 52242 IaU
319-335-5921
319-335-5900 (Fax)