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Postcards from the Edge V: Film Studies: Historical Material

ARLIS/NA 2012 | Toronto

Primary Source Collections

Pressbooks:

Promotional materials created and distributed by film producers in order to market their films. Prior to 1980, most film companies did their own promotion, and the pressbooks would be given to exhibitors. (Source: Wikipedia)

Trade Magazine Collections:

    • Business Screen (1938-1973)
    • The Film Daily (1918-1936)
    • International Photographer (1929-1941)
    • Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930-1949)
    • Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (1950-1954)
    • The Educational Screen (1922-1962)
    • Moving Picture World (1912-1918)
    • Photoplay (1914-1940)


History of Cinema, Series I: Hollywood and the Production Code Administration
(Gale | Primary Source Media)

  • 33 reels of files from the Motion Picture Association of America Production Code Administration collection, spanning the years 1927 to 1968
  • A great guide to this collection from Matt Bailey, Film Librarian at Carleton College


Historical Film Reviews

Option 1:

Film Review Index
Oryx Press, 1986

Sample page
Option 2:

Readers Guide to Periodical Literature

Tips & Tricks:

  1. Use the Advanced Search.
  2. Use " " around a multi-word film title
    (ex: "Broken Blossoms")
  3. Enter the director's name into the 2nd search box.
  4. Be sure to choose the items that were published around the same time as the film's release date.

 

Historical Reviews Help Guide