Finding Aids > UC Los Angeles > Performing Arts Special Collections

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Descriptive Summary

Title:
Warner Brothers Studios Music Collection

Collection number:
317

Creator:
Warner Bros.

Extent:
ca. 1200 boxes

Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Performing Arts Special Collections

Los Angeles, California 90095-1575

Abstract:
A brief initial view of the collection presents 390 boxes of music used for silent film, including printed dance band arrangements (scores and parts), sheet music, and other published and some unpublished music; 137 boxes of sheet music, choral editions, and other published and unpublished music used as a music reference library; 47 boxes of books, mostly about music, frequently stamped with "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Music Library". Many of these books are signed by the authors. Many more are signed by George Schneider, Music Librarian at MGM from 1928-1956, who founded and developed the MGM Music Library, which by the late 1940's was one of the largest music collections in the country. This great library was sent to landfill in the '60's as part of what has been called the "MGM Holocaust", the tragedy that destroyed most of the great manuscript scores composed for MGM films, triggering a great deal of film music preservation activity, including the work that has been done here at UCLA. The materials we have just received from Warner Bros may in fact represent the last (only?) remaining portion of the MGM Library. The collection is in the midst of being processed and the finding aid will be updated periodically.

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