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Finding Aid for the Russell Birdwell papers, 1915-1951, bulk 1936-1946
114
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Title: Russell Birdwell papers
Date (bulk): 1915-1951, bulk 1936-1946
Collection number: 114
Creator:
Birdwell, Russell
Extent:
59 boxes (29.5 linear ft.)
1 oversize box.
Abstract: Russell Juarez Birdwell was a reporter for Hearst Newspapers and subsequently the head of publicity for David O. Selznick
(ca. 1936-193), for whom he directed the publicity campaign for
Gone with the Wind. Thereafter he worked independently as publicity agent for actors and other celebrities and for American businesses. The
collection pertains both to individual clients and to Birdwell's personal and professional interests, and includes extensive
correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, and press releases.
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library of Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special
Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library,
Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of
the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC
Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Unknown.
Processed by Nina Scholtz in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli,
2010.
The processing of this collection was generously supported by
Arcadia
funds.
[Identification of item], Russell Birdwell papers (Collection Number 114). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young
Research Library, UCLA.
Russell Juarez Birdwell was born on October 17, 1903. He worked for Hearst newspapers in Los Angeles and New York, and covered
Charles Lindbergh's takeoff for Paris. He directed two silent movies in 1929 and a short in 1933. Subsequently he became
the head of publicity for David O. Selznick. In February 1939 he opened his own office, Russell Birdwell and Associates,
in Beverly Hills and New York, with occasional offices in London and Chicago. Among the many he publicized were actresses
Carole Lombard, Marlene Dietrich, Janet Gaynor, Joan Blondell, and Jane Russell; companies Celotex and Associated Filmmakers;
businessman Howard Hughes; King Carol II of Romania; and major films including
Gone with the Wind and
The Outlaw. In 1939 he published the autobiographical novel
I Ring Doorbells. In 1941 he traveled to England and wrote the book
Women in Battle Dress (1942) based on his observations. In later years he published a volume of poetry (1969) and the novel
Mount Horeb (1972). He died on December 15, 1977 in Oxnard, California.
These papers date almost entirely from the years 1936-1946. In this period Birdwell was employed by David O. Selznick (1936-1939)
and operated his own publicity agency (1939-1946). Items include extensive correspondence and memoranda, newspaper and magazine
clippings, press releases, and photographs. Materials pertain to both Birdwell's clients and to his personal and professional
interests.
Arranged in the following series:
- Client files.
- Correspondence.
- Personal.
- Photographs.
- Office.
- Miscellaneous.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Birdwell, Russell--Archives.
Press agents--United States--Archival resources.
Motion picture industry--Public relations.