Finding Aid for the Paul Rotha Papers, 1926-1979

Processed by Manuscripts Division staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library

Box 951575

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575

Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Finding Aid for the Paul Rotha Papers, 1926-1979

Collection number: 2001

UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections

Manuscripts Division

Los Angeles, CA

Contact Information

Manuscripts Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/

Processed by:: Manuscripts Division staff, 1980
Encoded by:: Caroline Cubé
Online finding aid edited by:: Josh Fiala, November 2002

Descriptive Summary

Title: Paul Rotha Papers,

Date (inclusive): 1926-1979

Collection number: 2001

Creator: Rotha, Paul, 1907-

Extent: 84 boxes (42 linear ft.) 7 oversize boxes

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

Los Angeles, California 90095-1575

Abstract: Paul Rotha (1907-1984) was a film critic, documentary filmmaker, and movie director. The collection consists of materials related to Rotha's documentary and feature films and Rotha's books on the cinema.

Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Language: English.

Administrative 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.

Restrictions on Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Advance notice required for access.

Additional Physical Form Available

A copy of the original version of this online finding aid is available at the UCLA Department of Special Collections for in-house consultation and may be obtained for a fee. Please contact:

Public Services Division
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Telephone: 310/825-4988 (10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m., Pacific Time)
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Motley Books, Limited, purchase, 1967.
Paul Rotha, purchase, 1980.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Paul Rotha Papers (Collection 2001). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Biography

Paul Rotha was born in London, England on June 3, 1907; a former painter and designer, he became a film critic and wrote a seminal work on cinema history titled, The film till now (1930); began making his own documentary films in association with John Grierson and was a leading figure in the British documentary movement of the 1930s and 1940s; directed three feature films in the 1950-60s; writings include: Documentary film (1935), Rotha on the film (1958), and The innocent eye: A biography of Robert Flaherty (1963); died on March 7, 1984.

Scope and Content

Collection consists of projects, early treatments, narration scripts, technical plans and shooting scripts for Mr. Rotha's documentary and feature films. Also includes manuscript, typescript, and proof copies of Rotha's books on the cinema along with clippings of his periodical writings and review articles. Reviews and articles on Rotha are both loose and in scrapbooks. Includes Rotha's personal diaries as well as correspondence from John Grierson, Eric Knight, and Richard Griffith, among others. There are art works from the 1920s, photographs (mostly location stills), and recording tapes from Rotha's films.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Rotha, Paul, 1907- --Archives.

Motion picture producers and directors--Archival resources.

Film critics--Archival resources.

Screenwriters--Archival resources.

Container List

Box 66, Folder 1

Documentary drama, vol.2 - notes.

Box 66, Folder 2

Knight for vol.2. 1940/1943.

Box 66, Folder 3

Private letters, vol.2.

Box 66, Folder 4

Schrire, David.

Scope and Content Note

Unfinished outline for film script.

Box 66, Folder 5

Pudovkin, Vsevolod. World of Plenty/Moi letters. 1942/1943.

Box 66, Folder 6

Documentary drama, vol.2.

Scope and Content Note

Photostats, press clippings.

Box 66, Folder 7

J.G. letters/articles, Crown Film Unit. 1944/1952.

Box 66, Folder 8

Newspaper clippings.

Box 66, Folder 9

Documentary drama index.

Box 66, Folder 10

Ireland, Cork, Jumbo, etc.

Box 66, Folder 11

Movie Parade.

Box 66, Folder 12

Knight, Eric.

Scope and Content Note

John Salt manuscript.

Box 66, Folder 13

Gee, Maggie.

Box 67, Folder 1

Research material for Golden Whip. 1963.

Box 67, Folder 2

National Film Theater PR films.

Box 67, Folder 3

Manuscript, articles, etc.

Box 67, Folder 4

Central Office of Information and Films of Fact crisis.

Box 67, Folder 5

Eric Knight letters. vol.2. 1939/1941.

Box 67, Folder 6

John Grierson letters (transcripts) to Basil Wright and Paul Rotha. vol.2. 1938/1942.

Box 67, Folder 7

Letters. 1938/1945.

Scope and Content Note

To and from: John Grierson, Hawes, Trevelyan, St. John.

Box 67, Folder 8

Letters, vol. II: Beddington, Balcoh, Rukeyser: Puck Fair, Rudgrave & Harling, BBC, British Lion.

Box 67, Folder 9

Dossiers.

Box 67, Folder 10

Griffith, Richard. Recent, up to 1969.

Letters

Box 68, Folder 1

1983.

Box 68, Folder 2

1981.

Box 68, Folder 3

1979.

Box 68, Folder 4

1978.

Box 69, Folder 1

1980.

Box 69, Folder 9

1982.

Box 68, Folder 5

Elles, Reeve & Company. 1967 on.

Box 68, Folder 6

William Godfrey (old), CTBF, E.L. Clark, George Attenborough.

Box 68, Folder 7

Garbutt, Michael.

Box 69, Folder 2

Film Society.

Box 69, Folder 3

Oxford Film Workshop.

Box 69, Folder 4

Documentary diary letters re same: for correction in 2nd edition.

Box 69, Folder 5

Obituaries.

Box 69, Folder 6

Knight, Jere.

Box 69, Folder 7

Flaherty book letters.

Box 69, Folder 8

Eric Knight material, BBC broadcast, letters to Paul Rotha re Portrait of a Flying Yorkshireman.

Box 69, Folder 10

Ministry of Information Film Centre reports. 1940.

Box 70, Folder 1

British Film Institute and National Film Archive.

Box 70, Folder 2

John Grierson letters (chronological), vol.2.

Box 70, Folder 3

John Grierson: speeches & articles for vol.2. 1944/1945.

Box 70, Folder 4

PR notes on Documentary Diary, vol.2.

Box 70, Folder 5

Richard Griffith letters for vol.2. 1940/1948.

Scope and Content Note

(Extracted from a main file of Richard Griffith letters)

Box 70, Folder 6

World of Plenty letters - Ministry of Information.

Box 70, Folder 7

Schrire and Rotha. vol.2. 1939/1942.

Box 70, Folder 8

World Documentary, British Documentary, WWE papers.

Box 70, Folder 9

Boyle and Ormerod: Gerald Aggett vs. Paul Rotha.

Box 70, Folder 10

Association of Cinematograph and Allied Technicians.

Box 71, Folder 1

Norway, Sweden, Trento (Italy).

Box 71, Folder 2

Trevelyan, John.

Box 71, Folder 3

Australia - Holmes, etc.

Box 71, Folder 4

Press cuttings of general topics.

Scope and Content Note

(Brecht, Dilys Powell's U.S. articles, jazz, Eire, electricity, color-bar, teddy boys, Cripp's biography, etc)

Box 71, Folder 5

General. 1961.

Box 71, Folder 6

Clippings - Film 1.

Box 72, Folder 1

Royal Literary Fund, Society of Authors.

Box 72, Folders 2-3

Paul Rotha Productions.

Scope and Content Note

Old file.

Box 72, Folder 4

Memos, letters, etc. 1945/1946.

Box 72, Folder 5

Sundry memoranda, vol.2.

Box 73, Folder 1

World is Rich letters.

Box 73, Folders 2-4

Films of Fact Company letters.

Box 73, Folder 5

Ann Griffith, Jere Knight.

Box 73, Folder 6

Freeling, Nicholas.

Box 73, Folder 7

BBC TV.

Reading 4

Box 74, Folder 1

The Listener. May 1, 1969 and May 15, 1969.

Box 74, Folder 2

Sunday Times Magazine. March 15, 1970.

Box 74, Folder 3

Press cuttings.

Box 74, Folder 4

Summary of The Honeyspike, by Bryan McMahon. 1967.

Box 74, Folder 5

Monotypes.

Box 74, Folder 6

The Raid, by Dr. de Jong.

Box 74, Folder 7

Isotype Institute (Otto Neurath letters to Paul Rotha and others). November 1941-December 1947.

Box 74, Folder 8

British Film Academy. 1935/1953.

Box 75, Folder 1

The Observer. September 3, 1967.

Box 75, Folder 2

Documentary Diary typescript copy sent to J.G. December 1970.

Box 75, Folder 3

Letters to Miss C.F. Thompson from Holland, Hamburg and Hollywood.

Reading 15

Box 75, Folder 4

British Film Academy, file 2.

Box 75, Folder 5

Richard Winnington Award.

Box 75, Folder 6

Documentary Diary One letters, etc.

Box 76, Folder 1

Richard Winnington press reviews.

Box 76, Folder 2

Films of Fact letters.

Box 76, Folder 3

CIST History of Medicine.

Box 76, Folder 4

Documentary is Neither Long Nor Short.

Box 76, Folder 5

Manchester Civics Film script.

Box 76, Folder 6

A City Speaks synopsis.

Box 76, Folder 7

Press cuttings, general.

Box 76, Folder 8

Weekend Review cuttings.

Box 76, Folder 10

Godfrey Insurance (new) etc.

Box 76, Folder 11

Future's in the Air.

Box 76, Folder 12

Film crisis press cuttings. 1949.

Box 77, Folder 1

National Film Theater compilation film programme. 1963.

Box 77, Folder 2

Germany (Buckland Smith). 1948/1949.

Box 77, Folder 3

Letters. 1966.

Box 77, Folder 4

Cat and Mouse.

Box 77, Folder 5

U.S. visit. 1957.

Box 77, Folder 6

Film industry cuttings.

Box 77, Folder 7

London Blitz cuttings.

Box 77, Folder 8

Could Be! by Norman Corwin.

Box 77, Folder 9

A - R. 1955/1957.

Reading 5

Box 76, Folder 9

Phantom Lobster memorandum.

Reading 13

Box 77, Folder 10

World Without End. 1952/1953.

Scope and Content Note

Letters, Warner's narration.

Box 78, Folder 1

Phantom Lobster letters.

Box 78, Folder 2

Puck Fair by Muriel Rukeyser.

Box 78, Folder 3

Australia, vol.2.

Box 78, Folder 4

vol.3, book 3.

Physical Description: 63 copies.

Box 78, Folder 5

Hitler film.

Physical Description: 40 copies.

Box 78, Folder 6

Australia.

Physical Description: 6 copies.

Box 78, Folder 7

Vol.2, book 2.

Physical Description: 71 copies.

Box 78, Folder 8

Documentary Diary 1, vol.2.

Scope and Content Note

Clipings, letters, etc.

Box 78, Folder 9

Crown Film Unit cuttings, Humphrey Jennings.

Box 78, Folder 10

Richard Winnington book.

Scope and Content Note

Early letters, RW award, sundry: memorial service, etc.

Box 79, Folder 1

Manchester University.

Box 79, Folder 2

Winnington Book.

Scope and Content Note

Tapes, exhibition, early letters, etc.

Reading 7

Box 79, Folder 3

U.S.A. letters. 1937/1938.

Box 79, Folder 4

Hitler film.

Scope and Content Note

Final text and letters, etc.

Box 79, Folder 5

Miscellaneous items taken to U.S.A. ca. 1937.

Box 79, Folder 6

Cuttings. 1942/1943.

Box 80, Folder 1

Documents - Thompson family.

Box 80, Folder 2

ARFP lecture list. 1937/1938.

Box 80, Folder 3

U.S.A. 1937/1938.

Box 80, Folder 4

Hitler film.

Scope and Content Note

Research, programme.

Box 80, Folder 5

Real Film letters.

Box 80, Folder 6

Last commentary of Hitler film. July 15, 1961.

Reading 12

Box 80, Folder 7

World Union Documentary. 1947.

Box 80, Folder 8

Press cuttings. ca. 1976.

Box 81, Folder 1

Atomic energy letters.

Reading 9

Box 81, Folder 2

De Overval stills. 1962.

Box 81, Folder 3

No Resting Place stills (Sushitzki's rejects). 1950.

Box 81, Folder 4

U.S.A. letters.

Box 81, Folder 5

Private correspondence.

Box 82, Folder 1

Mayer, Carl.

Box 82, Folder 2

Photographs for Biography and Documentary Diary.

Box 82, Folder 3

Japan.

Box 82, Folder 4

[Unlabeled].

Box 82, Folder 5

1983/1984.

Box 82, Folder 6

Income tax, National Westminister Bank Limited.

Box 82, Folder 7

[Magazines, newspaper cuttings].

Box 82, Folder 8

[Unlabeled].

Box 82, Folder 9

[Photocopy of diary notebook].

Box 82, Folder 10

[Unlabeled].

Box 83, Folder 1

[Address book].

Box 83, Folder 2

Magazine and newspaper cuttings.

Box 83, Folder 3

Engravings.

Box 83, Folder 4

Su's photographs. 1983.

Box 83, Folder 5

Photographs of Eric Knight, Otto Neurath, and drawing of Paul Rotha (ca. 1930) by Bunche Lee.

Box 83, Folder 6

[Photographs].

Box 83, Folder 7

Negatives and information for exhibiton.

Box 83, Folder 8

[2 Photographs].

Box 83, Folder 9

Original negatives of Paul Rotha used on spine of film Till Now jacket. summer 1930.

Box 83, Folder 10

[Photographs folder 1 of 2].

Box 84, Folder 1

[Photographs folder 2 of 2].

Box 84, Folders 2-4

[Negatives].

Box 84, Folder 5

Photographs of Bunche Lee, Paul Rotha's first wife. 1929.

Box 84, Folder 6

Last Days at College. August 1962.

Physical Description: Negatives and prints.

Box 84, Folder 7

[Unlabeled].

Box 84, Folder 8

Paul Rotha Photographs. June 8, 1979.

Box 85, Folder 1

[ World Without End parts 1-6 (2 film reels), negatives, 2 posters for the Life of Adolph Hitler].

| | | | | | | |