Description
Paulist Productions was founded in Los Angeles in 1960 by Ellwood "Bud" Kieser (b. March 27, 1929-d. September 16, 2000),
a Catholic priest and member of the Paulist Fathers. Its initial television series,
Insight, originally consisted of little more than Father Kieser delivering a lecture about Christian values on an empty stage. Though
production values remained modest, the syndicated program's non-dogmatic, ecumenical approach was soon able to attract top-flight
Hollywood talent who would often donate their fees back to the company. In its quarter-century of activity,
Insight addressed issues such as poverty, racism, and war from a liberal perspective, while still maintaining a resolutely anti-communist
stance, and winning nine Daytime Emmy Awards. In addition to
Insight, Paulist Productions was responsible for the feature film
Romero, and for a number of television movies and specials. It also produced several short films for classroom use. The collection
consists mostly of scripts, photographs, and publicity material for
Insight, as well as for various other productions. Many scripts are annotated, and appear in multiple drafts. Photographs tend to
consist of scene stills and off-camera photographs, in the form of prints, negatives, contact sheets, and color transparencies.
Publicity material consists primarily of press releases. There is a small amount of information about distribution, but virtually
no production records or correspondence apart from cast and staff lists and notes written in scripts. There is also a significant
amount of material about Ellwood Kieser. Most of this material consists of photographs documenting his travels and on-set
activities. There are also many examples of Father Kieser's writing, though his autobiography,
Hollywood Priest, is not present in draft or published form.
Background
Paulist Productions was founded in Los Angeles in 1960 by Ellwood "Bud" Kieser (b. March 27, 1929-d. September 16, 2000),
a Catholic priest and member of the Paulist Fathers. Its initial television series,
Insight, originally consisted of little more than Father Kieser delivering a lecture about Christian values on an empty stage. Though
production values remained modest, the syndicated program's non-dogmatic, ecumenical approach was soon able to attract top-flight
Hollywood talent who would often donate their fees back to the company. Actors such as Martin Sheen, Edward Asner, and Patty
Duke starred in several episodes each, and dozens of other luminaries (for example, Irene Dunne, Carol Burnett, Walter Matthau,
and Louis Gossett, Jr.) appeared in just one or two shows. Rod Serling, Michael Crichton, and William Peter Blatty were among
the writers who offered scripts for the program, and Arthur Hiller and Ted Post directed several episodes each. In its quarter-century
of activity,
Insight addressed issues such as poverty, racism, and war from a liberal perspective, while still maintaining a resolutely anti-communist
stance, and winning nine Daytime Emmy Awards.
Extent
36.0 linear feet
(82 boxes, 3 flat boxes, 2 shoe boxes)
Restrictions
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library 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.
Availability
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.