Category Archives: Film History

From the Archives to the Airwaves: Taylor Swift’s ‘Clara Bow’ and the AHC’s Scrapbook

Posted on May 13, 2024 by ahcadmin

Sometimes you find remarkably topical surprises in the archives, like the recent discovery of a scrapbook devoted to Clara Bow in the Samuel Anthony Peeples papers at the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. This treasure trove of newspaper clippings, … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrity Culture, Film History, music, Pop Culture Icons, popular culture, Uncategorized, Women in Hollywood, Women in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Titans of Terror: Godzilla and King Kong as Pop Culture Icons

Posted on April 8, 2024 by ahcadmin

As the film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire opens, we consider the history and legacy of the two most famous giant monsters in film history. Both monsters are represented in posters and stills from the collection of Forrest J. … Continue reading →

Posted in Film History, Pop Culture, science fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Truth to Power: US Senator McGee’s Fight Echoed in “Oppenheimer”

Posted on March 4, 2024 by ahcadmin

Senator Gale McGee of Wyoming was an important figure in the groundswell of political change occurring in his time. Notably, as one of the rare Democrats in the state’s predominantly political sphere, he brought his extensive knowledge of history to … Continue reading →

Posted in American history, Biography and profiles, Entertainment history, Film History, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, Political controversy, Political history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Talking Movies to Looney Tunes – Celebrating 100 Years of Warner Brothers

Posted on April 3, 2023 by ahcadmin

April 4, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Warner Brothers Pictures. Here at the American Heritage Center, we have the papers of some of the creative personalities behind the films for which Warner Brothers is revered. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, cartoons, Film History, Hollywood history, motion picture history, music, popular culture, television history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meet Grande Dame Guignol at the American Heritage Center

Posted on October 31, 2022 by ahcadmin

This Halloween, we consider the sub-genre of horror films referred to as “Grande Dame Guignol,” also known as “Hagsploitation,” “Psycho-biddy,” or “Hag Horror,” and three films in that sub-genre that are represented in three of our collections. Films of this … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Film History, Holidays, Hollywood history, Horror, Motion picture actors and actresses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Birthday Hoppy!

Posted on June 5, 2022 by ahcadmin

William Lawrence Boyd, known throughout the world as “Hopalong Cassidy,” was born June 5, 1895 in Hendrysburg, Ohio, to Charles William Boyd, and his wife, the former Lida Wilkens (aka Lyda). Following his father’s death, Boyd moved to California to … Continue reading →

Posted in Animal actors, Biography and profiles, Film History, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, Pop Culture, popular culture, television history, Uncategorized, Western Films, Western history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

William Beaudine, Bela Lugosi, and Horror Films Out West

Posted on October 26, 2020 by ahcadmin

For Halloween 2018 and 2019, we brought you blog posts on The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster, two low-budget horror movies financed by Texas radio pioneer Gordon McLendon. This year, we shine a spotlight on the career of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film History, Holidays, Hollywood history, Horror, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Pop Culture, popular culture, Uncategorized, Western Films | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Orphan to Icon: The Remarkable Journey of Barbara Stanwyck

Posted on March 2, 2018 by ahcadmin

The astounding and legendary life and career of Barbara Stanwyck began in Brooklyn, New York. The youngest of 5 children born to common laborers, Stanwyck was originally known as ‘Ruby Stevens.’ She became orphaned by the age of 4. After … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography and profiles, Film History, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, popular culture, television history, Women in Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

David Brown and Steven Spielberg: Through Thick and Thin

Posted on January 29, 2018 by ahcadmin

Film producer David Brown (1916-2010) began his career in 1951 heading the story department at Twentieth Century Fox. His success began early through his involvement with The Robe, an American Biblical epic film that received an Oscar nomination for Best … Continue reading →

Posted in Film History, found in the archive, motion picture history, Pop Culture, popular culture, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Documenting Women’s Roles in Hollywood

Posted on September 25, 2017 by ahcadmin

Film and television entertains us all and are significant to American culture.  Whether through comedy, drama, or music, perspectives of our culture can be studied by observing what entertained us in the past.  The American Heritage Center’s vast entertainment collections … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment history, Film History, television history, Uncategorized, Women in History, Women in Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment