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Category Archives: motion picture history
The Wizard of Oz – The Story Behind the Film
The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, beloved by children and adults alike, holds a special place in cinematographic history. The award-winning movie is based on an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum’s … Continue reading
The Many Faces of Peter Lorre
This Halloween, we highlight the career of actor Peter Lorre (1904-1964), who is represented in two of our collections. Lorre, who was born László Löwenstein in Hungary, began acting for the stage in Vienna in the early 1920s. He gained … Continue reading
Time Warp: The Back to the Future Film Trilogy
Time travel behind the wheel of a nuclear-powered DeLorean is the premise of the 1985 hit movie Back to the Future. The film follows the comedic adventures of Marty McFly, a high school student who is accidentally transported back thirty … Continue reading
Groundbreaking Character Actor Richard Loo
To celebrate May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the AHC would like to feature the life and career of Chinese American actor Richard Loo. Loo was born in Maui, Hawaii, in 1903. As a young man he … Continue reading
William Beaudine, Bela Lugosi, and Horror Films Out West
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
Blacklisted! – The Albert Maltz Papers
Brooklyn-born Albert Maltz grew up in affluence. His Russian immigrant Jewish parents had made good in their new American home. Maltz’s education credentials were those of an elite. He studied philosophy at Columbia University, graduating in 1928. He then attended the … Continue reading
Breathing New Life Into An Old Cinema Dinosaur
On June 2, 1983, 54 boxes of materials arrived at the Western History Research Center, now the American Heritage Center. It’s always exciting to open boxes of new materials to find out what surprises might be in store. So, those … Continue reading
Commemorating a 60th Anniversary: Psycho by Robert Bloch
June 16th is the 60th anniversary of the release date of the film Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock’s film is based on a novel by Robert Bloch. It is the story of Norman Bates, a lonely motel caretaker who is seething with … Continue reading