Research Guides: HC 301H Literary &amp; Cinematic Noir: Primary Sources

Primary sources

These sources will help you find original documents, first-hand accounts, and historical information about how films were made, including information about studios, producers, directors, writers, stars, publicity, distribution, and reception.

Chicago Defender (1910-1975) This link opens in a new window
Leading newspaper of the black community.
The newspaper was a proponent of The Great Migration, the move of over 1.5 million African-Americans from the segregated South to the industrial North from 1915 to 1925. It reported on the Red Summer race riots of 1919, and editorialized for anti-lynching legislation and the integration of blacks into the U.S. military.
Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
Archival research resource containing the essential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to 2000.
Core US and UK trade magazines covering film, music, broadcasting and theater are all included, together with film fan magazines and music press titles. Magazines have been scanned cover-to-cover in high-resolution color, with granular indexing of all articles, covers, ads and reviews.
Hollywood, Censorship, and the Motion Picture Production Code, 1927-1968 This link opens in a new window
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Production Code Administration Files collection documents forty years of self-regulation and censorship in the motion picture industry. The Production Code was written in 1929 by Martin J. Quigley, an influential editor and publisher of motion picture trade periodicals, and Reverend Daniel A. Lord, a Jesuit advisor to Hollywood filmmakers. Officially accepted in 1930 by the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), the precursor organization to the MPAA, the Production Code presented guidelines governing American movie production. The five hundred titles selected were chosen by the staff of the library’s Special Collections Department, with advice from film historian Leonard J. Leff.

Motion Picture Association Production Code Administration Files
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Production Code Administration Files collection documents forty years of self-regulation and censorship in the motion picture industry. This collection includes PCA files for 500 films.
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SEE ALSO: Hollywood, Censorship, and the Motion Picture Production Code, 1927-1968 for 500 additional films.

Los Angeles Times (1881-1997) This link opens in a new window
Historical analysis of the development of California and the Pacific Rim with a focus on immigration issues, coverage of the early days of the film industry, and coverage of Native American culture and society.

Media History Digital Library
Full-text digital reproductions of early film industry and fan magazines, including Photoplay, Hollywood Reporter, and much more.

New York times (digital reproduction, 1851-2015) This link opens in a new window
Digital reproduction of the NY Times, with full page and article images as well as searchable full text back to the first issue.

HC 301H Literary & Cinematic Noir

Primary sources

Film Database Tutorials