Margaret Herrick Library

Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study

Address: 333 So. La Cienega Blvd.,

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Hours of Operation: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Telephone reference: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. (310) 247-3020

Special Collections

The library is extremely rich in unique material documenting individuals and organizations that have figured prominently in the history of motion pictures.

The Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences is the place to go if you're looking for information about relatives in the movie industry. This library has several collections that can provide biographical information about Jews in the movies. First, the library of over 20,000 books and 1 ,400 periodicals contains a large number of biographies, autobiographies, and biographical dictionaries ("Who's Who" type volumes) of Hollywood figures. There are also foreign language materials about members of the movie industry in other countries. Second, there are film industry publications that contain additional information about individuals in the industry. The American Film Institute Catalog, for example, lists all the films in which an individual appeared by decade, as long as that person's name appeared in the credits. The annual publication International Motion Picture Almanac includes a "Who's Who" section that features many non-stars in the industry --actors who were significant in their day, but not well-known today, and many executives and technical people in the industry who might not be mentioned in other biographical sources. Third, the Archives has a large photograph and newspaper clipping section with information on both famous and not-so-famous individuals. Finally, the Archives also has the personal papers of many Hollywood figures, including a number of prominent Jews in the industry such as George Cukor, Fred Zinnemann, Hal Ash by, Paul Mazursky, and Sammy Cahn.

Ellen Barbieri in an article published in Discovery VoL 12 No.2 Spring 1997, Page 4 newsletter of the San Diego JGS suggests the following resources for L.A. motion picture biographical information.

	MOTION PICTURE PIONEERS at 1600 Broadway, New York City (212)246-6460 has a computerized directory of past members.
	VARIETY prints an annual WHO's WHO IN SHOW BUSINESS
	THE INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC publishes an annual edition’
	NEW YORK TIMES BIOGRAPHICAL Service is a separate division of the New York Times newspaper and is indexed separately from 1969-present.
	CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS, ~ non-fiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television and other fields
	WHO's WHO OF AMERICAN WOMEN
	WHO's WHO IN THEATER
	WHO's WHO IN NEW YORK AND PARIS
	WHO's WHO -PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS, WRITERS
	WHO's WHO- HOLLYWOOD DIRECTORS
	WHO's WHO OFF-STAGE
	WHO's WHO U S. ACTORS AND ACTRESSES
	LA TIMES ARCHIVES on the Internet http://www.latimes.com
	INDEX TO LA TIMES published yearly under categories: Motion Picture and Motion Picture Industry and Producers and Directors

Hint: additional bio-bibliographical information for current writers in fiction and general family information can be gleaned by reading the jackets of books and acknowledgements of their published works.