Research and Apologies for an Extended Absence

Readers, a quick glance at the history of Backlots tells me that I have not updated since June 10, which feels like a terrible sin on my part. I apologize for my absence, and I promise you that I am alive and have not forgotten about my blogging duties.

There is an explanation for my absence. As many of you know, for the past year and a half or so (it will be 2 years in November), I have been working on a large project about Marion Davies. I have kept it quiet on the blog until now, because I needed to gather steam for the project and do it on my own terms. But the time has come, I believe, to let you all know what I have been doing and why my blogging has been relegated to the back burner of late.

This is the first biography of Marion Davies since 1972, and she is the most wonderful subject I could have possibly chosen. Biographers have to live with their subjects day in and day out, and there is no one I would rather live with than Marion Davies. She has been nothing but a joy from the first moment I began my research, and she fascinates and amazes me more every day.

I’ve been extraordinarily lucky in my research and the contacts I have made, and I have a great deal of support from many important people in the community. It feels like the best and most rewarding thing I have done in my life. I’ve toured Hearst Castle, spoken about Marion at festivals and events, and traveled the world to meet significant people in Marion’s life and story. Suffice it to say that I’ve had quite an adventure since November of 2013. In this post, I would like to focus on a few of the key research institutions that I have found useful in my work.

THE MARGARET HERRICK LIBRARY

The library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills has long been a mecca for film lovers. Deceptively small in size, it boasts a collection of hundreds of thousands of archival documents, photos, periodicals, and clippings from the early days of film all the way up to the present day. The Margaret Herrick Library is a public library, anyone from the public may walk in and view material, though special collections are reserved for people working on an actual project. It has nearly every book ever written on any film subject–every film book I have ever wanted has been at the Margaret Herrick–and a large digital photograph gallery accessible inside the library. If you love movies, the Margaret Herrick Library is a true destination.

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Located just steps from the United States Capitol Building, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.  is a maze of rooms and departments organized by a complex color-coding system. Regardless of what you need, the Library of Congress has it somewhere in the building. I spent most of my time in the film department and newspaper archive across the hall, but also accessed the radio archive room and theater department. It is a breathtaking operation, and the archivists are some of the most helpful and dedicated people in the business.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

I have found some real gems here. The New York Public Library offers researchers not only a magnificently diverse collection of material, but many varied ways to find and access it. The archives with which I have primarily dealt feature both a card catalog and online finding aids, so information is easily obtained and if you uncover a new piece of information, other references to that information can be found without having to leave the library. It is a real monument to archival skill and one of my primary research locations.

UCLA FILM AND TV ARCHIVE

UCLA is renowned for its Film and Television program, so it is perhaps no surprise that its archive is top-notch. Located inside the Powell Library, researchers may view pre-selected films in viewing rooms or cubicles in a small enclave within the library using headphones for any films that may have sound (the majority of my requests have not had sound). They have home movies, rare films, television shows, and a wide assortment of clips and newsreels that are scarce or nonexistent elsewhere. Much of the work I have done at the UCLA Film and TV Archive has been the catalyst for extensive research at the Library of Congress, and it was one of my first research destinations when I began this project in late 2013.

I have been to just about every research library around, but these are especially close to my heart. I predict that the research and writing will take another few years to complete, so thank you for your patience with my blogging and I promise I will try to avoid going for a month without posting again!

See you next time!