SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ROBERT ALTMAN ARCHIVE: PROJECTS - 1960S 1968-1970
Quantity
Call No.: Altman
ACQUISITION: The archive was acquired from the Altman family in 2007-2008
ACCESS: The records are open for research.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
COPYRIGHT: Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from the University of Michigan Special Collections Library and the individual copyright holder.
PROCESSED BY: Countdown, MASH: Emily Thompson, 2009; That Cold Day in the Park: Sarah Hegge, 2009 Robert Altman Archive
Abstract The Countdown series (.25 linear feet) consists of materials from the 1968 film directed by Robert Altman. The series includes a script, articles and reviews, photographs, contact sheets, negatives and transparencies. The MASH series (.5 linear feet and 1 oversized box) consists of materials from the 1970 film directed by Robert Altman. The series includes correspondence, legal materials, a script, music, publicity and distribution materials, articles and reviews, awards and festivals materials, publicity stills and a scrapbook. That Cold Day in the Park series (.5 linear feet and 1 oversized box) consists of materials from the 1969 film directed by Robert Altman. The series includes legal materials, a script, publicity and distribution files, articles and reviews, on-the-set photographs, contact sheets, negatives and slides.
Scope and Content Note The Countdown series (.25 linear feet) consists of materials from the 1968 film directed by Robert Altman. The screenplay was written by Loring Mandel and based on the novel The Pilgrim Project by Hank Searls. The actors in the film include James Caan, Robert Duvall, Barbara Baxley and Michael Murphy. The photograph sub-series include contact sheets, color photographs and negatives from an apparent trip to Cape Canaveral for the Gemini II launch. Additional materials include transparencies of a space capsule in orbit. The articles and reviews include reviews from both the original theatrical release and the television broadcast in January of 1978. The MASH series (.5 linear feet and 1 oversized box) consists of materials from the 1970 film directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Ring Lardner Jr., based on the novel by Richard Hooker. The actors in the film include Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerrit, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, Joann Pflug, Rene Auberjonois, John Shuck, Michael Murphy, and Bud Cort. The legal materials contain a lawsuit filed in 1973 by Andrew Sidaris against 20th Century-Fox for breach of contract. The correspondence sub-series include letters from producer Richard Zanuck, actors John Considine, and from Dennis Hopper and Norman Taurang, who were members of the Directors Guild of America at the time, honoring Altman for his work on MASH, from 1970. The music sub-series includes Mike Altman’s original lyric sheets and hand-written notations for the song, "Song from MASH (Suicide is Painless).” Also included is the sheet music for the recorded version of the song. The photographs include pictures of a trip to the Cannes Film Festival, where the film was honored that year. One photo contains an inscription to Altman by playwright Irwin Shaw. The slides include images of both Kellerman and Pflug relaxing in a hotel room while at Cannes. The articles and reviews include articles detailing the ban of the film by the U.S. Army and Air Force (later rescinded), and by the Israeli Censorship Board, in 1970. The awards, events and festivals include a guest list, correspondence and schedule of events from the American Film Institute’s 25th anniversary screening, in 1995. The Fox Movie Channel 30th anniversary event materials include guest lists, correspondence and related materials, and correspondence regarding the Fox television special, Altman on His Own Terms. An original cartoon by Paul Conrad is also included in the collection. That Cold Day in the Park series (.5 linear feet and 1 oversized box) consists of materials from the 1969 film directed by Robert Altman, written by Gillian Freeman, and based on the novel by Peter Miles. The actors in the film include Sandy Dennis, Michael Burns, Susanne Benton, David Garfield, and Michael Murphy.
i Robert Altman Archive
The legal materials include the papers of Jerome Walsh, legal counsel to Robert Altman, correspondence and a copyright report. Additional legal material includes a joint-venture agreement between Altman and Donald Factor, Altman's agreements with the screenwriter for his services, and with the author allowing Altman a six-month option to purchase the story rights for filming. Additional materials include a foreign press booklet, and an essay composed by Altman, published in 1969, on directing Sandy Dennis. The series also includes an untitled poem praising the producers, actors, Altman and others involved with the production of the film.
ii Robert Altman Archives
Box No. Description - Countdown Scripts Box 1 "Moonshot," final script, 1966 (3 folders) Production and post-production Apollo III rendering Articles and reviews Miscellaneous, 1968-1979 Photographs Gemini II launch, 1965 (4 folders) Contact sheets Negatives (2 folders) Orbit transparencies
MASH Correspondence Box 1 1970-1971 (2 folders) Anonymous Conrad, Paul, cartoon, 1971 Considine, John Cooper, Jackie Hopper, Dennis and Taurog, Norman Lockhart, June Solow, Herb Valenti, Jack Weissman, Eric Zanuck, Richard Legal Sidaris v. Twentieth Century-Fox, 1973. MS&K file 8314-13. Scripts Revised first draft, 1968 (3 folders) Production and post-production Cast lists, 1969 Music and scores "The MASH Song" original lyric sheet by Michael Altman "Suicide is Painless" sheet music Soundtrack article, advertisement, 1970 Publicity and distribution Correspondence, 2003 Foreign press kit Altman, Robert (2 folders) Burghoff, Gary Kellerman, Sally Lardner Jr., Ring Murphy, Michael Pflug, Joann Schuck, John Skerritt, Tom Sutherland, Donald Advertisements Television syndication American Movie Classics (AMC) Backstory, 2001 DVD release, 2000-2003
1 Robert Altman Archives
Box No. Description - Articles and reviews Domestic (4 folders) International Best of 1971 Box office grosses, Variety magazine, 1970 Censorship, 1970 Television series, 1979 Miscellaneous, 1978-1979 Entertainment Weekly Academy Awards Extra, March issue, 1996 Le Nouvel Observateur, Cannes Spécial, 1997 Awards, events, and festivals Correspondence Academy Awards, 1971 Directors Guild of America, 1971 Cannes Film Festival, 1970 Screen Generations Film Festival, Southern Methodist University, 1971 American Film Institute’s 25th anniversary screening, 1995 Fox Movie Channel special, 30th anniversary screening, 2000 (2 folders) Photographs Stills (2 folders) 20th Century-Fox publicity stills Cannes Film Festival, 1970 Box 2 (o.s.) Cannes Film Festival, 1970 Box 1 Slides (4 folders) Scrapbooks and albums Box 2 (o.s.) Scrapbook
That Cold Day in the Park Legal Box 1 Ownership rights 1970-2006 Legal-Walsh, Jerome Correspondence, memoranda, agreements, 1967-1997. Includes copyright searches for Images. L&M file 4261-098-0 (2 folders) Scripts Final script, 1968 (3 folders) Publicity and distribution Box 2 (o.s.) Foreign press book Box 1 Altman, Robert, "Sandy Dennis-A Director's Experience" essay, article, 1969 Advertisements International film shipping invoices, 1982 Film Bulletin, Box Office articles, May-June, 1969 Altman, Robert Burns, Michael Dennis, Sandy
2 Robert Altman Archives
Box No. Description - Articles and reviews Domestic Location Photographs On the set Stills Contact sheets (5 folders) Negatives Slides (5 folders) Miscellaneous Gowen, Nip, untitled poem
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