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Cinema and Media Studies (CAMS)

Selected reference works, electronic resources, and Web sites concerning film history, theory, and criticism.

Cinema Pressbooks: Introduction

Cinema pressbooks are primary resource materials originally distributed to cinema owners and the mass media with the intent of publicizing a specific motion picture. They often contained technical descriptions and synopses of a film, brief biographies of and interviews with the film's stars, advertisement and poster designs, still photographs, and suggestions for effective promotion of the film. Today, pressbooks have been replaced by the electronic press kit which includes behind-the-scenes footage from the film and videotaped interviews with the stars but will often contain the same kind of printed synopses, biographies and interviews, and still photographs that a pressbook might have contained.

The Cinema Pressbooks from the Original Studio Collections microfilm contains 1700 pressbooks from three studios and covers the years of transition from silent to talking pictures through the "Golden Era" of Hollywood filmmaking.

The Cinema Pressbooks from the Original Studio Collections microfilm collection is comprised of four sub-collections: Warner Bros. sound features, 1927 to 1949; Warner Bros. silent features, 1922 to 1929; Monogram Pictures, 1937 to 1946; and United Artists (including Eagle Lion Films), 1919 to 1949. Click the Microform Collections tab above to find film titles and reel numbers for pressbooks included in the collection (use command-F to search on the page). A complete, alphabetical index of all film titles included in the collection is available at the publisher's Web site.

Monogram Pictures, 1937-1946

Reel 24

Adventures of Kitty O'Day
Allotment Wives
Arizona Roundup
Arizona Whirlwind
Barefoot Boy
Behind the Mask
The Bells of San Fernando
Blazing Barriers
Blazing Guns
Campus Rhythm
Charlie Chan in the Secret Service
The Chinese Cat
Convict's Code
The Crime Smasher
Criminal Investigator
The Driftin' Kid
Dynamite Canyon
The Face of Marble
Fashion Model
Father Steps Out
Freckles Steps Out
Gang Bullets
Gentleman From Dixie
Girl From Rio
God's Country and the Man
Hoosier Schoolboy
The Jade Mask
King of The Zombies
The Last Alarm
Law of the Jungle
The Law Rides Again
Leave it to The Irish
The Legion of Missing Men
The Living Ghost
The Luck of Roaring Camp
Lure of The Islands
Man From Headquarters
Melody Parade
Midnight Limited
The Missing Lady
Murder By Invitation
The Mystery of the 13th Guest
Mystery Plane
Navy Secrets
Oh, What a Night!
One Thrilling Night
Outlaw Trail
Prison Mutiny
The Right Man
Rose of The Rio Grande
Sarong Girl
The Scarlet Clue
[Charlie Chan in] The Secret Service
Sensation Hunters
Shadow of Suspicion
The Shadow Returns
She's In the Army Now
Sky Patrol
Smart Guy
Sonora Stagecoach
So's Your Aunt Emma
Spy Train
Square Dance Jubilee
Stunt Pilot
Sweethearts of the U.S.A
There Goes Kelly
Tomboy
Under the Big Top
Undercover Agent
Up in the Air
The Utah Kid

Reel 25

Western Mail
What a Man!
Where Trails Divide
Where Trails End
Wild Horse Stampede