Fred Zinnemann

The photograph series of the Fred Zinnemann papers spans the years 1907–1984 and encompasses 17.5 linear feet. The series consists of 15,325 items, including black-and-white and color prints and negatives, slides, transparencies, and contact sheets, as well as oversize photographs. The photographs are grouped into motion picture production photographs and subject photographs.

The motion picture production photographs span the years 1930–1984 and consist of scene, off-camera, and premiere photographs and contact sheets, mostly in 8x10 format. The material is arranged alphabetically by film title, and 47 titles are represented. The largest holdings are on The Day of the Jackal (1973), Five Days One Summer (1982), Julia (1977), A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Nun’s Story (1959), and The Sundowners (1960). Photographs from most of the short films that Zinnemann directed in the 1930s and 1940s are also in the collection, including one of his earliest, made in Mexico, Redes (The Wave) (1936). Most of the titles in the collection are those on which Zinnemann was director, though there are a number of off-camera shots of him from titles he did not direct, including All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), in which he appeared as an uncredited actor. Substantial photographic material on unproduced or uncompleted titles is included, the largest file being on Hawaii (1966), for which Zinnemann collected a great deal of photographic research and reference material. There is also a large amount of research material for his unrealized project, The Dybbuk. The motion picture production photographs also comprise the bulk of the collection’s oversize material. The largest oversize holdings are for The Sundowners and A Man for All Seasons.

The subject photographs are further subdivided into awards and tributes, biography, general, and travel. The awards and tributes photographs span the years 1950–1987 and include photographs of Zinnemann receiving the BAFTA United Nations Prize for The Search (1948) and a photograph of Zinnemann’s lifetime achievement plaque from the Congressional Arts Congress. The biography photographs span Zinnemann’s adult life and consist of photographs of Zinnemann’s significant associates as well as photos of Zinnemann's family and Zinnemann himself. Persons depicted with Zinnemann include Gary Cooper, Robert Flaherty, Greta Garbo, Anthony Quinn, and Ronald Reagan. There is also a photograph of Zinnemann’s childhood violin teacher. The general photographs include pictures taken by Zinnemann, such as a photograph of an atomic bomb test circa 1957, as well as photographs of his residences. Also included are portraits of Zinnemann taken throughout his life. The travel photographs span the years 1947–1965 and include pictures taken by Zinnemann on vacations and other trips. Most of these are small prints. They illustrate Zinnemann’s wide travel experience and include photographs from trips throughout Australia, central Africa, Europe, Israel, and North America.

Gift of Fred Zinnemann, 1984-1985, 1997; Tim Zinnemann, 1998.