Lilly Library Manuscript Collections

NORMAN, R.E. MSS.

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Guide

I. CORRESPONDENCE, 1912 - 1954 (Box 1, folders 1 - 37)

  • Arranged chronologically. Concerns the making and distribution of films. Primarily between Richard E. Norman and actors, producers, distributors, theatre owners, etc. Of particular interest is a group of letters from Norman to his brother Kenneth Bruce Norman, 1921-1922. Among the correspondents in the collection are: Bert Angeles, Clarence Brooks, Anita Bush, Bessie Coleman, Shingzie Howard, George Perry Johnson, Stella Mayo, Oscar Micheaux, Alfred Norcom, D. Ireland Thomas, and Salem Tutt Whitney.

II. CENSORSHIP MATERIALS, 1920 - 1930 (Box 1, folders 38 - 40, unless otherwise indicated)

  • Arranged alphabetically by state or city. Includes correspondence, forms, approvals and disapprovals, and rules and regulations.
Chicago
  • City ordinances
  • Permits to exhibit - The Flying Ace 5/23/27
  • The Green-Eyed Monster 6/14/21
Kansas
  • Certificate of approval - The Crimson Skull 9/9/22
  • Permits - The Green-eyed Monster 5/13/21
  • The Bull-Dogger 9/9/22
  • The Crimson Skull 9/9/22
Kansas City
  • Certificates of Censorship - The Green-Eyed Monster 5/14/21
  • The Bull-Dogger 9/8/22
  • The Crimson Skull 9/8/22
Maryland
  • Orders of approval - The Green-Eyed Monster 6/24/21, receipts
  • Regeneration 9/15/24
  • Black Gold 5/9/28, application, receipts
  • The Flying Ace 5/9/28 & 7/7/28, receipt
  • Blank applications
  • Correspondence concerning censorship of The Flying Ace, 6/20/28 - 7/5/28
  • Maryland State Board of Motion Picture Censors; Act 1922, Chapter 390 (3)
New York
  • Correspondence concerning The Crimson Skull, 4/13/22 - 4/24/22.
  • Includes approved lithographs
  • Correspondence concerning Regeneration, 9/19/24 - 11/8/24.
  • Includes approved advertising and license
  • Correspondence concerning The Flying Ace, 5/7/28 - 5/19/28
  • License for The Flying Ace 5/19/28
  • Rules & regulations 1921, 1923
  • Blank applications
Ohio
  • Letter concerning The Crimson Skull, 9/25/22.
  • Correspondence concerning The Flying Ace, 4/28/27 - 6/4/27
  • Certificates of censorship - The Flying Ace 6/13/27
  • The Green-Eyed Monster 6/6/21 (Oversize 1)
  • The Crimson Skull 9/28/22 (Oversize 1)
  • A Rodeo Star [i.e. The Bull-Dogger] 3/22/22 (Oversize 1)
Pennsylvania
  • Certificates of censorship - The Green-Eyed Monster 12/4/20
  • The Love Bug 12/4/20
  • The Crimson Skull- not approved, 4/6/22
  • reasons, blank approval form
  • Regeneration 9/23/24. Includes cuts to be made
  • The Flying Ace 5/3/28. Includes cuts to be made
  • Correspondence concerning Black Gold, 6/27/30 - 7/7/30
  • Includes sample and blank forms
  • Rules and Standards, 1918
  • Act and Rules, 1926
Virginia
  • Reports of examinations 7/24-8/24 (mimeos)
  • License for Regeneration 9/15/24 and letter 9/16/24
  • Letter concerning Black Gold 10/25/27
  • Blank applications
  • Censorship Law, and Rules and Regulations 1923

III. ORDERS, RECEIPTS, ETC., 1916-1953 (Box 1, folders 41 - 62)

  • Arranged chronologically. This category includes orders, invoices, receipts, etc. for supplies.

IV. DISTRIBUTION RECORDS (Box 2 - 4, folder 71; Box 5)

  • Arranged alphabetically, first by state, then by city, then by theatre. See: Appendix A for complete listing

V. PUBLICITY

A. Heralds (Box 4, folders 72 - 74)
  • Bell Starr
  • The Flying Ace
  • The Green-Eyed Monster
  • The Man at the Throttle
  • Pro Patria
  • Regeneration
  • Sleepy Sam the Sleuth
  • The Wrecker
  • Her Unborn Child [non-Norman film]
  • Roar of the Crowd [non-Norman film]
  • 20,000 Leagues under the Sea [non-Norman film]
B. Lobby Cards - all 11"x14" (Box 5, folders 1 - 3)
Black Gold
  • 1. Poster
  • 2. Six men, one aiming gun, in front of oil well
  • 3. Composite: hero and heroine embracing villain, heroine and horse, Steve Reynolds and other man
  • 4. Man with two guns and Steve Reynolds holding off three men; inset: two men drawing guns on each other
  • 5. Composite: three fight scenes, the largest has group of onlookers
  • 6. Heroine, Steve Reynolds and two wounded men; inset: man with gun drawn and horse
  • 7. Composite: villain and horse, hero and heroine embracing, Steve Reynolds
  • 8. Man in prison, inset: group of men fighting
The Flying Ace
  • 1. Poster
  • 2. Kathryn Boyd, Lawrence Criner and Steve Reynolds standing in front of airplane
  • 3. Criner and unidentified man talking in office
  • 4. Boyd and Criner standing with backs to each other; inset of villain trying to embrace Boyd
  • 5. Cop arresting station master, Boyd protesting
  • 6. Criner shaking station master's hand, cop holding gun on villain
  • 7. Villain attacking hero by plane, unconscious heroine in plane
  • 8. Composite: villain in plane, heroine escaping up rope ladder; insets of hero and heroine Regeneration
  • 1. Poster
  • 2. Heroine tied to tree, villain attacking hero, Steve Reynolds attacking villain with crutch
  • 3. Hero and villain fighting, heroine trying to restrain hero
  • 4. Villain leering at frightened heroine
  • 5. Silhouette of girl on beach; insets: portraits of hero and heroine
  • 6. Hero and heroine sitting together
  • 7. Villain approaching sleeping heroine; inset of hero fighting villains
  • 8. Heroine on boat holding gun on four men, hero unconscious; inset of young couple with sick old man
C. Photographs (Box 5, folders 4 - 6)
Black Gold - all 11"x14"
  • 1. Poster
  • 2. Steve Reynolds pulling gun from inside crutch
  • 3. Kathryn Boyd and Lawrence Criner embracing
  • 4. Boyd, Criner & horse
  • 5. Villain with horse
  • 6. Criner aiming gun and holding horse
  • 7. Criner hoisting man onto his back
  • 8. Criner fighting with and being choked by other man
  • 9. Criner and another man drawings guns
  • 10. Sheriff standing by horse, aiming gun
  • 11. Man behind prison bars
  • 12. Fight scene with crowd of onlookers
  • 13. Villain, heroine, and horse
  • 14. Criner and Reynolds fighting two villains
  • 15. Criner kneeling, aiming gun
Regeneration - 11"x14", unless otherwise noted
  • 1. Heroine tied to tree, villain attacking hero, Steve Reynolds attacking villain with crutch
  • 2. Heroine on boat holding gun on four men, hero unconscious
  • 3. Cropped version of #2, with inscription: "Washington Theatre/Tuesday Jan. 15th"
  • 4. Poster
  • 5. Man and girl on raft, washed up on beach (9½"x12")
  • 6. Villain leering at frightened heroine
  • 7. Villain learing at frightened heroine, different pose
  • 8. Dying man in bed, young couple
  • 9. Young couple seated together
  • 10. Silhouette of girl on beach; insets: portraits of hero and heroine
  • 11. Reynolds, hero and heroine with two villains on beach
  • 12. Two men ready to fight with heroine trying to restrain hero
  • 13. Hero hitting villain while heroine cowers on bed
  • 14. Villain sneaking up on sleeping heroine
  • 15. Four villains fighting with hero in burning room
  • 16. Part of poster (8"x12")
  • 17. Part of poster - different from #16 (6"x14")
  • 18. Poster featuring Steve Reynolds
The Wrecker
  • 1. Hero, heroine, villain standing, talking (8"x10")
  • 2. Hero and heroine seated, villain looking on (8"x10")
D. Posters (Map Case)
Black Gold
  • 1. 27"x41"
  • 2. 41"x81" in two sheets
The Bull-Dogger
  • 1. 9 1/4 "x24"
  • 2. 28"x42"
The Crimson Skull
  • 1. 27"x41"
  • 2. 41"x81" in three sheets
  • 3. 28"x44"
The Exile [non-Norman film]
  • 14"x22"
Explorers of the World [non-Norman film]
  • 14"x22"
The Flying Ace
  • 1. 27"x41"
  • 2. 41"x81" in three sheets
The Green-Eyed Monster
  • 1. 28"x42"
  • 2. 11"x14"
Joe Louis vs. Primo Carnera [non-Norman film]
  • 14"x22"
Joe Louis vs. King Levinsky [non-Norman film]
  • 14"x22"
Joe Louis vs. James J. Braddock [non-Norman film]
  • 14"x22"
Sleepy Sam the Sleuth
  • 6"x15"
The Wrecker
  • 9"x25"

E. Pressbooks (Oversize 2)

  • Black Gold
  • The Crimson Skull
  • The Flying Ace
  • The Love Bug, The Green-Eyed Monster, The Crimson Skull, and The Bull-Dogger (in one pressbook)
  • Regeneration

F. Miscellaneous Publicity

  • Flyers for Superior Film Mfg. Co., The Multiscope Studios, Magic Slide Mfg. Co., Superior Slide Mfg. Co.; Norman Film Co. proof ad for Photoplay Magazine; and "Have You Talent?" booklets (Box 4, folder 75)
  • Promotional materials for non-Norman films: The Water Lily, Fruits of Passion, and Who Shall Take My Life (Oversize 3)
  • Proof ads for "Fame and Fortune" newspaper contest (Map Case)

VI. MISCELLANEOUS

A. Catalogs (Box 4, folders 76- 78)
  • Includes catalogs for films and supplies
B. Passi-Kola (Box 4, folder 79. See also: Correspondence, 1912-1915)
  • Recipe and labels for Passi-Kola soft drink
C. Personal (Box 4, folder 80)
  • Includes bank savings books, driver's license, draft card
D. Photographs (Box 4, folder 81 - 82; Oversize 4. See also: F. Scrapbook)
Pure Oil Company - all 8"x10" (Box 4, f.81)
  • 1. Man seated on running board of Pure motion picture sound car
  • 2. Man operating mike over woman in swimming suit
  • 3. Color test for woman
  • 4. Actress at make-up table with script girl and technicians
  • 5. Actors and technicians on set of Pure gas station
  • 6. Actors and technicians on set of Pure gas station, with view of billboard
  • 7. Woman in swimming suit posing in front of Pure gas pump
  • 8. Movie set - interior of gas station, with technicians
  • 9. Movie set - office with two men, with technicians
  • 10. Movie set - office scene, close in
  • 11. Movie set - boudoir, with technicians
  • 12. Exterior - men working on telephone pole
  • 13. Movie set - grocery store, with technicians
  • 14. Cameraman and woman at boudoir table, close
  • 15. Woman at boudoir table, cameraman, script girl, and Mr. Grant
  • 16. Movie set - seated man using phone, with cameraman and lights
  • 17. Movie set - overhead shot of living room (?), with technicians
  • 18. Cameraman, director, other man with camera and light
  • 19. Movie set - shoe store
  • 20. Men preparing shoe store set
  • 21. Boy dancing, with cameraman
Miscellaneous Photographs (Box 4, f.82)
  • 1. Snapshot of two people outside of building under construction (3 ½ "x5")
  • 2. Snapshot of two people inside building under construction (3 ½"x5")
  • 3. Still from The Girl from Chicago (8"x10")
  • 4. Poster for The Girl from Chicago (8"x10")
  • 5. Resynchronizer
  • 6. Portrait of unidentified woman (8"x10")
  • 7. Two stills from unidentified movie(s) (8"x10")
Studio, 1924 - all 11"x14" (Oversize 4)
  • 1. Scenery room with ladders, doors and windows
  • 2. Prop room, with various pieces of furniture
  • 3. Prop room, with shelves of bottles, vases, and other small items
  • 4. Room with large machine
  • 5. Complex of buildings, water tower in background
  • 6. Same complex of buildings, different view
  • 7. Same complex of buildings, in-ground structure in foreground
  • 8. Same complex of buildings, water tower and car
  • 9. Closeup of in-ground structure
E. Printed (Box 4, folders 83 - 87; Oversize 5)
  • Magazines, newspapers, tickets and articles, including:
  • Moving Picture World(July 18, 1925) (incomplete)
  • The Theatre Bulletin of Oklahoma City, Okl'a, vol. 4, no. 4 (Dec. 6, 1919)
  • Moving Picture World, vol. 29, no. 12 (Sept. 16, 1916)
  • Dream World, vol. III, no. 6 (Jan. 1925)
  • Motion Picture Herald, vol. 17, no. 10 (Dec. 8, 1934)
  • Abbott's, vol. II, no. 4 (April 1931)
  • White Shadows, vol. I, no. 3 (March 1923)
  • Theatre Catalog (1958)
  • Newspapers and clippings. 26 items
F. Scrapbook, 1912 - 1919 (Box 4, folder 88)
  • Contains clippings concerning Norman's motion picture activities and films, and samples of stationery and legal forms. Also includes the following photographs:
  • 1. Man with camera surrounded by crowd on street of Cedar Rapids; car and trolley with ads on sides: "Taking Pictures of the City of Cedar Rapids" and "Get in the movies" (8"x10")
  • 2. Closeup of above car (8"x10")
  • 3. Man standing in car with camera, ad on car: "We are taking moving pictures of Perry...", crowd nearby (3½" x 5½")
  • 4. Man standing in car with camera, children and adults nearby (3½" x 5½")
  • 5. Man with camera standing in snow (3½" x 5½")
  • 6. Three stills from The Green-Eyed Monster (5"x7")
  • 7. Man filming crowd, firemen and smoke in front of The Aurora [Illinois] Theater (5"x7")
  • 8. Man filming three men in car (3¼" x 5½")
  • 9. Man filming four men running on snow-covered street (3¼"x 5½")
  • 10. Man filming eight men in front of building, herd of sheep in foreground (3½" x 5½")
  • 11. Sequence of three shots of man on street (7¼"x4")
  • 12. Sequence of three shots of man and woman on wooden swing (7¼"x4")
  • 13. Three photographs of Superior Film Mfg. Co. building in Des Moines, Iowa (4"x5")
G. Stationery (Box 4, folder 89)
  • Blank stationery, envelopes, and business cards for various Norman enterprises.
H. Zircon (Box 4, folders 90 - 91)
  • Correspondence and financial files concerning Norman's unproduced black serial film Zircon.

For more information about this collection and any related materials contact the Public Services Department, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405. Call (812) 855-2452 or send an email using our Ask a Question form.