Herbert Kline collection related to the film Barabbas (The Thief and the Cross)
Scope and Content Note
The Herbert Kline collection related to the film Barabbas (The Thief and the Cross) spans the dates 1954-1960 and comprises the shooting script, letters, telegrams, and supporting documents related to the proposed production of the film, which was ultimately not made. Kline's film, based on Pär Lagerkvist's successful book, Barabbas , was also briefly titled His Name was Barabbas.
The collection includes various projected budgets for the film, along with pages of cast recommendations (Marilyn Monroe, Alan Ladd, and Tony Curtis). The correspondence includes many letters Kline received from various agents and producers, along with carbon copies of his responses. The collection documents Kline's contacts with studios and agencies while trying to get financial backing for his intended film Barabbas. The collection is valuable for detailing the difficult process (and failure) of trying to get a film made in Hollywood in the 1950s.
Dates
- Creation: 1954-1960
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1957-1959
Creator
- Kline, Herbert (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce isrequired from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, https://library.udel.edu/static/purl.php?askspec
Biographical Note
Herbert Kline was a pioneer in documentary filmmaking and received a Golden Globe nomination and award, as well as two Academy Award nominations for his achievements. Kline also contributed to or wrote scripts for some of his documentary films. Kline's important early work included The Heart of Spain (1937), Lights Out in Europe (1938), Crisis (1939), and My Father's House (1947).
During his career, Kline had attempted to break away from making documentaries to become a Hollywood director and writer, but he did not have much success. Toward the end of Kline's life, his health declined and he battled a long illness before his death on February 5, 1999, in Los Angeles.
Contemporary Authors Online. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC (accessed May 2009)
Extent
.6 linear foot (2 boxes)
Abstract
The Herbert Kline collection related to the film Barabbas (The Thief and the Cross) spans the dates 1954-1960 and comprises the shooting script, letters, telegrams, and documents related to the proposed production of the film, which was ultimately not made.
Source
Purchase, 2009.
Shelving Summary
- Boxes 1-2: Shelved in SPEC MSS manuscript boxes
Processing
Processed and encoded by Christiana Dobrzynski, May 2009.
Subject
- Kline, Herbert (Person)
- Lagerkvist, Pär, 1891-1974. Barabbas. English (Person)
- Title
- Finding aid for Herbert Kline collection related to the film Barabbas (The Thief and the Cross)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Date
- 2009 May 21
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Delaware Library Special Collections Repository