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Film & Television Archives

Film and television is a major component of The Wittliff's Southwestern Writers Collection, which holds the major archives of Academy Award-winning directors, screenwriters, and actors along with the creators of Emmy-winning television productions.

The Wittliff's archives highlight the creative, technical, and marketing processes used by outstanding filmmakers and in successful films and television programs.

[below] Robert Duvall on the set of the making of Lonesome Dove by Bill Wittliff, 1988

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Highlights of the Archives

Robert Benson pictured

Robert Benton Papers

Academy Award-winning writer/director of Bonnie and Clyde,Kramer vs. Kramer, Nobody's Fool, Places in the Heart, and others.

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Lonesome Dove Production Archive 

Complete production archive for the classic television miniseries adapted from Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by screenwriter, Bill Wittliff. 

William Broyles Jr.

William Broyles, Jr. Papers 

Screenwriter of such films as Apollo 13, Cast Away, Jar Head, Polar Express, and creator of the popular television series, China Beach

Austin Film Festival's ON STORY

Over 400 video and audio files document the Austin Film Festival's panels and interviews with notable screenwriters and filmmakers. 

King of the Hill Archive

Emmy Award-winning FOX animated television series co-created by Mike Judge. Collection gifted to The Wittliff through the efforts of writer/producer, Jim Dauterive.

Cormac McCarthy

Cormac McCarthy Papers

Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose novels All the Pretty Horses, No Country for Old Men, and The Road have adapted to film. The archive also includes McCarthy's PBS teleplay, The Gardner's Son, and his own unproduced screenplays for Cities of the Plain, No Country for Old Men, and "Whales and Men."

Sam Shepard

Sam Shepard Papers

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actor, and screenwriter of such films as Don't come Knocking, Fool for Love, In America, Paris, Texas, and True West.

Severo Perez

Severo Perez Papers

Award-winning filmmaker best known for …and the earth did not swallow him (based on Tomás Rivera’s novel …y no se lo tragó la tierra.)

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Screenplay Collection

The Wittliff is the repository for over 600 film and television screenplays. Cataloged screenplays can be accessed through the Albert B. Alkek Library's online catalog. (Type in "scripts" at the subject prompt for a listing of titles.)

Jane Sumner

Jane Sumner Papers

Award-winning film writer whose career parallels the rise of a Texas film industry (ca 1973-2015.) Papers include taped interviews with subjects such as Bill Wittliff, Richard Linklater, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, etc.)

Bill Wittliff

Bill Wittliff Papers

Screenwriter of such films as Legends of the Fall, The Perfect Storm, Country, Raggedy Man, Red-Headed Stranger, and the CBS miniseries, Lonesome Dove.