Skip to main content

John Milius papers

 Collection
Identifier: 2233

  • Staff Only
  • Select an item to initiate a request

Scope and Contents

This collection contains of the papers of American screenwriter, director, and producer John Milius (born 1944), including scripts, production and personal files, photographs, and audiovisual materials. There are a number of handwritten original script pages, as well as printed scripts.

All of Milius's films are represented in the collection to varying degrees, with substanial materials for "Big Wednesday" (1978); "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), including set sketches and blueprints; "Farewell to the King" (1989); "Flight of the Intruder" (1990); "1941" (1979); "Red Dawn" (1984); and "Rough Riders" (1997).

The alphabetical files in the "Office, production, and personal files" series are arranged alphabetically by project title or topic according to their original labels and order. These files include a large variety of materials reflecting the production of Milius's film projects, legal matters, correspondence, research, and personal interests. There is overlap within the collection, and a film project, for instance, may have related materials in multiple series.

Dates

  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1970s-2000s

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

John Milius (born 1944) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. Milius was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and moved with his family to Los Angeles, California, as a child. He enrolled in the Film Department of the University of Southern California in 1965 but did not graduate. In the late 1960s, after failing to enlist in the United States Marines Corp because of chronic asthma, Milius became a screenwriter. His early work included the screenplays for "The Devil's Eight" and "Apocalypse Now." In 1975, Milius formed the "A-Team" production company and wrote and directed "Big Wednesday" (1978). Milius's filmography includes over thirty films including "The Wind and the Lion" (1975), "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), "Red Dawn" (1984), "Farewell to the King" (1989), "Flight of the Intruder" (1990), "The Hunt for Red October" (1990), "Clear and Present Danger" (1994), and "Rough Riders" (1997). Milius received an Academy Award nomination for best adapted screenplay for "Apocalypse Now."

Extent

62.63 Linear Feet (87 boxes and 1 oversize tube)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains of the papers of American screenwriter, director, and producer John Milius (born 1944), including scripts, production and personal files, photographs, and audiovisual materials. The collection includes a number of handwritten original script pages, as well as printed scripts. Milius wrote films such as "Apocalypse Now" (1979), "Conan the Barbarian" (1982) and "Red Dawn" (1984).

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The bulk of the collection was the gift of Amanda Milius (daughter), March 17, 2017. 4 boxes were the gift of John Milius in August 1982.

Processing Information

Some parts of this collection, including the audiovisual materials, may not be fully processed.

Title
Finding aid for the John Milius papers
Status
Minimally Processed
Author
Diann Benti
Date
2022 August
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library Repository

Contact:
Doheny Memorial Library G4
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0185 United States