Guide to

Fritz Lang

Papers, ca. 1909-1973

(bulk 1931-1973)

 5 cubic feet + motion picture films

Accession Number 7955

Prepared by Loreley Moore
June 2000

Contents

Introduction

Biography

Scope and Content

Series Description

Subjects & Other Resources

Folder List

Introduction

The Fritz Lang Papers, 1909-1973, were given to the American Heritage Center by the Fritz Lang Estate (administered by Lily Latte) in three shipments in 1976.  The papers were received in good order.

The collection should be cited as: Fritz Lang Papers, 1909-1973, Box Number, Folder Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. 

Biography

Fritz Lang (1890-1976) was an Austrian-American film director who began his film career as a scriptwriter.  Many of the scripts he wrote in the 1920s were co-written by his wife, Theo Von Harbou.  Lang fled Germany in 1933.  By 1936 he was in Hollywood, where he directed films for twenty years, until his differences with producers led to his leaving Hollywood.  He directed films in India until 1959 when he returned to Germany.  In 1963 he portrayed himself in the French film “Mopris” which was directed by Jean-Luc Goddard.

His early films in America, as in “Fury” in 1936 and “You Only Live Once” in 1937, were about social injustice.  He then directed westerns and psychological mysteries, including “The Woman at the Window” in 1944 and “Scarlet Street” in 1945.  He later returned to the exposure of violence and corruption in “Big Heat” in 1953.

Series Description

The Fritz Lang Papers are arranged in four series:

Series I.  General Files, 1909-1973, (1 ½ document boxes).  Arranged alphabetically.  Includes biographical information, research for films about the Taj Mahal and the American prison system, Navaho Male Shooting Chant, and People’s Songs bulletins.

Series II. Awards, 1931, 1957-1973, (1 ½ document box, 1 F22 Flat box, and 1 SHO box).  Arranged chronologically when possible, depending upon the kind of box needed to house the size of the award.  Includes awards from Austria, France, Germany, Yugoslavia, and the Festival of San Sebastian.

Series III.  Books, 1909-1973 (3 document boxes, 1 slim document box).  Arranged by Category.  Inscribed to Fritz Lang, books upon which he based his films, and American song books.

Series IV.  Motion Picture Film, 1938-1940s, 1953 (3 document boxes).  Arranged alphabetically.  16 mm reels of the American Southwest and 1 reel of Fritz Lang.

Scope and Content

The papers of Fritz Lang contain very little material about his personal or professional life.  The general files, 1933-1973, are few, and other than the biographical information, reflect Lang’s interests.

There is a rare Navaho Male Shooting Chant translation from an audio tape made in the 1930s.  Lang was fascinated by the American Indian Culture and often lived on Indian reservations for weeks at a time.

Most of the general files are research material for a film about the Taj Mahal.  They contain pamphlets, photographs, and outlines.  There is a slim file about San Quentin Prison containing a prison concert program and an issue of the prison newspaper.  There is an almost inclusive run of the People’s Songs Bulletin, 1946-1949.  This bulletin was founded and administered by Pete Seeger to create, promote, and distribute songs of labor and the American people.  The bulletin was sold only to members of the People’s Songs Association and was not in wide distribution.  There is one piece of sheet music, “No Surrender,” from the movie “Hangmen Also Die,” directed by Fritz Lang.

There are 16 mm motion-picture reels, 1938-1953, filmed by Fritz Lang as he toured the Southwest.  They are films of New Mexico, Arizona, and Indians.  There is one reel of Fritz Lang.  There are a few incidental books which were inscribed to Fritz Lang, some books upon which he based films, and American Songbooks of special interest.

Awards in 1931 and 1957-1973 were presented to Fritz Lang for excellence in film and contribution to the motion picture art.  He was given the Commander Cross, Order of Merit in 1957 and 1966, and the Golden Ribbon of Motion Picture Arts in 1963 by the Federal Republic of Germany.  He was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters from France in 1965, made an Honorary Professor of Fine Arts by the University of Vienna, Austria, in 1973, awarded the Order of the Yugoslavia Flag with a Golden Wreath in 1971, and was given a plaque from El Festival Internacional del Cine de San Sebastian in 1970.  The Silver Hand was awarded to Fritz Lang in 1931 for his film “M” by the German Motion Picture Arts Association.  

Subjects

The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection available via the AHC's catalog.  Users may also wish to visit the Fritz Lang Digital Collection.

Mogul empire 
India History -- 1500-1765
Navajo Indians -- Rites and ceremonies
Hopi Indians
Taj Mahal (Agra, India) 
Folk music -- Periodicals-- United States 

Chelly, Canyon de (Ariz.) 
Death Valley (Calif. and Nev.) 
Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah) 
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (Ariz.)
White Sands National Monument (N.M.)
Tombstone (Ariz.)

Motion pictures
Awards
Motion picture producers and directors

Folder List