A film is like a patchwork quilt, created piece by piece to make a whole. Its different parts mark its journey from idea to reality. Award-winning director and University alumnus James Ivory is donating diverse pieces from his film career to the Knight Library Special Collections that may help students learn more about filmmaking.
“It’s good to hear that I wasn’t just saving all these things in vain,” Ivory said at a press conference Wednesday, which was followed by a reception to celebrate his contribution.
The collection, which is about 80 linear feet, is rich in materials ranging from copies of screenplays to photographs and letters. There are drafts of ideas, manuscripts with handwritten notes, diagrams of sets and locations and notes from auditions.
“What people don’t realize is that film is such an exercise in paperwork,” Ivory said. The collection also includes some of Ivory’s University papers and even private letters to his father. “My whole private life is in there, it seems,” he said.
Library staff have diligently poured over the boxes and catalogued the materials. Some are now showcased on the first floor of the Knight Library and outside the Special Collections Browsing Room. Ivory said he was impressed by the exhibitions and thanked the staff for “dogged investigations,” and that he plans to contribute more materials to the University.
Ivory, who grew up in Klamath Falls, studied at the University’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts and received a bachelor of fine arts degree in 1951. He said he initially wanted to be a set designer and he had no dreams of making movies. His said his only view into the film world had been through studio tours he took with his father, who sold lumber to MGM.
Ivory said at some point in his junior year, the dream of filmmaking began to blossom. He credits some of his teachers, such as art Professor Marion Ross, who inspired him through their teaching.
“It never left me,” he said. “It’s certainly had an effect on what I do in film.”
Ivory’s films have captivated audiences worldwide. His company with producer Ismail Merchant, called Merchant Ivory, has been the force behind critically acclaimed films like “A Room with a View,” “The Remains of the Day” and “Howard’s End.” Merchant Ivory films have been nominated for Academy Awards and its latest production, “Le Divorce,” will be released later this year.
Ivory said he looks for a distinct individuality in his actors and as a filmmaker, one has to have an “eye” and a sense of what is beautiful.
The Ivory papers are an important addition to Special Collections, according to manuscripts librarian Linda Long.
“The collection itself in terms of research value is really a powerhouse,” Long said. She said the collection will be very beneficial to many masters and doctoral students studying film.
Special Collections and University Archives Director James Fox agreed, saying the materials truly capture the different phases of production.
“So many students are not just interested in the
finished product, but it’s all the parts that go into the artistic process, and this collection does that,” he said.
Many others recognize the value of Ivory’s work.
“I think he’s a marvelous film director,” Springfield resident Arianne Harlow said. “He has an amazing vision and clarity.”