The Joseph E. Levine collection consists of manuscripts, correspondence, professional material, legal and financial material, photographs, audio and video recordings, and memorabilia from the motion picture career of this movie distributor and producer.

Manuscripts in the collection consist of several screenplays either produced by Levine or submitted to his company for consideration.  These include Il Portiere di Notte (The Night Porter), by Liliana Cavani and Italo Moscati (Italonegglo Cinematografico / Lotar Film Productions, 1974);Paper Tiger, by Jack Davies (Euan Lloyd Productions / MacLean and Co., 1975; Joseph E. Levine handled distribution); A Bridge Too Far, by William Goldman (Joseph E. Levine Productions, 1977); Magic, by William Goldman (Joseph E. Levine Prods. / Twentieth Century-Fox, 1978); Zulu Dawn, by Cy Endfield and Anthony Storey (Lamitas / Samarkand / Zulu Dawn NV, 1979); and Tattoo, by Joyce Bunuel and Bob Brooks (Joseph E. Levine Prods. / Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981).  Also present in the collection are several screenplays which Levine did not make into films.

Correspondence in the collection includes many letters pertaining to film production and distribution.  The correspondence is extensive for A Bridge Too Far and Magic; these files contain letters from Richard Attenborough and William Goldman.  There are also some files regarding the films Paper Tiger and Tattoo.  In addition, there are letters from various figures in the film and television industry, including Robert Aldrich, Michael Caine, Dick Cavett, Sean Connery, Charlton Heston, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Jay Lerner, Peter O’Toole, Carlo Ponti, and King Vidor.  Other notable correspondents include Hugh Hefner, Ted Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Tip O’Neill, Lee Radziwill, Nathaniel Wyeth, and Spiro Agnew.

Professional material in the collection consists of several files of various documents regarding Levine’s work in film.  These documents include contracts, budget materials, schedules, and similar items.  There are extensive files on A Bridge Too Far, Magic, and Tattoo, since these films were directly produced by Levine.  There are also files for the films Gandh;, The Graduate; If You Believe; The Lion in Winter; The Night Porter; Paper Tiger; Savage Man, Savage Beast; andVerna.  Also present are brochures, programs and other items relating to theater events, fund raisers, speeches and other public events and parties thrown by the Levine family.

Legal and financial material in the collection includes forms and financial records for the filmMagic, as well as several items regarding Joseph E. Levine Productions dating from the 1980s.

Photographs in the collection are extensive.  Most of these are prints of production
stills from Levine’s productions; also included are photos from premiere parties,  advertisements, and press conferences.  Films represented include Hercules Unchained (Ercole e la regina de Lidia, 1959); Long Day’s Journey Into Night (1962); Sodom and Gomorrah(1962); The Carpetbaggers(1964); Zulu (1964); Woman Times Seven (1967); The Graduate (1967); The Lion in Winter(1968); Day of the Dolphin (1973); Paper Tiger (1975); Jack the Ripper (1976); A Bridge Too Far(1977); Magic (1978); and Will Adams.  In addition, there are several photos of figures from the Italian film industry in the 1960s (Levine distributed several Italian films in the during that period), including Federico Fellini, Sophia Loren, Carlo Ponti, and Marcello Mastroianni.  Other notable cinema figures represented include Jack Nicholson, Harold Robbins, John Schlessinger, Julie Christie, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, John Wayne, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jonathan Winters, Jason Robards, Lauren Bacall, Shirley Maclaine, and Robert Redford.  Also present are several family photos of Levine with his wife Rosalie and his children Richard and Tricia Levine.  These personal photos date from the 1920s to the 1980s, and include several images in scrapbooks and albums.

Audio and video recordings in the collection consist of advertisements for Levine’s films, interviews with Levine and various actors, recorded speeches, press conferences, and award presentations.

Memorabilia in the collection includes several awards, including a number of Golden Globe statuettes, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award Nomination plaques, IFIDA awards, Laurel Awards for motion picture producing, various medallions, certificates and statuettes from film festivals, organizations and cities awarding Levine’s films as well as his personal achievements as a showman and humanitarian.  Also present are several souvenirs and objects taken from various events, as well as one of the ventriloquist’s dummies created for the film Magic.  Other items include several film posters, as well as various printed items.