Guide to the Motion Picture Collection of the Harry S. Truman Library

Introduction

The motion picture collection of the Harry S. Truman Library comprises almost 655 films (not including the Screen Gems Collection) taken between 1926 and 1984. Almost all the Library's films are black and white, and over 90% are copyrighted.

The collection includes films of Truman giving speeches, participating in ceremonies, and traveling; newsreels depicting Truman and the events of his presidency; documentaries, including the 26 part series entitled "Decision: The Conflicts of Harry S. Truman;" and interviews and program appearances, including Truman's appearance on the Jack Benny Show in 1959 and his interviews with Margaret Truman in 1955, with Edward R. Murrow in 1958, and with David Susskind in 1960. In the production "Let's Take a Trip," Truman gives two children a tour of the newly completed Harry S. Truman Library. The collection also includes films of several television appearances by Margaret Truman on such programs as the Jimmy Durante Show, the James Melton Show, and "What's My Line." The earliest film in the collection depicting Harry Truman is a newsreel showing Judge Harry S. Truman dedicating a Madonna of the Trails monument in 1928. Only about a dozen films show Harry Truman before he became president; about 120 films show him as President; and about 225 films date from the years following his presidency. The last substantive film depicting Truman is of a presentation to him in 1966 of the first Medicare card by President Johnson. Very few films depict Mrs. Truman in a substantive way. The most important film showing her is a "Person to Person" program from 1955, in which Margaret Truman interviews her mother and father.

When films are sorted in chronological order, films whose date of origin is completely unknown are listed first. Each listing includes a title or other functional designation, an accession number, a date (precise or approximate), the film format and duration, indication of who produced the film and of its copyright status, and a brief description of the film's subject matter. The copyright information given is based on the information available to us; though in some instances sufficient information does not exist to allow a definite determination of a film's copyright status. Ultimately it is the user's responsibility to clear all relevant copyrights. Please see this copyright statement for more information.

Detailed descriptions are available for almost all the films listed below. Most of the films in the Truman Library's collection are available for viewing at the Library, and many may be copied for personal use. The films are not loaned, but digital reproductions may be ordered. SD-quality files of already digitized motion pictures are available for $20, and HD-quality files of already digitized motion pictures are $50. Copies of motion pictures not already digitized will incur additional costs.

For information about the motion picture collection or to make an appointment to view films in person, please contact the audiovisual archivist by e-mail at truman.reference@nara.gov., or call 816-268-8228.