Named after his mother's two favorite biblical figures, screenwriter and director Paul Joseph Schrader was born on July 22, 1946, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Charles and Joan Schrader. Paul and his older brother, Leonard, were raised in a strict Dutch Calvinist home where faith and church were an essential aspect of family and community life. Because of the tenets of the Calvinist Christian Reform Church, Schrader famously did not see his first film,
In 1963, Schrader attended summer school at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. Exposure to non-Calvinist life outside of Grand Rapids in the segregated South had a lasting effect on him. Intending to become a minister, Schrader entered Calvin College in 1964. The political and social upheaval of the 1960s found him increasingly politically active and rebellious. He began a film club, which screened artistic and foreign films and invited the more liberal faculty members to discuss them. He began reviewing films and wrote film criticism for the college newspaper, the
In summer 1967, Schrader enrolled in film courses at Columbia University. While in New York he had a fortuitous meeting with the prominent film critic Pauline Kael, who urged Schrader to abandon his plan of becoming a minister and study film. In 1968, he graduated from Calvin College with a bachelor of arts degree in English and the next year married Jeannine Oppewall, a Calvin student and editor of the
After graduation, Schrader asked Kael for a recommendation to the University of California Los Angeles Film School, where he received an MA in 1970. He was among the first fellows at the burgeoning American Film Institute's (AFI) Center for Advanced Film Studies. While there he published his master's thesis as
Schrader's time in Los Angeles in the first half of the 1970s marked a significant turning point in his life. The
After completing the script for
Schrader's catalog of film projects demonstrates his fascination with the grimmer aspects of human behavior. He is drawn to the study of flawed, socially isolated, and often self-destructive characters. He has collaborated with some of the twentieth century's most notable directors, producers, and actors on films such as
In 1983, Schrader married actress Mary Beth Hurt, who frequently appears in his films, and they have two children, Molly and Sam.
In addition to material found within the Paul Schrader Papers, the following sources were used:
Jackson, Kevin (Ed.).
Kouvaros, George.
The Paul Schrader Papers contain screenplays, film production files, and personal
papers documenting Schrader's life and film career from 1943 to 2011. Included are
early childhood materials, film reviews and essays published in his college
newspapers, materials reflecting his emergence as one of
The bulk of the material is located in the first series, Films and Television, and contains screenplays and production files for twenty-nine films Schrader wrote and/or directed, as well as for numerous unproduced films, television series, and other projects. The production files typically include screenplay drafts, film outlines and treatments, notes, Writers Guild of America (WGA) registration, and correspondence. In many cases, these files are extensive and may also include research material, casting files, deal contracts, daily production logs, cast and crew lists, film schedules, audience surveys, budgets and invoices, legal and arbitration documents, behind-the-scenes and film stills, publicity packets, clippings and reviews, film festival screenings, novelizations, sound recordings, moving images, and digital media.
Series II. Plays includes various script drafts, research files, correspondence, legal documents, and clippings for three theatrical projects initiated by Schrader: Sabina (unproduced),
Schrader began his film career as a critic while attending University of California at Los Angeles film school. Series III. Journalism and Other Writings contains many of his early film essays and reviews, issues of
Series IV. Personal and Career is the second largest series in the collection and contains a variety of material spanning Schrader's life. Beginning with his baby book, Schrader's early childhood and schooling, time at university, and film career are well documented. Also included are family photographs, writings belonging to his brother, Leonard, and extensive personal publicity files.
Though correspondence is located throughout Schrader's papers, Series V. Correspondence contains incoming and outgoing letters he filed as a group. Many of these are originals or copies he sent and received from various family, friends, professional associates, actors, directors, and producers, such as long-time collaborator Martin Scorsese. A complete index of all correspondent names in this collection is included at the end of the finding aid.
The final series, VI. Works by Others, contains scripts and writings received, reviewed, or considered by Schrader, including a 1966 film treatment for Jerusalem, Jerusalem! by Martin Scorsese.
Schrader has written and/or directed 29 films as of the Ransom Center's acquisition of his papers in 2010, and all are represented to varying degrees in the first series, Films and Television. This material documents his film career, beginning with
The amount and diversity of material associated with each project varies, depending, in part, on whether the film was produced and if Schrader directed it or wrote the script. In general, there is significantly less material for his earlier films or films for which Schrader only wrote the screenplay. Materials in this series are arranged in alphabetical order by project title. Subsequent items for each produced film or program, if present, are consistently arranged in the following order: screenplays and teleplays; outlines and treatments, notes; production materials; publicity materials; and research materials, followed by moving images, sound recordings, and artifacts. For unproduced projects or for films with a small number of items, materials in these categories may have been combined into one or multiple folders.
Schrader was involved in the development of several television series, short films, and a music video. The Century Project was initiated by TBS cable network and planned as a 10-hour documentary series focusing on twentieth-century world events, with each episode produced by an award-winning feature film director. Though the network abandoned this project, Schrader was to write and co-direct with Alan Poul a one-hour documentary about Japan. Schrader was also asked to write the pilot and subsequent episodes for an unproduced multi-part series for HBO cable network called The Distributor, based on stories by Richard Matheson. He also wrote the television pilot for Zion Hill, an unproduced series for FX cable network. Files for these programs include script drafts, correspondence, and similar material.
In the mid 1980s, Bob Dylan asked Schrader to direct a music video for his song
The number of screenplays present for each project varies from film to film, but most are represented by multiple versions and copies. As exhibited in this series, modern screenplays commonly have variant titles, multiple writers, and numerous re-writes. Screenplays are arranged in chronological order based on the date typed or written on the script. The 'Director's copy' of shooting scripts contains additional production material (such as story boards, contact and crew lists, shooting schedules, script revisions, set sketches) inserted in the pages for the films
Some screenplays of particular interest include Schrader's draft of
Schrader often drafted film outlines on yellow legal pads while developing and revising his screenplays. These outlines are consistent in layout and style and reveal the evolution of many of his films. Frequently unproduced and/or uncompleted film projects may contain only outlines and/or film treatments.
The type of production files present for each project varies, but may include: actors' deal contracts, budgets and invoices, cast and crew lists, casting files, contracts, correspondence, daily production logs, filming schedules, legal and arbitration documents, location lists and photographs, memos, rights clearance, soundtrack, title credits drafts, and Writers Guild of American (WGA) registration. There is little or no production material for Schrader's earliest films, including the first film he directed,
The amount and type varies from film to film and may include: audience surveys, clippings and reviews, correspondence and memos, behind-the-scenes and film still photographs, film festival screenings, posters, press junket itineraries, publicity packets, novelizations, sound recordings, moving images, and digital media.
In general, there is little research material associated with each film. Often the only items may be some clippings and/or Schrader's personal copy of a published novel he adapted into a screenplay, as evidenced by his annotations and/or extensive underlined passages in
Of particular interest are photographs and a map Schrader acquired when riding with New York City ambulance drivers while researching
Series II, Plays, includes script drafts, research files, correspondence, legal documents, and clippings for three theatrical projects Schrader initiated: Sabina,
This series contains published versions of many of Schrader's early film essays and reviews published in
Many of Schrader's early reviews and essays have been reprinted in film anthologies; therefore, the series may contain the original published magazine version, as well as the later version printed in various bound volumes.
Also in the collection is Schrader's original master's thesis in which he analyzes the spiritual film style of three directors: Yasajiro Ozu, Robert Bresson, and Carl Dreyer. He revised and published it as
This is the second largest series in the collection and it is arranged in alphabetical order by topic. The material spans Schrader's life, beginning with early childhood and all schools he attended, through family papers and personal material associated with Schrader's extensive film career. Files related to awards, film commentary, interviews, public appearances, and retrospectives contain certificates, correspondence, lecture notes, photographs, programs, and other materials.
Schrader's early schooling, and in particular West Side Christian School, Grand Rapids Christian High School and Hargrave Military Academy, is documented in the Childhood segment. Materials associated with this period include brochures, catalogs, diplomas, grade reports, photographs, school awards, school newspapers, school projects, student handbooks, and yearbooks. This material also reflects Schrader's childhood hobbies and interests and includes copied handwritten Bible verses, a cigar band collection and scrapbook, clippings, juvenilia, membership cards, patches, programs, and other ephemera. Childhood toys and other artifacts have been transferred to the Center's Personal Effects Collection. Issues of Calvin College's student newspapers, the
Schrader's publicity files span 1968 to 2009, and his original arrangement has been maintained. There is at least one folder for each year, and these files predominantly contain general clippings about Schrader (often unrelated to a specific film title) but may also include awards, correspondence, magazines, photographs, and printed material.
The Photograph files are arranged in alphabetical order by genre or subject, often using the title written on the original folder (denoted with single quotation marks). Subjects include John Bailey (cinematographer for
In addition, other personal files include an interview transcript and photographs of Robert Bresson by Schrader, a small film poster collection, genealogy material, identification cards, receipts, requests and invitations, other projects, shopping files containing orders and receipts for items (particularly rare and first-edition books purchased from online auctions), subject files, travel files with receipts and itineraries, and a baby book and early writings belonging to his brother, Leonard.
Based on Schrader's own arrangement and often using the title written on the original folder (denoted with single quotation marks), this series contains incoming and outgoing letters and is arranged into four categories: chronological, family letters, 'personal or special' correspondents, and Linda Reisman's (Schrader Productions, assistant and producer) correspondence. The chronological segment dates from 1968 to 2008 and, in addition to letters, contains some writings and two computer disks which were separated to the Ransom Center Electronic Records Collection. This business and personal correspondence often relates to various projects, collaborations, and film festivals.
Family letters include correspondence from Schrader's mother and father and are sometimes addressed to both Paul and his brother, Leonard. The early letters Paul and Leonard wrote each other while Paul was editor of
The final segment of this series contains letters sent and received by Linda Reisman, Schrader's frequent producer.
The final series, VI. Works by Others, contains scripts and writings received, reviewed, or considered by Schrader. Materials include a 1966 film treatment for Jerusalem, Jerusalem! by Martin Scorsese and an undated screenplay, Funny Boy, written by Leonard and Chieko Schrader.
Gifts, 2009-2023 (09-09-003-G, 10-02-012-G, 10-05-006-G, 11-09-007-G, 13-09-018-G, 17-03-008-G, 21-008-003-G, 2023-06-009-G)
Open for research; some materials redacted or restricted.
The materials contain documents from which personal information has been redacted or restricted to protect an individual's privacy. Examples are Social Security and account numbers and personal records. The originals were removed and have been replaced with redacted photocopies, which have an identifying statement at the top. In addition, an address book has been removed and is closed to researchers.
To request access to electronic files,
please email
Certain restrictions apply to the use of electronic files. Researchers must agree to the Materials Use Policy for Electronic Files before accessing them. Original computer disks and forensic disk images are restricted. Copying electronic files, including screenshots and printouts, is not permitted.
Amy E. Armstrong, 2010-2011, 2015
Born digital materials processed, arranged, and described by Chance Adams and Brenna Edwards, 2015-2023.
The Robert De Niro, Russell Banks, Tom Stoppard, and David Mamet holdings at the Ransom Center contain additional Schrader-related material.
Artifacts, including two commemorative plates celebrating the completion of
Audio, if present for a film, may include published soundtracks and unpublished demo tapes, musical scores, and promotional cassette tapes. Published soundtracks and albums were transferred to the Ransom Center Library. Unpublished audio was transferred to the Ransom Center Sound Collection. Of particular interest are demo tapes by Bruce Springsteen for
Bound volumes related to film theory, film criticism, and filmmaking; books containing biographical information or features about Schrader; and critical analyses and novelizations of Schrader's films were transferred to the Ransom Center Library. Many of these books are inscribed to Schrader; those inscribed to him from his early mentor, Pauline Kael, have particular significance. Novels he used heavily for screenplay adaptations have been kept with the manuscript material. Some of the books originally contained loose items which have been removed and placed into folder 102.11.
Also transferred to the Ransom Center Library are over fifty bound volumes and programs for numerous international film festivals in which Schrader was involved. Many of these festivals held screenings, tributes, or retrospectives of his films; in some instances he served as a member of the film jury.
Digital media, including Zip disks, CDs, DVDs, and 3.5-inch disks, have been transferred to the Ransom Center's Electronic Records Collection. Digital audio and moving image materials have been transferred to the Ransom Center Film and Sound Collections.
A variety of moving image material is present in the collection, including commercial versions of Schrader's films in a variety of formats, including film, VHS tape, beta tape, DVD, and laserdisc. Published films have been transferred to the Ransom Center Library. In addition there is a large number of diverse, unpublished films, including versions in various stages of the filming process and daily takes. Materials related to certain films include recorded interviews and other televised promotional events; research materials; and copies of published movies, programs, and documentaries recorded from television or some other source. These have also been transferred to the Film Collection.