The Hedda Hopper collection spans the years 1938 to 1951 and encompasses 8½ linear feet. The collection consists of scripts and transcription discs from Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood and The Hedda Hopper Show, as well as miscellaneous correspondence, publications, posters, notes, and commentary. Scripts from Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood range from October 2, 1944 through June 3, 1946 and consist of the "Hat's off" segment of the program in which Hopper shared inspiring stories of famous Hollywood personalities. This show, sponsored by Armour, aired on both the CBS and ABC networks.
The Hedda Hopper Show collection includes the scripts for 31 programs from October 14, 1950 to the final show, broadcast on May 13, 1951. The program often included show business interviews, provocative discussion spots, news item interviews, public figure interviews, editorials, and musical and dramatic performances, often by one of the stars of the movies from which they were taken. Additional items in the collection include undated editorials/commentary on issues of the day, correspondence regarding permissions and show topics, and four posters advertising The Hedda Hopper Show.
A finding guide to the collection is here.
This collection is currently inaccessible during the transition of the American Radio Archives from the Thousand Oaks Library Foundation to UCSB’s Special Research Collections. Please monitor this page for updates.
For more information on the collection or assistance in using the materials, please contact Special Collections staff at special@library.ucsb.edu.
