The Rudy Behlmer papers span the years 1861-2008 (bulk 1935-2005) and encompass 12 linear feet. The collection consists of production files and subject files. The production files include scripts for THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) and THE SEA HAWK (1940), collected by Behlmer for research purposes. The subject files include research for the books "The Films of Errol Flynn" (1969), "Memo from David O. Selznick" (1972), "Hollywood's Hollywood: The Movies About the Movies" (1975), "America's Favorite Movies: Behind the Scenes" (1982), "Inside Warner Bros. (1935-1951)" (1985), “Memo from Darryl F. Zanuck: the Golden Years at Twentieth Century Fox" (1993), "W.S. Van Dyke's Journal: White Shadows in the South Seas 1927-1928 and Other Van Dyke on Van Dyke" (1996), and "Henry Hathaway: A Directors Guild of America Oral History," (2001). The subject files also include research for numerous articles on the history and evolution of motion pictures.

Rudy Behlmer (1926-) was born in San Francisco, California. He studied at Los Angeles City College and graduated with a B.A. degree in theater arts from Pasadena Playhouse College. He began his professional career in 1950 at KLAC-TV in Hollywood, quickly becoming a stage manager, then a staff director. He left in 1956 to direct network television programs. In 1963 he joined the advertising firm Leo Burnett U.S.A. in Hollywood as a commercial producer, and in 1977 was appointed a vice president. He produced, directed and edited a syndicated television special, MOVIES GOLDEN AGE (1961), after which he began researching, writing, and publishing articles on various aspects of the film industry. He has written books, including "Memo from David O. Selznick" and "Inside Warner Bros.," numerous magazine articles, and many essays to accompany film music recordings. Behlmer has also contributed commentaries about Hollywood’s Golden Age to many documentaries, laser discs, videos, and DVDs. He has lectured on film subjects at Cal State University, Northridge; the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena; the Directors Guild of America (of which he is a long-standing member); the University of Southern California; and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.