The Charles Schlaifer papers span the years 1929-1957 (bulk 1929-1948) and encompass 2 linear feet. The collection consists of scrapbooks, advertising material, and correspondence. Two scrapbooks contain advertising, publicity, and exploitation materials from Publix Theatres Corporation in Omaha, circa 1929-1932, and files containing numerous movie ads from the United Artists Theater in San Francisco, circa 1933-1941. The latter files include not only ads for specific films (AH, WILDERNESS; FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT; THE GREAT DICTATOR; THE LONG VOYAGE HOME; MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW; OUR TOWN; THE PRISONER OF ZENDA; REBECCA; STAGECOACH; WUTHERING HEIGHTS; and many others), but also ads of various types (co-op ads [film/theater ads combined with product ads]; double feature ads; hold-over ads; holiday ads; novel ideas; openings; unusual ads; ads for stage shows; and so forth). Some of the most important material dates from Schlaifer's years with 20th Century-Fox and includes correspondence between Schlaifer, company president Spyros Skouras, and company vice president Darryl F. Zanuck. These letters, memos, and reports discuss the promotion and marketing of 20th Century-Fox releases, as well as campaigns for specific films, among them THE RAZOR'S EDGE, FOREVER AMBER, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE, THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR, and THE SNAKE PIT. Particularly detailed are the files relating to the advertising campaigns for GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (1947) and THE IRON CURTAIN (1948). The collection contains several files of clippings and press releases regarding Schlaifer's work with the MPAA, in particular the 1947 campaign to revise and strengthen the industry's advertising code. There is little material on Charles Schlaifer and Company, although two proposals, "The Greatest Concentrated Point-of-Sale Campaign in Showmanship History" (circa 1956) and an untitled document outlining "a campaign to bring about a renaissance of the motion picture theatre in America" (1957), are of interest. Also included are transcriptions and lecture notes for a course in motion picture advertising and publicity taught by Schlaifer at the New School for Social Research in 1948.

Charles Schlaifer (1909-1997) was an American film publicist. Schlaifer got his start in the motion picture business in 1928, as an advertising manager of the Paramount Theatre in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He subsequently served in the same capacity for the Omaha branch of Publix Theatres Corporation, and later for the Tri-States Theatre Circuit. From 1936 to 1942 he was managing director of United Artists Theater in San Francisco. In 1942 he joined the New York staff of 20th Century-Fox, first as advertising manager and (from 1944) as assistant to Hal Horne, director of advertising, publicity, and exploitation. He succeeded Horne in 1945 and held that position for about three years. During this time he also served as chairman of the MPAA's Advertising and Publicity Directors Committee and its Advertising Advisory Council. Shortly after his departure from Fox in 1949, Schlaifer founded Charles Schlaifer and Company, a New York-based firm that specialized in motion picture marketing.