The Paramount contract summaries span the years 1932-1961 and encompass approximately 7.0 linear feet. The collection contains contract summaries in the form of brief sheets for individuals ranging from actress Dorothy Abbott to composer Victor Young. Actors, actresses, composers, cinematographers, directors, executives, producers, and writers are among the crafts represented. Typical information extracted from the contracts are compensation, start dates, and, often in the case of actors, the production name or number. The files are exhaustive through the letter K (nearly 1,400 of the 1,584 files), with the letters L through Z being underrepresented. Among the individuals included are Lloyd Bacon, Travis Banton, Leonardo Bercovici, Joseph Biroc, True Boardman, Endre Bohem, Beulah Bondi, Frank Borzage, Charles Brackett, Sammy Cahn, Jackie Cooper, Edward Cronjager, George Cukor, Valentine Davies, Stanley Donen, Julius J. Epstein, Howard Estabrook, Robert Florey, Frank Melvin and Norman Panama, Cary Grant, Nick Grinde, Charlton Heston, Samuel S. Hinds, Frederick Hollander, Grover Jones, George Stevens, John Sturges, Frank Tashlin, and Walter Westmore.

Paramount Pictures, Inc., is one of Hollywood's oldest continuously operating film studios. Its history goes back to 1912, when studio executive Adolph Zukor imported the French feature film QUEEN ELIZABETH, starring Sarah Bernhardt, and used it to launch his Famous Players Film Company. Famous Players merged with the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in 1916 to form Famous Players-Lasky, which acquired a controlling interest in Paramount Pictures Corporation, at the time a two-year old distribution entity. In 1933 the company declared bankruptcy, Lasky was ousted, and the company reorganized to emerge as Paramount Pictures, Inc., with Zukor serving as chairman of the board emeritus. Gulf+Western acquired the company in 1966, followed by Viacom, Inc. in 1994. The studio is located in Hollywood.