The Darryl F. Zanuck contracts and ephemera span the years 1937-1971 and encompass 0.4 linear foot. The collection contains six general files: a 1971 appointment book; a cumulative file of contracts between 20th Century-Fox and Zanuck from the early 1960s, with photostats of contract summaries from 1949 to 1964; several letters, including a memo from Harry Brand assuring his vigilance with regard to Zanuck's personal credit on "Dragonwyck" (1946); two late 1940s 20th Century-Fox company directories; miscellany; and photostats of artwork for the opening titles of "One World" (unrealized), an adaptation of a Wendell Willkie book. Several disc recordings contain radio programs on which Zanuck was a guest.

Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979) was born in Wahoo, Nebraska. He joined Warner Bros. in 1923 as a screenwriter and worked his way up in the studio hierarchy, becoming studio manager in 1928 and head of production in 1929. In 1933 Zanuck teamed with Joseph Schenck to form 20th Century Pictures. A merger with the Fox Film Corporation the following year resulted in 20th Century-Fox, where Zanuck was in charge of production through 1956. Zanuck then became an independent producer whose films were distributed by 20th Century-Fox. He was elected president of the studio in 1962 and named chairman and CEO in 1969. Zanuck resigned in 1971. Zanuck served on the Academy Board of Governors from March 1933 to October 1934; October 1936 to December 1940; and January 1941 to October 1942 (third vice president, 1941). Zanuck received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award three times (1937, 1944, 1950) and received an Academy Award nomination as producer of "The Longest Day" (1962).