The RKO Radio Pictures Publicity collection spans the years 1948-1960 (bulk 1957-1960) and encompasses 0.2 linear foot. The collection contains publicity for seven RKO films, in the form of promotional material for broadcast when the films aired on television in the late 1950s on THE MILLION DOLLAR MOVIE, CINEMA NINE, or SNEAK PREVIEW. Titles are ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS (1940), AFFAIR WITH A STRANGER (1953), ALLEGHENY UPRISING (1939), ANNE OF WINDY POPLARS (1940), ANNIE OAKLEY (1935), THE BIG STEAL (1949), and THE BLUE VEIL (1951). There are music cue sheets for MARIE-ANTOINETTE, REINE DE FRANCE (1955) and PORTRAIT OF A SINNER (1959); an application to use musical compositions for CLASH BY NIGHT (1952); and a dialogue continuity for A WOMAN'S SECRET (1949). Two subject files contain material regarding broadcast rights for a number of RKO films with ad mats for the RKO Television Showcase Package, 1958-1959, and material regarding ON STAGE, a one-hour television anthology series of the Show Corporation of America, circa 1962.

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. was founded in 1928 and operated out of the former Robertson-Cole studios in Hollywood (now part of the Paramount lot). The company was born out of mergers among the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), the Film Booking Offices of America (FBO) and the Keith-Albee-Orpheum vaudeville circuit in the 1920s. The result was Radio-Keith-Orpheum, better known as RKO. The studio built its prestige upon a generally high production standard and the participation of major stars, such as Fred Astaire, Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. Its individual hit films included KING KONG (1933), TOP HAT (1935), STAGE DOOR (1937), GUNGA DIN (1939) and SUSPICION (1941). Aside from its own productions, RKO also released Goldwyn, Disney and Selznick films. The company continued as a major motion picture studio for more than 27 years. In 1948 Howard Hughes acquired a large share of RKO stock and gained control of the company. After a period of financial difficulties, the company ceased production in 1958, and the studio lot was sold to Desilu.