The Bob Burke Film and
Television Autograph
Collection
at the University of Central Oklahoma
The Bob Burke Film and Television Autograph Collection
In order to understand film as an art, it is necessary to recognize that it is also a business. In teaching
the history and critical analysis of film, it is important to remind students repeatedly of this fact and to
demonstrate the ways in which it has shaped the development of film as an artistic medium and as a
form of entertainment. It
is easy for teachers and
students alike to get swept
up in discussions of film
and lose sight of the fact
that movies are the products of an industrialized
system that aims to produce
marketable commodities as
well as works of art. The
Bob Burke Film and Television Autograph Collection,
which includes film posters,
lobby cards, photographs,
film scripts, and other
materials produced by the
film and television industries, helps to ground
the teaching of film at the
University of Central Oklahoma by recognising this basic economic fact. The poster for a film, along with the lobby cards and
photographs displayed in theater lobbies, are, in fact, part of the overall text of a film, and increasingly scholars and students have sought to consult such sources as a way of deepening our understanding of a given film and the publicity and marketing practices of Hollywood studios. Posters and other
promotional materials prepare us as viewers for the experience we will have when we watch a film
and often help us to form expectations and make initial interpretations of a film’s meaning.
Understanding how films are promoted, marketed and sold to audiences is a vital aspect of
contemporary Film Studies research and the Burke Collection helps both the faculty and students to
expand their analysis of film at UCO into this vital area of study.
What makes this collection even more special is the fact that almost every artifact has been signed by
the director, actor or actress who made the film or television program. As a result the Burke Collection also represents a fascinating sample of American celebrity culture, showcasing the personalities,
the styles, and the images that have dominated our collective popular imagination through movies and
television.
Dr. John Parris Springer
Director of Film Studies
The Bob Burke Film & Television Autograph Collection consists of 1236 items including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Albums LP—21
Cast Scene Photos—136
Comic Books—3
Lobby Cards—435
Movie Posters—6
Scripts—61
Star Photos—443
Signatures on Paper—113
VHS tapes—3
Miscellaneous items—15
All items are signed and in many cases the items have multiple signatures. Some notable signatures are
a photograph of Janet Gaynor who won the first best actress Academy Award for her work in Seventh
Heaven (1927), Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) and Street Angel (1928). In the early days of
the Oscars an actor could receive one award for several films. Other signed star photos include Helen
Hayes, Lena Horne, Ann Margaret, Doris Day, Joel McCrea, Robert DeNiro, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp.
Representative of the lobby cards are The Godfather (1972), The Sting (1973), Hope & Glory (1987),
Forrest Gump (1994), Braveheart (1995) and Titanic (1997) which all won the Academy Award for best
picture.
Illustrative of the signed scripts include Chinatown (1974), Stars wars (1977), and Saving Private Ryan
(1998) all Oscar nominated for best picture.
Valuable movie posters with cast signatures include Goldfinger (1964), Jaws (1975), Top Gun (1986)
and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006).
All materials can be viewed in the UCO Archives & Special Collections, Max Chambers Library,
Room 215, Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm.
For more information, contact Dr. John Springer or University Archivist Nicole Willard.
Bob Burke is an author, attorney, historian…and
a collector of autographs. He started collecting
in 1962 when he wrote to presidential candidate
Barry Goldwater and asked for an autographed
picture. Burke continued his autograph collection
when he worked in Oklahoma City as a radio disc
jockey and eagerly sought autographs as musical
celebrities toured on concert. He now subscribes
to a service that provides him with the home addresses of celebrities. Over the years Burke has
written to thousands of stars, and proudly states
that he has “written to most of the famous people
in the world.” Occasionally, he also trades with
other collectors to obtain rare pieces. Today,
Burke owns an extensive collection of autographs
in the areas of film, television, music, politics,
sports, historical figures and more, part of which he has gifted to the UCO
Archives and Special Collections. The Bob Burke Film and Television Autograph
Collection contains autographed scripts, photographs, movie posters, and more
from television and film’s biggest stars.
Burke has received numerous honors and awards for his work, as a practicing
attorney and and Oklahoma author and historian. He has published over 70
historical non-fiction books.
Burke has been named to the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, inducted into the
Oklahoma Hall of Fame and has been recognized with the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
One of his books was co-authored with UCO professor Dr. Patricia Loughlin. The
book, “Building Traditions, Educating Generations: A History of the University of
Central Oklahoma, ” features a comprehensive overview of UCO history from the
early 1890s to the present, and is an official Oklahoma Centennial project.