LibGuides: Radio, Television, and Film (RTF): Finding Scripts/Screenplays

Resources

Film Scripts Online This link opens in a new window
A collection of feature films containing over 1,100 scripts, many of which have never been published. Volume I covers American classic cinema, and Volume II expands into international and contemporary films.
A collection of feature films containing over 1,100 scripts, many of which have never been published. Volume I covers American classic cinema, and Volume II expands into international and contemporary films. Includes detailed indexing on scenes, characters, and people. Supplemental information includes short biographies on the writers, and awards given to individual films have been noted. Film scholars can compare the writer’s vision with the producer’s and director’s interpretations from page to screen.

50 Best Screenplays to Read and Download in Every Genre
Downloadable scripts for contemporary films in five main genre categories: Drama, Comedy, Action/Adventure, Thriller and Horror.
The Black List
The Black List is a platform for screenplays that have not been produced. Writers can get feedback on what they've written for a fee.
Daily Script
This site lists scripts for reading purposes, but it also has links to a small collection of downloadable movie scripts.
Movie Scripts and Screenplays
Broad selection of movie scripts from different time periods, including a mix of early drafts and shooting scripts.
Screenplay Database
Several hundred screenplays, including a number of more contemporary films.
Scripts on Screen
The site is a movie script aggregator. They list over 8,500 films indexed from 300+ sites. Many links are free, links that are not free are marked with a dollar sign ($).
Script Savant
The site lists scripts available in PEF downloading. Also has TV scripts.
Simply Scripts
Free internet resource with downloadable scripts, movie scripts, screenplays, and transcripts of movies, television, and radio. Also includes some treatments.
UT Catalog
Search the UT catalog for published scripts and screenplays. Searching using a combination of film title, screenwriter, and words like script, shooting script, or screenplay.

To search for screenplays in the library, use Screenplays as a search term along with an author or a title or a publisher. For example: screenplays edward burns brings up this book.

To browse screenplays, try a more general "Subject List" search for the term Motion picture plays.

However, keep in mind that many published scripts (especially for television) have no subject heading at all, and will only have the words "script," "scripts," "film script," "shooting script," or "screenplay" in the title or keywords. You can alternatively do a subject search for the name of a film or program, and this will sometimes produce a title that includes the script.

The Drama Scholars Index to Plays and Filmscripts by Gordon Samples
Call Number: PCL Stacks PN 1631 S2271 & Fine Arts Library
Publication Date: 1974-04-01
Published Screenplays by Clifford McCarty
Call Number: PCL Stacks PN 1995 M333
ISBN: 0873381122
Publication Date: 1971-04-01
Published Video, Television, and Film Scripts by G. Howard Poteet
Call Number: PCL Stacks PN 1991.77 P684
Publication Date: 1975-01-01

Harry Ransom Center
The Ransom Center film collection provides research opportunities for scholars working in history, music, popular culture, textual criticism, and film history and criticism. The collections include more than 10,000 scripts for film, television, and radio; more than 15,000 posters, lobby cards, and other advertising materials; and over a million photographs, including film stills, portrait and publicity photographs, set and location reference stills, makeup and wardrobe stills, and candid, behind-the-scenes photographs.