Brian Levant, a renowned Hollywood filmmaker and UNM alumnus in the College of Fine Arts, has donated his extensive career-long body of work in the entertainment industry to The University of New Mexico's Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections (CSWR).

The CSWR is located in UNM's Zimmerman Library on the main campus and is an archival research hub within the University Libraries. CSWR staff work to preserve, document and make materials as publicly accessible as possible, all while striving to respectfully share the cultural heritage of New Mexico, the Southwest United States and Latin America.

The Brian Levant Collection represents a significant complement to the Center's archives, adding a writing- and directing-focused collection. It's a first for work dedicated to television and film. This collection provides students, faculty, professionals and all community members the opportunity to explore the steps involved in the screenwriting process, from a proposal to the final edit and production of an episode or movie.

"As the state of New Mexico continues to establish its place within the film and television industry, the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections is proud to inspire and reflect the work of those shaping this dynamic field," said Suzanne Schadl, director of the CSWR. "The Brian Levant Collection is especially significant for its focus on screenwriting and filmmaking in the intertwined worlds of television and film. It complements our existing collections documenting creative processes in journalism, fiction, poetry, photography, printmaking and music - broadening the scope of stories preserved for future generations."

The collection comprises 44 boxes of materials, including documentation, screenplays, storyboards, recordings, photographs, film and assorted media. Together, they provide researchers and the public with a rare behind-the-scenes view of Levant's creative process at every stage, from early concepts to final productions, including projects that were never picked up.

Materials in the archive trace Levant's work on iconic television series such as Happy Days, Mork & Mindy and The Bad News Bears series, as well as major feature films he directed. These include the original Beethoven; The Flintstones, the Steven Spielberg-produced box office hit and its sequel; Jingle All the Way starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Disney's Snow Dogs; Are We There Yet? with Ice Cube; and the 2010 Jackie Chan film The Spy Next Door.

"Brian Levant's work represents an extraordinary chapter in American film and television history, spanning decades of storytelling that has shaped popular culture and family entertainment," said Mark Emmons, dean of the University Libraries. "I have personally enjoyed many of his television shows and movies over the years. It is a privilege for The University of New Mexico Libraries to help preserve the creative legacy of a storyteller whose work has brought so much enjoyment to international audiences."

Levant entered UNM as a freshman in 1970, driven by a desire and focus to become a filmmaker. He graduated in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in University Studies, customizing his education to his interests in film history, art and writing.

Upon graduating, he moved to Los Angeles and serendipitously met the creator of Happy Days, Garry Marshall, at a Saturday morning basketball game. This encounter launched his decades-long Hollywood career, during which he became a director, writer and producer. His work grew to include more than 400 television credits, including his time as showrunner for Happy Days.

Since the late 1970s, Levant has lectured and worked closely with film students at UNM, even developing his own course, Sitcom Boot Camp, which he taught from 2017- 2023. In the class, he guided small groups of students through the rapid creation, writing and rewriting of an original, network-style comedy, culminating in a live performance for an audience in just 42 hours of class time. Levant also shares his industry expertise with students at the University of Arizona, Columbia College and many other institutions.

"Just over 50 years ago, I left UNM for Hollywood with my future wife, three dogs, a goldfish, a waterbed and some truly outlandish dreams," Levant said. "The evidence of that journey is tens of thousands of pages of scripts, writings, endless notes, storyboards, photos, art department and production materials, interviews and a mountain of accumulated media. I could not be more proud, or grateful to everyone at the CSWR for helping to, literally, bring my life's work back to the place where I first began to dream the impossible."

While the CSWR staff works to preserve and organize the physical items in the Levant Collection, the unprocessed content will be available in the Anderson Reading Room once a complete index of the contents can be published on the New Mexico Archives Online database.

The Anderson Reading Room is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., with modified hours during intersession, closing early at 2 p.m.

To learn more about the Brian Levant Collection, email Suzanne Schadl at [email protected].