Brian Levant, a Hollywood filmmaker and alumnus of the University of New Mexico (UNM), has donated his collection of work to the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections (CSWR) at UNM. The CSWR, located in Zimmerman Library on the main campus, serves as an archival research center within University Libraries. Its staff works to preserve and make materials accessible while sharing the cultural heritage of New Mexico, the Southwest United States, and Latin America.
The Brian Levant Collection is the first archive at CSWR dedicated specifically to television and film writing and directing. It offers students, faculty, professionals, and community members insight into screenwriting from proposal through final production.
“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 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 includes 44 boxes containing documentation such as screenplays, storyboards, recordings, photographs, films, and other media. These materials provide a behind-the-scenes look at Levant’s creative process across various stages—from early ideas to completed productions—and include projects that were never produced.
Levant’s archive documents his involvement with well-known television series like Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, The Bad News Bears series; as well as feature films he directed including Beethoven; The Flintstones (and its sequel); Jingle All the Way starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Disney’s Snow Dogs; Are We There Yet? with Ice Cube; and The Spy Next Door featuring Jackie Chan.
“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 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 began attending UNM in 1970 with aspirations to become a filmmaker. He graduated in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in University Studies tailored toward film history, art, and writing. After graduation he moved to Los Angeles where meeting Garry Marshall led him into Hollywood—eventually earning more than 400 television credits including serving as showrunner for Happy Days.
Since late 1970s Levant has worked closely with UNM film students—most recently teaching Sitcom Boot Camp from 2017-2023—a course where students rapidly created original comedies culminating in live performances after just 42 hours of class time. He also shares his expertise at other institutions such as University of Arizona and Columbia College.
“Just over 50 years ago I left UNM for Hollywood with my future wife… some truly outlandish dreams,” Levant said. “The evidence of that journey is tens of thousands of pages… I could not be more proud or grateful to everyone at CSWR for helping… bring my life’s work back to the place where I first began to dream the impossible.”
While staff continue organizing items from Levant’s donation at CSWR’s Anderson Reading Room inside Zimmerman Library—which operates Monday through Friday—unprocessed content will be available once indexed on New Mexico Archives Online database.
For more information about accessing or learning about The Brian Levant Collection contact Suzanne Schadl at schadl@unm.edu.
