Beth Brickell is a native Arkansan, growing up in Camden and graduating from Camden High School. She attended UCA for one year and then transferred to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville where she received a B.A. in Political Science. She later studied at the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles, California to receive a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) Degree.
Beth is a veteran of stage and screen. She studied under the tutelage of Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg and had a membership in the Actors Studio. She has had several leading roles in more than 25 stage productions including Thurber Carnival with Jean Stapleton, Room Service with Bill Macy, and Taker Her She’s Mine with Walter Pidgeon.
Her television career includes a starring role for two seasons in Gentle Ben with Dennis Weaver and a very large black bear. She has appeared in over 100 television shows including Gun smoke, Fantasy Island, Matt Helm, Love American Style, Alias Smith & Jones, Bonanza, The Virginian, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., Hawaii Five O, and Knots Landing. Beth has also directed several episodes of Knots Landing.
Beth’s movie career is equally impressive. She has appeared, written, produced and or directed a dozen films. Her film, A Rainy Day, was written, produced, and directed by Beth, and received seven top festival awards, including First Place at the USA Film Festival in Dallas. A Rainy Day was broadcast on PBS.
She appeared with Kirk Douglas and Bruce Dern in Posse, and starred with Sondra Lock and Seymour Cassell in Deadly Game, and with Bo Hopkins in The Only Way Home.
One of her best-known works is Summer’s End that was written, produced, and directed by Beth. Summer’s End has won 17-film industry awards, including a Blue Ribbon at the American Film & Video Festival in New York, a Gold Plaque in the Chicago International Film Festival, Best of U.S. Short Fiction at the Los Angeles International Film Festival and Second Place at the San Francisco International Film Festival. The film has been broadcast on Showtime, A&E, Nickelodeon and PBS.
Beth continues to write and is currently working on another film. She is also interested in politics and managed Blanche Lincoln’s first congressional primary victory. In addition, she raised $250, 000 for the 1992 Bill Clinton Presidential Campaign, and supervised 500 volunteers for Michael Dukakis in 1988.
Her civic activities include Chair of the Director’s Guild of American Women’s Steering Committee, member of the Director’s Guild of America Projects Committee, Board of Directors for Women in Film, Emmy Awards Panelist for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Actors Studio-West Executive Steering Committee, and Screening Committee for the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. She has also been inducted into the Southwest Theatre Association Hall of Fame.
Box 1
Item 1-Scrapbook: Arkansas State Teachers College, 1954-‘55
Item 2-Scrapbook: Arkansas State Teachers College, 1955-‘56
Item 3-Detailed report for each country visited in Europe and a map of the route traveled, 1959-1960
Item 4-Three 11” x 14” black and white photographs of Beth Brickell, 1965-1966
Item 5-Two black and white photographs of Beth Brickell, 1968
Item 6-Twelve black and white photographs of Beth Brickell, 1970 and 1974
Item 7-Poster: framed 11” x 13”, “Summer’s End”
Item 8-Stereo LP -"The Stars of Gentle Ben" TV Series -1969 starring -Dennis Weaver, Beth Brickell, Clint Howard, Rance Howard, and Candy Candido
End of Box 1
Box 2
File 1 -Beth Brickell biography information & 5" x 7" black/white photo of young Beth Brickell and father, Carter Brickell-c. 1944-45 era
File 2A-Newspaper clippings, 1960’s
File 2B-Plaque featuring TV Guide magazine cover, 1967
File 3-Newspaper clippings, 1970’s
File 4-William Morris Agency publicity photographs for Beth Brickell, 1966
File 5-Gentle Ben television series various photographs, 1967-1969
File 6-Publicity shots, 1968-1969
File 7-Marcus Welby television series publicity folder, 1970
File 8-William Morris Agency publicity photographs for Beth Brickell, 1972
File 9-Publicity photographs, 1972
File 10-Beth Brickell, Writer / Director / Teacher, 1973-2002
File 11-TV Radio Mirror magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 16, December 1967
File 12-TV Radio Talk magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 42, December 1967
File 13-TV STAR Parade magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 22, January 1968
File 14-Photoplay magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 44, April 1968
File 15-Movieland & TV Time magazine: Beth Brickell on page 32, June 1968
File 16-TV& Movie Screen magazine: Beth Brickell on page 24, June 1968
File 17-TV Radio Show magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 22, December 1968
File 18-Movie Stars magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 51, February 1969
File 19-TV Radio Talk magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 25, February 1969
File 20-A Rainy Day movie: Beth Brickell final draft, October 1976
File 21A-Newspaper articles, 1980’s
File 21B-A Rainy Day movie: Publicity and filming in Arkansas
File 22-The Tomboy: Beth Brickell second draft
File 23-Summer’s End movie: By Beth Brickell, June 1984
File 24-Summer’s End movie: Production and publicity, 1984-1987
File 25-Award of Appreciation presented to Beth Brickell by the City of Clarendon, Arkansas (filming site of Summer’s End)
File 26A-Mr. Christmas movie: By Beth Brickell, 1990
File 26B-Filming of Mr. Christmas by Beth Brickell in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 2004-2005
File 27-Portrait of a Winner: Beth Brickell
File 28-Press Woman magazine: Beth Brickell article on page 5, February 1988
File 29-NFPW (National Federation of Professional Women) Convention, Beth Brickell speaker, and article on page 13, June 1988
File 30-Political campaigns, 1992-1993
File 31-Walter Hussman – Editor of the Arkansas Democrat newspaper, October 1990
File 32-Newspaper article: “Maud Crafford, first woman lawyer in Arkansas, Vanished in 1957”, 1996
File 33-Video Cassettes (VHS format): A Rainy Day, 1979 and Summer’s End, 1986
File 34-Beth Brickell and Jim Spencer wedding album, 1991
File 35-Retired General Wesley Clark for President campaign, Beth Brickell was the Co-chairwoman of Arkansas for Clark
File 36-Awards, Certificates of Recognitions, etc.
File 37-Beth Brickell newspaper articles: 1993, 2004 to present
File 38 -William and Mary Brickell: Founders of Miami and Fort Lauderdale (FL.) by Beth Brickell -Spring 2009
End of Box 2
Box 3
Item 1A -San Diego Union: TV. week (front cover laminated only), and an article entitled, “Beth Brickell: Girl reporter who went straight”, 1967
Item 1B-Newspaper article (laminated): Beth Brickell
Item 1C-Publicity photograph (framed): Beth Brickell
Item 1D -Arkansas Traveler Ambassador Certificate awarded to Beth Brickell, June 1992
End of Box 3
Display Case
Item 1-Publicity poster (framed): Beth Brickell’s Gentle Ben TV. series
Item 2-Publicity poster (framed): Beth Brickell’s Gentle Ben TV. series
Item 3-Publicity poster (framed): Beth Brickell’s A Rainy Day
Item 4-Publicity poster (framed): Beth Brickell’s Summer’s End short film
Item 5-Publicity photograph (framed): Beth Brickell’s Gentle Ben TV series
End of Display Case
End of Collection