Data Sets
Data sets, primarily box office information, in trade publications like Variety can be challenging to search separately. Databases often just provide access to articles, so patrons may need to browse print or facsimile scanned issues (like those in Variety Archive or the Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive) to see the full contents of the magazine. UCLA Library does not have access to Variety Insight.
- Variety Intelligence Platform (VIP +) This link opens in a new window
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Full-text database providing analysis, market research, and data for film, television, and digital entertainment. Includes special reports covering such topics as digital marketing and publishers, streaming, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. Also includes daily commentary on news and industry trends and corporate analysis.
About Variety and Daily Variety
Variety began in 1905 as a weekly show business trade paper, covering vaudeville, stage, and film. It went on to feature news on television, aspects of new media, and to a lesser extent music. Daily Variety started much later in 1933 and focused on motion pictures more specifically. It ceased as a separate publication in March 2013. Since 2012, Variety has been owned by Penske Media Corporation, which also owns Deadline. There have been a number of regional/international/special editions at different times.
Finding full searchable access to all of the historical contents in Variety can be challenging. This page is set up to explain different options for UCLA researchers.
What Print Issues Does the Library Have?
The UCLA Library does have physical holdings of Variety and Daily Variety, although many issues of weekly Variety are only available on microfilm. The microfilm ceased by 2014, and print issues are available after that date. Daily Variety is not complete, and some print issues have missing pages and damage. There is no microfilm version of Daily Variety. Consult the catalog records below for more detailed information.
- Daily Variety (1948-2013)Some missing issues.
Online Access
Finding full text of Variety and Daily Variety depends on what years you need and where you are located. UCLA students, staff, and faculty have off-campus access options for subscription resources.
- Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive This link opens in a new window
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This database includes complete runs of major trade and consumer magazines, from their inception to 2000. It includes the weekly edition of Variety from 1905-2000. - Media History Digital Library This link opens in a new windowFreely available online portal, featuring millions of pages of books and magazines from the histories of film, broadcasting, and recorded sound.
- Variety 1905-1927 (Internet Archive)Freely available scans of weekly Variety issues, primarily from the microfilm.
- Variety Intelligence Platform (VIP +) This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Full-text database providing analysis, market research, and data for film, television, and digital entertainment. Includes special reports covering such topics as digital marketing and publishers, streaming, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. Also includes daily commentary on news and industry trends and corporate analysis.
- VarietyThe Variety website allows you to freely search articles from Variety and Daily Variety from approximately 2003-present. However, not all data sets and exactly the same content will show up on the free version of the site, including VIP+ Variety Intelligence Platform, which requires an individual subscription to access reports.
- Variety Ultimate Archive @ the Herrick LibraryVariety's complete online archive, including Daily Variety. The Academy's Margaret Herrick Library does have access, but patrons must use it on site there. UCLA does not have access to this database.
- Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
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Includes full text of weekly Variety articles from July 19, 1993-present, and Daily Variety from April 27 1992-March 2013. - MasterFILE Premier This link opens in a new window
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Contains indexing for articles in weekly Variety from 1994-present, and full text from 1999-present. Contains indexing/full text for articles in Daily Variety from 2000-2013. - Factiva This link opens in a new window
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Contains full text of Daily Variety articles from 2004-2013, and select articles only from weekly Variety. - Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
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Contains full text articles from weekly Variety for 2000-present, and article indexing from 1997-present. Daily Variety is not included.
Are There Reprints of Articles?
Older reviews and obituaries in Variety have been reprinted in large fascimile sets, available in UCLA Arts Library Reference.
- Variety Film Reviews, 1907-1996Reprinted reviews from Variety 1907-1996, published in chronological order. Use the index volume to find the exact date of a review.
- Variety Television Reviews, 1923-1988Contents: v.1-2. Daily Variety television reviews -- v.3-14. Variety television reviews -- v.15. Comprehensive index to Daily Variety, 1946-1960 and Weekly Variety, 1923-1988.
- Variety and Daily Variety Television Reviews, 1989-1994The second half of the original Variety Television Reviews set.
- Variety Obituaries, 1905-1992v.1. 1905-1928 -- v.2. 1929-1938 -- v.3. 1939-1947 -- v.4. 1948-1956 -- v.5. 1957-1963 -- v.6. 1964-1968 -- v.7. 1969-1974 -- v.8. 1975-1979 -- v.9. 1980-1983 -- v.10. 1984-1986 -- v.11. Index, 1905-1986 -- v.12. 1987-1988 -- v.13. 1989-1990 -- v.14. 1991-1992
Is Variety Indexed Anywhere?
"Indexing" a periodical means that the contents of individual articles are listed, often by subject/author/title. Indexing remains useful for older issues of magazines that may not be available full text online. There is no fully complete index of Variety.
- MasterFILE Premier This link opens in a new window
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Contains indexing for articles in weekly Variety from 1994-present, and full text from 1999-present. Contains indexing/full text for articles in Daily Variety from 2000-2013. - FIAF International Index to Film Periodicals This link opens in a new window
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Indexing for Variety is available for 1974-2012. However, FIAF only indexes reviews, obituaries, and special sections. Daily Variety is not included. - Performing Arts Periodicals Database This link opens in a new window
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Contains full text articles from weekly Variety for 2000-present, and article indexing from 1997-present. Daily Variety is not included. - AFI Catalog This link opens in a new window
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The online AFI (American Film Institute) Catalog draws its content from printed volumes that document every American feature film from 1893 to 1974. Also includes some short films from the first era of filmmaking, 1893–1910. Provides detailed filmographic information, including music credits, release dates, plot descriptions, and bibliographies. See also the AFI web version of the catalog.