Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Andre Blay Collection
UA.10.3.309
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
- Creator
- Blay, Andre A.
- Title
- Andre Blay collection
- ID
- UA.10.3.309
- Date [inclusive]
- 1968-2013
- Extent
- 5.0 Cubic feet 3 boxes and 2 laser disc players
- Language
- English
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan."
Biographical Note
Andre Blay was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. He received his BA in 1959 and MBA in 1970 both from Michigan State University. From 1960 to 1966 he worked at Corning Glass Works. He co-founded Stereodyne, Inc which which duplicated music on audiocassettes. In 1969 he founded Magnetic Video Corporation which duplicated video cassettes. In 1977 the company licensed major motion picture titles for the consumer market. Blay founded Embassy Home Entertainment in 1982 during the height of the market.
His many awards include Video Hall of Fame, Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame, MSU Business Alumni of Year, and CMU Executive in Residence. He has spoken twice to MSU MBA students, UCLA law students, CMU Business School, and High Point University entrepreneur students.
Scope and Content
Andre Blay is known as "The Father of the Home Video Industry." His company Magnetic Video Corporation introduced the first pre-recorded movies to be sold to the public in 1977. The list included "Sound of Music," "Hello Dolly," and "Patton."
The Andre Blay collection is meant to preserve the history of the new industry of home video and home entertainment. The collection contains material related to Blay's business activities in Magnetic Video Corporation and Embassy Home Entertainment. Other materials include biographical information about Blay, articles and press releases; Magnetic Video catalogs, brochures and financial information; programming information, speeches, photographs, awards, audio and video about Blay and his companies. The collection contains an abundance of information about an industry that helped double the size of film studios from 1977 to 2000.
The collection also contains laser and video discs of Hollywood movies and music including Amityville II: The Possession, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner, Breaker Morant, Dragonslayer, Eddie and the Cruisers: Rebel Rocker Lover Idol Vanished, Elton John: Visions, The Exterminator, Footloose, High Noon, Magic, Neil Diamond: The Jazz Singer, The Night Porter, Paradise, Rod Stewart: Tonight He's Yours, Saturday Night Fever, The Soldier, Star Trek II: The Wrath of the Khan, Summer Lovers, That Hamilton Woman, Zapped!
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections September 2013
Conrad Hall888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu
Revision Description
Added electronic resource revised March 2014 October 2013
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Legal Status
Copyright: Michigan State University except where copyright restrictions apply. Property Rights: Michigan State University
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Custodial History
Gift of Andre and Nancy Blay.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Embassy Home Video (Firm).
- Magnetic Video Corporation.
- Michigan State University. Class of 1959.
Genre(s)
- Annual reports
- Commercial correspondence
- Photographs
- Scrapbooks
- Video tapes
Subject(s)
- Motion pictures
- Video dial tone
- Video recordings industry -- Michigan
- Video rental services
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Alternative Programming 1980-1986 |
4407 | 1 | ||
|
Andre Blay Biographical Information 1984, circa 2003, circa 2010, undated |
4407 | 2 | ||
|
Articles and Press Releases |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1968, 1972-1980 |
4407 | 3 | ||
|
1981-1982 |
4407 | 4 | ||
|
1983 |
4407 | 5 | ||
|
1984 |
4407 | 6 | ||
|
1985-1986 |
4407 | 9 | ||
|
1985-1988 |
4408 | 1 | ||
|
1990-2000 |
4408 | 2 | ||
|
2004-2006, undated |
4408 | 3 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Awards to Andre Blay 1977-2006 |
4407 | 7 | ||
|
Billboard Conference on Video Presentation November 1982 |
4407 | 8 | ||
|
The Birth of the Home Video Industry and the Future of Visual Entertainment speech by Andre Blay September 20, 2013 |
4407 | 33 | ||
|
Blay / RCV Promotions 1982 |
4407 | 10 | ||
|
Central Michigan University Executive in Residence 2004 |
4407 | 11 | ||
|
Correspondence 1977-1986 |
4407 | 12 | ||
|
Embassy Home Video |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Embassy Home Entertainment Business Review 1985 |
4407 | 13 | ||
|
Embassy Home Entertainment Financial Statement 1985-1986 |
4408 | 4 | ||
|
Embassy Home Video Report - Titles and Sale 1985-1986 |
4407 | 14 | ||
|
Purchase of Embassy 1985-February 1986 |
4408 | 8 | ||
|
Sign for Embassy Video "The Baby Safe Home" |
4415 | 1 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Financial Tactics for Filmed Entertainment, Arthur Young, 1984 |
4408 | 5 | ||
|
Home Video an Emerging Marketing Andre Blay - UCLA Entertainment Symposium 1983 |
4407 | 15 | ||
|
Home Video in the International Market, AFMA presentation 1983-1984 |
4407 | 16 | ||
|
Magnetic Video Corporation |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Advertisement 1981 |
4407 | 17 | ||
|
Annual Reports 1973, 1975, 1976 |
4407 | 184407 | ||
|
Biography of Magnetic Video Corporation USA undated |
4407 | 19 | ||
|
Brochures 1971, 1979, undated |
4408 | 6 | ||
|
Catalogs and newsletter 1979-1981 |
4407 | 20 | ||
|
Court Proceedings 1981 |
4408 | 7 | ||
|
Financial Statements and Share Information 1971-1982 |
4407 | 21 | ||
|
Magnetic Video Corporation History Compiled by Dollie Cole 1981 |
4407 | 22 | ||
|
Video Boxes #1030-1050 |
4407 | 23 | ||
|
Video Boxes #1015-1029 |
4407 | 24 | ||
|
Video Boxes #1001-1014 |
4407 | 25 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Management Problem, Magnetic Video Corporation by Andre Blay 1970 |
4407 | 26 | ||
|
Magazines and newspaper 1986-1988, 2005 |
4415 | 2 | ||
|
National Association of Video Distributors, dinner program 1994 |
4407 | 27 | ||
|
Pre-Recorded History: Memoirs of an Entertainment Entrepreneur by Andre Blay 2010 |
4407 | 28 | ||
|
Scrapbook 1969-1981 |
4415 | 3 | ||
| Box | ||||
|
Scrapbook 1982 |
4409 | |||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
This is Your Life Andre Blay 1981 |
4407 | 29 | ||
|
Twentieth Century Fox Annual Report 1980 |
4407 | 30 | ||
|
Videocassette Duplicating Presented as Testimony Before the Select Subcommittee on Education, House of Representatives, Congress of the United States by Andre Blay 1972 |
4407 | 31 | ||
|
Video Hall of Fame 1982, 1983, 1995 |
4407 | 32 | ||
|
Photographs |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Andre Blay - Portraits 1983, undated |
4419 | 1 | ||
|
Andre Blay at events 1976, 1985, undated |
4419 | 2 | ||
|
Andre Blay at Magnetic Video event undated |
4419 | 3 | ||
|
Alternative Programming |
4419 | 4 | ||
|
Magnetic Video Corporation booth undated |
4419 | 5 | ||
|
Magnetic Video Corporation Buildings undated |
4419 | 6 | ||
|
Magnetic Video Corporation office [large] |
4408 | 10 | ||
|
Awards and Framed Items |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
Framed caricature of Andre Blay- commemorating Blay at ITA/ Time magazine Man of the Year 1955-1985 |
4410 | |||
| Object | ||||
|
Framed cartoon style drawing of Magnetic Video Corporation at work - caption Flash..Magnetic Video Corp Scores Biggest Sales Month in Its History June 1981 |
Cartoon | |||
| Box | ||||
|
Framed cover of Dealerscope Magazine with Article about Blay on the Cover May 1984 |
4410 | |||
|
Framed cover of Variety Magazine with article about Blay as head of Embassy July 29, 1982 |
4410 | |||
|
Framed item - Andre Blay Video Hall of Fame induction speech by Bill O'Brien November 17, 1982 |
4416 | |||
|
Award- to Magnetic Video from Magnetic Audio/ Video Products Division / 3M September 1979 |
4416 | |||
|
Award - to Andre Blay from Video Hall of Fame November 17, 1982 |
4416 | |||
|
Billboard Trendsetter Award to 20th Century Fox Corp. and Magnetic Video Corp. for being first to issue motion pictures for home video during its theatrical release undated |
4416 | |||
|
Award - to Andre Blay Corporation from Hampton's Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame 1982 |
4416 | |||
|
Audio Video |
||||
|
Andre Blay Australian Interview undated |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
Andre Blay interview (2 video tape copies) undated |
4419 | |||
|
Consumer Electronics Show -dvd June 1978 |
||||
|
CMU Presentation - cd |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
International Winter Consumer Electronics Show - panel discussion with Andre Blay audio tape January 1981 |
4419 | |||
|
Magnetic Video Corporation Copenhagen Presentation - dvd June 9, 1980 |
||||
|
Magnetic Video Corporation Thanksgiving Day Parade Spot November 18, 1981 |
||||
|
Michigan "It Started Here" and Santa Barbara |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
MUC Montage - video tape undated |
4419 | |||
|
Points and Trends - audio tape September 12, 1970 |
4419 | |||
|
TV Shows - Michigan It Started Here, Santa Barbara, 20th Century Fox MGT Conf. |
||||
| Object | ||||
|
Laserdiscs of movies - see Archivist for access |
Laser Discs | |||
Electronic Resources |
||||
| Object | ||||
|
Andre Blay Related Images and Audio Recordings (duplicates of items on media already listed in the collection) 1978-2004 |
A.2013.0113-7a36 | |||
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