Film & TV
Typewriters have long been a staple of cinematography, serving as both a primary method of communication and a symbol of the writer’s craft. However, when an Oliver typewriter appears in film or television, its distinctive shape tends to leave a lasting impression with its audience. Many beloved actors have used an Oliver typewriter on screen, including Christopher Plummer, Winona Ryder, and Dakota Fanning. Whether prominently used, featured as background decor, or displayed as part of a collection in a documentary, the Oliver typewriter adds a unique touch to the storytelling of any film or television series.
Film
The Novel of the Little Typist (Le roman de la petite dactylographe) (1914)
The June 1914 edition of My Office, Commercial and Industrial Organization Magazine (Mon Bureau, Magazine d’organisation commerciale et industrielle) includes an article about a short film The Novel of the Little Typist (Le roman de la petite dactylographe). This film, produced by The Oliver Typewriter Company, featured Oliver No. 6 typewriters. While no known copy of the film exists today, it was likely the first instance of an Oliver typewriter appearing in film.
The magazine describes The Oliver Typewriter Company’s approach as “An interesting initiative: advertising through film.” The short drama tells the story of Jeanine, a young girl whose family faces financial hardship after her father suffers an accident that leaves him unable to work. As the family’s resources dwindle and valuable possessions are sold, Jeanine spots a poster promoting the Oliver School for shorthand typists. Recognizing an opportunity, she enrolls in the school, determined to improve her family’s situation.
At typing school: The first lesson.
Three months later: An accomplished typist.
After three months of dedicated training, Jeanine becomes a skilled typist and secures a position with a major company. Her new income restores her family’s financial stability, bringing joy back to their home. The film skillfully incorporates the Oliver typewriter into Jeanine’s journey, blending advertising with storytelling in a way that feels natural rather than intrusive.
Thanks to the little typist, fluency will return home.
Parents’ joy: Jeanine has found a great job!
Girl Shy (1924)
This 1924 romantic comedy silent film starring Harold Lloyd follows the story of a shy young man who struggles to talk to women. In the film, Lloyd's character writes a book filled with fictional conquests using an Oliver No. 5 typewriter.
Harold Lloyd operates an Oliver No. 5.
The Music Man (1962)
In The Music Man (1962), con man Harold Hill (Robert Preston) arrives in a small town of Iowa, intending to sell band instruments and uniforms to the local children, promising to form a marching band. His plan is to pocket the money without ever teaching the band. However, he meets town librarian Marian Paroo (Shirley Jones) and falls in love with her. At this library, an Oliver No. 9 can be seen sitting on the desk. This film takes place during the summer of 1912, three years before the Oliver No. 9 was introduced. This renders the choice of Oliver model historically inaccurate, as the Oliver No. 5 was the latest model available at the time.
An Oliver No. 9 sits on the counter in the library. Shirley Jones imitates typing during one part of the musical number.
The Great Gadsby (1974)
Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner residing on Long Island, becomes intrigued by the enigmatic past and extravagant lifestyle of his wealthy neighbor, Jay Gatsby. As Nick is pulled into Gatsby's world, he finds himself observing a tale of obsession and heartbreak unfold. In one scene, an Oliver No. 9 can be found in the background on top of a cabinet. This movie takes place in 1922, the last year of Oliver No. 9 production, making it an excellent choice to maintain historical accuracy.
An Oliver No. 9 sits in the background on a cabinet.
Three Days of the Condor (1975)
A CIA analyst in Manhattan (Robert Redford) discovers his entire team murdered and must outsmart the culprits while determining who he can truly rely on.
An Oliver No. 9 sits out of focus in the background on a small table.
The Man Who Would be King (1975)
Two rogue ex-soldiers who leave British India in the 1880s find themselves in distant Kafiristan, where one is mistaken for a god and crowned king. Rudyard Kipling (Christopher Plummer) is seen typing on at Oliver No. 3 at the offices of the Northern Star Newspaper in Bombay, India. It is worth noting that the Oliver's appearance in this film, set in the 1880s, is historically inaccurate, as the Oliver No. 3 was not introduced until 1901.
Christopher Plummer types on an Oliver No. 3.
TRON (1982)
In the final scene of TRON (1982), Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner), programmer and creator of the security program Tron, is typing on an Oliver No. 3.
Bruce Boxleitner types on an Oliver No. 3.
¡Three Amigos! (1986)
In 1916, the bandit El Guapo and his gang extort tribute from the Mexican village of Santa Poco. Desperate to save her people, Carmen (Patrice Martinez), the village leader's daughter, seeks help. After watching a silent film about The Three Amigos, a trio of heroic gunfighters who defend the helpless, Carmen mistakenly believes they are real-life heroes. With the help of her brother Rodrigo (Philip Gordon), she sends a telegram urging The Three Amigos to come and defeat El Guapo. The telegrapher (Santos Morales) types their message on an Oliver No. 9 typewriter. The use of this model is historically accurate, as the No. 9 was introduced one year prior.
Santos Morales types a telegram on an Oliver No. 9.
Naked Lunch (1991)
This film, based on William S. Burroughs' Naked Lunch, follows the surreal journey of William Lee, an exterminator who descends into a hallucinatory nightmare after discovering his wife uses his insecticide as a drug. As Lee grapples with his addiction, he becomes entangled in a bizarre world of secret agents, narcotics operations, and shape-shifting typewriters and creatures. One such typewriter is The Mujahideen, a fictionally rebranded Oliver No. 9. This machine was given Arabic decals and fitted with round, white labels over the key tops to make it appear as if it types in Arabic. During the film, it falls out of a window and gets destroyed.
The Mujahideen, a fictionally rebranded Oliver No. 9.
The Mujahideen is seated on a desk.
The Mujahideen is destroyed after a fall.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Based on the classic novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, this film tells the story of Count Dracula (Gary Oldman), a centuries-old vampire who travels to England to seduce Mina Murray (Winona Ryder), the fiancée of his barrister. Winona Ryder is seen using an Oliver No. 3 typewriter in scenes where she writes to her fiancé and documents unfolding events. These events take place in 1897, four years before the introduction of the Oliver No. 3, so the use of this model is not historically accurate.
The Oliver No. 3 seen in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992).
Winona Ryder types on an Oliver No. 3.
Stardust (2007)
In a rural town on the edge of an enchanted land, a young man vows to his beloved that he will journey into the mystical realm to retrieve a fallen star. In the beginning of this film, at the Royal Academy of Science in London, England, an Oliver No. 5 can briefly be seen sitting on the desk of a typist. This scene is set in 1839, nearly 70 years before the Oliver No. 5 was introduced. In fact, typewriters were not even mass produced in this era.
An Oliver No. 5 sits on the right side of a desk.
The King’s Speech (2010)
This film follows the story of King George VI, who unexpectedly ascends the British throne in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped him conquer his stammer and gain confidence as a leader. An Oliver No. 9 can be found sitting on a desk in the grand room. Because this film takes place after the Oliver No. 9 was last produced in 1922, its presence as the chosen Oliver model is certainly plausible.
An Oliver No. 9 sits on the desk to the left in the grand room.
The Typewriter (In the 21st Century) (2012)
This documentary celebrates the remarkable machine that revolutionized communication and explores the dedicated community striving to preserve its legacy and prevent it from fading into obscurity. Among the many typewriters featured, multiple Oliver models make appearances throughout the film.
Multiple Oliver models sit on the top shelf in Jett Morton’s collection.
An Oliver No. 6 in Jett Morton’s collection sits on a desk.
An Oliver No. 9 sits in the background to the right.
An Oliver No. 5 is seen in Bill Wahl’s Mesa Typewriter Exchange.
California Typewriter (2016)
This documentary, featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Sam Shepard, David McCullough, and others, showcases a diverse group of individuals whose lives are connected by a shared passion for typewriters. Many rare Oliver models can be found throughout this documentary.
Typewriter collector Martin Howard types on his nickel-plated Oliver No. 2.
As Martin Howard retrieves a typewriter, his nickel-plated Oliver No. 2 sits in the display case.
Typewriter collector Herman Price sits in front of his nickel-plated Oliver collection.
Typewriter collector Jett Morton presents his Woodstock (Oliver No. 2 variant).
TV
The Waltons
S1 E5 — "The Typewriter" (1972)To type a manuscript, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) secretly borrows a typewriter from the bootlegging Baldwin sisters. Trouble arises when Mary Ellen inadvertently sells it to a junk dealer. The typewriter is none other than an Oliver No. 9. This episode takes place in the 1930s, making this Oliver model plausible. However, the Baldwin sisters claim it was made in 1908, but the Oliver No. 9 was not introduced until 1916.
Richard Thomas types on an Oliver No. 9.
An Oliver No. 9 sits on a table.
The Alienist
The Alienist is a psychological crime thriller set in New York from 1896–1897. The series follows Dr. Kreizler (Daniel Brühl), a pioneering psychologist, as he teams up with detective Sara Howard (Dakota Fanning) and reporter John Moore (Luke Evans) to solve a series of gruesome crimes. Throughout this series, An Oliver No. 5 is used by Fanning’s character. Unfortunately, the use of this model is not historically accurate, as the Oliver No. 5 was not introduced until a decade later in 1907.
S1 E1 — "The Boy on the Bridge" (2018): An Oliver No. 5 sits on a desk behind Dakota Fanning.
S1 E5 — "Hildebrandt's Starling" (2018): Dakota Fanning types on an Oliver No. 5.
Dakota Fanning types on an Oliver No. 5.
DISCLAIMER: ALL SCREENSHOTS ON THIS PAGE ARE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND ARE USED UNDER FAIR USE FOR COMMENTARY AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.