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See also : Rockwell Textiles Garment Fashion Musical instrument Musical instrument II Instrument and equipment Rolex
Chronology : 1930 1942
See also : Rockwell Textiles Garment Fashion Musical instrument Musical instrument II Instrument and equipment Rolex
Chronology : 1930 1942
1912 Early Songs in the Cinema
2015 SOLD for € 1.24M including premium
French inventors were passionate about the transformation of photography into a full size show. This black and white image will give birth by phases to the sound cinema in colors by projection.
Lumière in Lyon and Gaumont in Paris are industrialists of the photography. This market is growing significantly since the release in the United States in 1888 of the film camera, obsoleting the glass plates: the Kodak. Edison, also in the United States, is able since 1891 to produce motion pictures with perforated film.
For shooting his movies, Léon Gaumont operates the Chronophotographe of Demeny who himself had been the assistant of Marey, the physiologist who studied the movements by taking successive views onto a single plate. From 1911 in Paris, the Gaumont Palace welcomes 3200 spectators.
The first movies are short sequences. The projections are often accompanied by a musician or a singer. In 1907 Gaumont publishes a catalog of "phonoscènes" which are a kit including separately the film for the projection and the record disc for the phonograph. The first titles are songs from the music hall and the opera.
Gaumont attempts the synchronization of picture and sound both in recording and performing. His Chronomégaphone requires two operators connected by telephone to identify the time drifts between image and sound that are offset by a monitoring equipment named the chef d'orchestre.
One of these devices was purchased in 1912 by a young man who was planning to make a fortune in Mexico with his demonstrations of sound cinema.
After a promising start, the experience is interrupted. The low number of available sequences did not allow to maintain a permanent theater and the installation in a tour, which was tempted, was too difficult. The hardware, films, records and even the posters came back to France in 1913 in their four huge original Gaumont containers.
This Chronomégaphone is now surfacing like a time capsule. It is estimated € 1M for sale by Rouillac in the château d'Artigny near Tours on June 7, lot 35. Here is the link to the website of the auction house.
Lumière in Lyon and Gaumont in Paris are industrialists of the photography. This market is growing significantly since the release in the United States in 1888 of the film camera, obsoleting the glass plates: the Kodak. Edison, also in the United States, is able since 1891 to produce motion pictures with perforated film.
For shooting his movies, Léon Gaumont operates the Chronophotographe of Demeny who himself had been the assistant of Marey, the physiologist who studied the movements by taking successive views onto a single plate. From 1911 in Paris, the Gaumont Palace welcomes 3200 spectators.
The first movies are short sequences. The projections are often accompanied by a musician or a singer. In 1907 Gaumont publishes a catalog of "phonoscènes" which are a kit including separately the film for the projection and the record disc for the phonograph. The first titles are songs from the music hall and the opera.
Gaumont attempts the synchronization of picture and sound both in recording and performing. His Chronomégaphone requires two operators connected by telephone to identify the time drifts between image and sound that are offset by a monitoring equipment named the chef d'orchestre.
One of these devices was purchased in 1912 by a young man who was planning to make a fortune in Mexico with his demonstrations of sound cinema.
After a promising start, the experience is interrupted. The low number of available sequences did not allow to maintain a permanent theater and the installation in a tour, which was tempted, was too difficult. The hardware, films, records and even the posters came back to France in 1913 in their four huge original Gaumont containers.
This Chronomégaphone is now surfacing like a time capsule. It is estimated € 1M for sale by Rouillac in the château d'Artigny near Tours on June 7, lot 35. Here is the link to the website of the auction house.
1930 Gary Cooper as The Texan by Norman Rockwell
2007 SOLD for $ 5.9M including premium by Sotheby's
1939 The Skin of the Cowardly Lion
2014 SOLD for $ 3.1M including premium
The Wizard of Oz, produced in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, remains the most popular fantasy film, and the Cowardly Lion is its most extravagant character.
This lion is a friend of Dorothy. He sings and dances while dreaming to find some courage and to become the king of the forest. The role was played by the burlesque actor Bert Lahr. He needed some toughness to play within this outfit because the skin is thick and heavy.
The costume was made from a real lion's hide. The realization was difficult because the technicians quickly appreciated that these animals are all different, excluding the possibility to use a spare habit. Two costumes of Cowardly Lion were made, but only one was used in the filming.
The screen used costume was acquired by a specialist who adorned it with a molded head of Bert Lahr's son. It was unsold in December 2011 at auction in Beverly Hills on an estimate of $ 2M.
It is now listed by Bonhams on November 24 in New York,lot 128.
A photo of Bert Lahr in the lion's skin is shared by Wikimedia:
This lion is a friend of Dorothy. He sings and dances while dreaming to find some courage and to become the king of the forest. The role was played by the burlesque actor Bert Lahr. He needed some toughness to play within this outfit because the skin is thick and heavy.
The costume was made from a real lion's hide. The realization was difficult because the technicians quickly appreciated that these animals are all different, excluding the possibility to use a spare habit. Two costumes of Cowardly Lion were made, but only one was used in the filming.
The screen used costume was acquired by a specialist who adorned it with a molded head of Bert Lahr's son. It was unsold in December 2011 at auction in Beverly Hills on an estimate of $ 2M.
It is now listed by Bonhams on November 24 in New York,lot 128.
A photo of Bert Lahr in the lion's skin is shared by Wikimedia:
1939 Dorothy in Technicolor
2015 SOLD for $ 1.56M including premium
A dress that was screen worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz was sold for $ 480K including premium by Julien's Auctions on November 10, 2012. It had been introduced by the auction house in a nice pre sale video.
This costume is now estimated $ 800K for sale by Bonhams in New York on November 23, lot 67.
In the mean time a prop from the same movie achieved a great auction result when a skin of the Cowardly Lion was sold for $ 3.1M including premium by Bonhams on November 24, 2014.
The discussion below is based on my 2012 post with an additional comment concerning color movies.
A dream world can not become obsolete because, since its inception, it is timeless. Released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz became the most watched film in the history of cinema.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl. Her blue dress with a tight pattern of small squares, consisting of a schoolgirl apron and a skirt, becomes the thread of the human emotions in a crazy world.
Its light blue color in strong contrast with the costumes of the other characters is intended to demonstrate the recent progress of the Technicolor process that had been criticized for its too saturated rendition of colors.
The dress for sale is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
Accessories used in The Wizard of Oz are much esteemed. At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a test dress of same model was sold for $ 1.1 million including premium.
A pair of ruby slippers worn during test sequences was sold for $ 610K including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011. The actual pair used by Judy-Dorothy, which had been discussed in this column in December 2011, was sold in a private sale in February 2012 by Profiles in History to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
This costume is now estimated $ 800K for sale by Bonhams in New York on November 23, lot 67.
In the mean time a prop from the same movie achieved a great auction result when a skin of the Cowardly Lion was sold for $ 3.1M including premium by Bonhams on November 24, 2014.
The discussion below is based on my 2012 post with an additional comment concerning color movies.
A dream world can not become obsolete because, since its inception, it is timeless. Released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz became the most watched film in the history of cinema.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl. Her blue dress with a tight pattern of small squares, consisting of a schoolgirl apron and a skirt, becomes the thread of the human emotions in a crazy world.
Its light blue color in strong contrast with the costumes of the other characters is intended to demonstrate the recent progress of the Technicolor process that had been criticized for its too saturated rendition of colors.
The dress for sale is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
Accessories used in The Wizard of Oz are much esteemed. At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a test dress of same model was sold for $ 1.1 million including premium.
A pair of ruby slippers worn during test sequences was sold for $ 610K including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011. The actual pair used by Judy-Dorothy, which had been discussed in this column in December 2011, was sold in a private sale in February 2012 by Profiles in History to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
1941 The Lead Falcon
2013 SOLD 4.1 M$ including premium
In 1941 the Maltese Falcon, produced by Warner Bros. and directed by John Huston, is a milestone in the history of cinema. The public will abandon the horror movies in favor of the film noir displaying a complex detective story.
This evil bird that is succeeding the terrible monsters seldom appears in the film. It is an object of intense desire until it is discovered and provides the evidence that it was not made of precious materials.
The detailed on-screen inspection of the handling of this statuette 30cm high shows that it is very heavy. The version made in lead weighing 20.5 kg is authenticated in two units by Warner.
Only one of them was used in the film. It is for sale by Bonhams in New York on November 25. Here is the link to the catalog.
During filming, this heavy prop had fallen from the hands of an actress on the toes of Humphrey Bogart and a lead feather from the tail was bent by the accident. This damage is visible during an action on screen and ensures that the copy for sale by Bonhams is the actual bird of the film.
Yesterday November 7 at Guernsey's, a Maltese Falcon in gray plaster of same size remained unsold from an estimate of $ 1M. It is signed with the initials of the artist : Fred Sexton.
POST SALE COMMENT
This statuette is a true icon in the history of cinema. It was sold for $ 3.5 million before fees, 4.1 million including premium.
This evil bird that is succeeding the terrible monsters seldom appears in the film. It is an object of intense desire until it is discovered and provides the evidence that it was not made of precious materials.
The detailed on-screen inspection of the handling of this statuette 30cm high shows that it is very heavy. The version made in lead weighing 20.5 kg is authenticated in two units by Warner.
Only one of them was used in the film. It is for sale by Bonhams in New York on November 25. Here is the link to the catalog.
During filming, this heavy prop had fallen from the hands of an actress on the toes of Humphrey Bogart and a lead feather from the tail was bent by the accident. This damage is visible during an action on screen and ensures that the copy for sale by Bonhams is the actual bird of the film.
Yesterday November 7 at Guernsey's, a Maltese Falcon in gray plaster of same size remained unsold from an estimate of $ 1M. It is signed with the initials of the artist : Fred Sexton.
POST SALE COMMENT
This statuette is a true icon in the history of cinema. It was sold for $ 3.5 million before fees, 4.1 million including premium.
(1927)-1942 The Moroccan Piano of Casablanca
2014 SOLD for $ 3.4M including premium
Casablanca, produced by Warner Bros in 1942, is one of the most outstanding and beloved movies of romantic action, offering the emotional meeting of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. A basic part of the scenario is played around the piano in the night club.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool is lot 83 in the sale of souvenirs of the American cinema organized on November 24 by Bonhams in New York with the participation of Turner Classic Movies.
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K including premium by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool is lot 83 in the sale of souvenirs of the American cinema organized on November 24 by Bonhams in New York with the participation of Turner Classic Movies.
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K including premium by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
1955 The Most Famous Pleated Dress
2011 SOLD 5.6 M$ including premium
It was the most successful seduction scene in motion picture history. In 1955, Marilyn Monroe plays the role of The Girl in the film by Billy Wilder, The Seven Year Itch. In a burst of laughter, she went to stand on a subway vent. The wind made the dress fly as superb scrolls that reveal her thighs.
This lovely ivory white gown was a technical achievement. It must be heavy enough to stay graceful while walking, and light enough to fly above the wind tunnel. The designer Travilla chose a rayon-based fabric. A photo of the famous scene illustrates the article shared by the Daily Mail.
In 1971, 20th Century Fox sells many of their movie props, due to financial difficulties. The actress Debbie Reynolds, who was the dance partner of Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, acquires prestigious pieces before they are auctioned.
She now splits her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History in Beverly Hills. The subway dress is included in the first sale, on June 18. It had never been submitted to a public sale, and it is very difficult to predict the price. The auction house announced a very open estimate that seems reasonable: between 1 and 2 million $.
POST SALE COMMENT
The sale was available live on the bidding provider site LiveAuctioneers. It was well attended by buyers, and the top lot reached a remarkable price: $ 4.6 million before fees.
It is a triumph in the category of movie props.
This lovely ivory white gown was a technical achievement. It must be heavy enough to stay graceful while walking, and light enough to fly above the wind tunnel. The designer Travilla chose a rayon-based fabric. A photo of the famous scene illustrates the article shared by the Daily Mail.
In 1971, 20th Century Fox sells many of their movie props, due to financial difficulties. The actress Debbie Reynolds, who was the dance partner of Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, acquires prestigious pieces before they are auctioned.
She now splits her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History in Beverly Hills. The subway dress is included in the first sale, on June 18. It had never been submitted to a public sale, and it is very difficult to predict the price. The auction house announced a very open estimate that seems reasonable: between 1 and 2 million $.
POST SALE COMMENT
The sale was available live on the bidding provider site LiveAuctioneers. It was well attended by buyers, and the top lot reached a remarkable price: $ 4.6 million before fees.
It is a triumph in the category of movie props.
1956 Robots from Outer Space
2017 SOLD for $ 5.4M including premium
The conquest of space is a poorly guarded secret : in 1954, appealed by early informations in the magazines, Hergé sends the Tintin team to walk on the Moon. In the following year the United States and the Soviet Union announce their competing programs a few days apart one another.
In 1956 the MGM prepares Forbidden Planet. The intelligent humanoid robot named Robby is the star of the movie, especially as the terrible evil monster named Id is invisible. In this Shakespearian drama whose scenario is apparently inspired by The Tempest, the robot dies atrociously : obliged to respond to Asimov's laws that forbids it to harm a human being, it breaks up because it cannot oppose Id which is actually a psychic emanation of the mad scientist.
In the following year Sputnik I is the first artificial satellite of the Earth. Less advanced than the nice Robby it only says "beep beep beep". Meanwhile the real Robby receives a huge popular success and it will then be reused in many science fiction movies.
Robby is a complex machine for its time : talking, walking, reaching out and flashing with all its lights. It is activated incognito by a small man hidden inside. The rubber hands and the dome have not survived the test of time and were changed in the early 1980s by a careful collector. Accompanied by its Jeep, remote control console and some spare equipment, it will be sold in New York on November 21 by Bonhams in association with Turner Classic Movies, lot 1070.
Other robots aroused also later the fervor of the public. R2-D2, shaped like a more modern 1 m high electronic equipment mounted on small wheels, has been continuously modified from 1977 for the needs of the Star Wars series. It was sold for $ 2.75M by Profiles in History on June 28, 2017.
In 1956 the MGM prepares Forbidden Planet. The intelligent humanoid robot named Robby is the star of the movie, especially as the terrible evil monster named Id is invisible. In this Shakespearian drama whose scenario is apparently inspired by The Tempest, the robot dies atrociously : obliged to respond to Asimov's laws that forbids it to harm a human being, it breaks up because it cannot oppose Id which is actually a psychic emanation of the mad scientist.
In the following year Sputnik I is the first artificial satellite of the Earth. Less advanced than the nice Robby it only says "beep beep beep". Meanwhile the real Robby receives a huge popular success and it will then be reused in many science fiction movies.
Robby is a complex machine for its time : talking, walking, reaching out and flashing with all its lights. It is activated incognito by a small man hidden inside. The rubber hands and the dome have not survived the test of time and were changed in the early 1980s by a careful collector. Accompanied by its Jeep, remote control console and some spare equipment, it will be sold in New York on November 21 by Bonhams in association with Turner Classic Movies, lot 1070.
Other robots aroused also later the fervor of the public. R2-D2, shaped like a more modern 1 m high electronic equipment mounted on small wheels, has been continuously modified from 1977 for the needs of the Star Wars series. It was sold for $ 2.75M by Profiles in History on June 28, 2017.
1964 The Ascot Dress from My Fair Lady
2011 SOLD for $ 4.4M including premium by Profiles in History
narrated in 2020
Adapted directly from the musical of the same title, My Fair Lady, produced in 1964 by Warner Bros., is one of the greatest successes in cinema. Spectators loved the story of the young cockney woman, played with great charm by Audrey Hepburn, who would like to be taken for a duchess.
Cecil Beaton was commissioned with the sets and costumes for the film as he had done for the play. His work was rewarded with one of the six Tony Awards attributed in 1957 to the Broadway version and with one of the eight Oscars awarded to the film in 1965.
Horse racing is a pretext for the ladies to exhibit the most showy clothing. The great scene of the film takes place during the Royal Ascot in 1910. In that crowd from which 400 women have been individually costumed, Audrey's dress shall be the most beautiful.
Audrey wears for this action a very tight clear dress in silk, velvet and embroidery, with a few ornaments, a short train and a gigantic hat decorated with ostrich feathers. The scene in which this sumptuously dressed young woman instinctively resumes her cockney accent to encourage a horse is one of the most comical in the history of cinema.
This Ascot dress belonged to Debbie Reynolds. It was sold for $ 4.4M including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. In the same auction, the 'subway' dress of Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch was sold for $ 5.5M including premium.
Cecil Beaton was commissioned with the sets and costumes for the film as he had done for the play. His work was rewarded with one of the six Tony Awards attributed in 1957 to the Broadway version and with one of the eight Oscars awarded to the film in 1965.
Horse racing is a pretext for the ladies to exhibit the most showy clothing. The great scene of the film takes place during the Royal Ascot in 1910. In that crowd from which 400 women have been individually costumed, Audrey's dress shall be the most beautiful.
Audrey wears for this action a very tight clear dress in silk, velvet and embroidery, with a few ornaments, a short train and a gigantic hat decorated with ostrich feathers. The scene in which this sumptuously dressed young woman instinctively resumes her cockney accent to encourage a horse is one of the most comical in the history of cinema.
This Ascot dress belonged to Debbie Reynolds. It was sold for $ 4.4M including premium by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. In the same auction, the 'subway' dress of Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch was sold for $ 5.5M including premium.
(1972)-1979 In the Jungle with Brando
2019 SOLD for $ 1.95M including premium
Rolex launches in 1955 its GMT-Master range of products for the use of airplane pilots and frequent travelers. An adjustable bezel makes it possible to simultaneously read the time in two different time slots.
Rolex watches are loved by adventurers of all kinds who recognize their robustness. Marlon Brando wears a Rolex in several films : a Moonphase in The Fugitive Kind, a Datejust in Last Tango in Paris.
The actor had owned two GMT-Masters reference 1675. In 1976 he is working on the set of Apocalypse Now, which will be released in 1979. He refuses to leave his second GMT which thus will be visible on the screen. Brando was too indispensable for his demands to be denied, and moreover the director was more preoccupied with hiding the obesity of the actor.
His argument about the watch is known : If spectators are looking at my watch, it means that I am not doing properly my acting job. He nevertheless agrees to remove the bezel that is useless for his character of the crazy colonel spreading the terror in the depths of the jungle.
After Apocalypse Now, this GMT-Master is strictly kept by the family. Brando presents it in 1995 to his adoptive daughter Petra as a reward for a graduation. It has just resurfaced and will be sold by Phillips in New York on December 10, lot 30. This stainless steel watch made in 1972 is in its original state excepted the bracelet, the name of the actor clumsily incised by himself on the back case, and of course the absence of the bezel.
Rolex watches are loved by adventurers of all kinds who recognize their robustness. Marlon Brando wears a Rolex in several films : a Moonphase in The Fugitive Kind, a Datejust in Last Tango in Paris.
The actor had owned two GMT-Masters reference 1675. In 1976 he is working on the set of Apocalypse Now, which will be released in 1979. He refuses to leave his second GMT which thus will be visible on the screen. Brando was too indispensable for his demands to be denied, and moreover the director was more preoccupied with hiding the obesity of the actor.
His argument about the watch is known : If spectators are looking at my watch, it means that I am not doing properly my acting job. He nevertheless agrees to remove the bezel that is useless for his character of the crazy colonel spreading the terror in the depths of the jungle.
After Apocalypse Now, this GMT-Master is strictly kept by the family. Brando presents it in 1995 to his adoptive daughter Petra as a reward for a graduation. It has just resurfaced and will be sold by Phillips in New York on December 10, lot 30. This stainless steel watch made in 1972 is in its original state excepted the bracelet, the name of the actor clumsily incised by himself on the back case, and of course the absence of the bezel.
1977-2002 R2-D2 from Star Wars
2017 SOLD for $ 2.76M including premium by Profiles In History
narrated in 2020
Although it doesn't look like an android, the R2-D2 robot is one of the most popular characters in modern cinema. This 1.09 m high ovoid emits whistles which express its emotions. It has participated in Star Wars since the very first film in 1977. Unbeknownst to the spectators, it was operated from the inside by the dwarf actor Kenny Baker.
Remind that in the chronology of the stories, the second trilogy takes place before the first. The chronology of the releases corresponds to the episodes IV, V, VI, I, II, III then VII and beyond.
The robots were maintained throughout the films, in particular to change the obsolete components. On June 28, 2017, a composite example combining the structuring elements with an excellent level of authenticity was sold for $ 2.76M including premium by Profiles in History over a lower estimate of $ 1M, lot 1298 linked here on the bidding platform Invaluable.
The most important element is from the very first film, episode IV, in 1977 and was used in the following three films : it is the aluminum dome designed for the use of Kenny Baker. The other elements of the three feet and of the body are authentic from the first five films, although the right foot prepared for the episode I has not been screen used.
This assembly, which does not include any functional element, could not have been done before the completion of the fifth film, episode II, in 2002.
Remind that in the chronology of the stories, the second trilogy takes place before the first. The chronology of the releases corresponds to the episodes IV, V, VI, I, II, III then VII and beyond.
The robots were maintained throughout the films, in particular to change the obsolete components. On June 28, 2017, a composite example combining the structuring elements with an excellent level of authenticity was sold for $ 2.76M including premium by Profiles in History over a lower estimate of $ 1M, lot 1298 linked here on the bidding platform Invaluable.
The most important element is from the very first film, episode IV, in 1977 and was used in the following three films : it is the aluminum dome designed for the use of Kenny Baker. The other elements of the three feet and of the body are authentic from the first five films, although the right foot prepared for the episode I has not been screen used.
This assembly, which does not include any functional element, could not have been done before the completion of the fifth film, episode II, in 2002.
