Screen and Stage Worn
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See also : Movies Textiles Rolex
Chronology : 1939
See also : Movies Textiles Rolex
Chronology : 1939
1939 The Wizard of Oz
1
Dorothy's Ruby Slippers, the Traveling Shoes
2024 SOLD for $ 32.5M by Heritage
A dream world can not become obsolete because, since its inception, it is timeless. Released in August 1939, The Wizard of Oz, film adaptation of a children's book, is the most watched film in the history of cinema. The project had been conceived by the Metro Goldwyn Mayer to compete with Disney's growing success.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl.
The ruby slippers have a major role in this story. They are in possession of the teenager Dorothy, but a wicked witch tries to recover them because of their magical power. They are somehow symbolizing home, innocence and childhood. It has been said that the MGM management had refused silver shoes because that color did not demonstrate the Technicolor.
The Ruby Slippers were conceived by the chief custom designer of the MGM. They were assembled over white silk commercial pumps with red silk heels while uppers and heels are covered with hand-sequined silk georgette, lined in white leather, and the leather soles are painted red with orange felt.
Four pairs of screen worn slippers survive. One of them passed at Profiles in History on December 16, 2011 and was brokered in a private sale in February 2012 by that auction house to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Another pair was supposedly used for close up shots where Dorothy was tapping her heels together. It is burgundy colored because ruby red could not be properly caught by the Technicolor. The pair was exhibited in the 1980s and 1990s by Michael Shaw in his Shaw's Hollywood Tour and was nicknamed the Traveling Shoes.
The slippers were stolen in 2005 during a ceremony from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The thief was caught in 2023. He said that he had stolen the shoes only because he thought the sequins were genuine rubies. Unable to sell the slippers on the black market, he ditched them. They had resurfaced in 2018.
That pair was returned to its rightful owner Michael Shaw in 2024 by the FBI supported by Heritage Auctions. Please watch the video shared by Heritage to narrate that restitution. Still in a beautiful condition, the 'traveling shoes' were sold for $ 32.5M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Heritage on December 7, 2024, lot 89182.
One of these pairs of slippers is a highly popular attraction at the Smithsonian. It is mismatched with the pair stolen in 2005. Taken together, the two pairs are the predominant ruby slippers worn in the film.
Another one was sold for $ 670K by Christie's on May 24, 2000, lot 148.
At the first sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a pair of slippers used for test shots was sold for $ 610K, lot 111 here linked to the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. This one is identified as the Arabian pair.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl.
The ruby slippers have a major role in this story. They are in possession of the teenager Dorothy, but a wicked witch tries to recover them because of their magical power. They are somehow symbolizing home, innocence and childhood. It has been said that the MGM management had refused silver shoes because that color did not demonstrate the Technicolor.
The Ruby Slippers were conceived by the chief custom designer of the MGM. They were assembled over white silk commercial pumps with red silk heels while uppers and heels are covered with hand-sequined silk georgette, lined in white leather, and the leather soles are painted red with orange felt.
Four pairs of screen worn slippers survive. One of them passed at Profiles in History on December 16, 2011 and was brokered in a private sale in February 2012 by that auction house to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Another pair was supposedly used for close up shots where Dorothy was tapping her heels together. It is burgundy colored because ruby red could not be properly caught by the Technicolor. The pair was exhibited in the 1980s and 1990s by Michael Shaw in his Shaw's Hollywood Tour and was nicknamed the Traveling Shoes.
The slippers were stolen in 2005 during a ceremony from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The thief was caught in 2023. He said that he had stolen the shoes only because he thought the sequins were genuine rubies. Unable to sell the slippers on the black market, he ditched them. They had resurfaced in 2018.
That pair was returned to its rightful owner Michael Shaw in 2024 by the FBI supported by Heritage Auctions. Please watch the video shared by Heritage to narrate that restitution. Still in a beautiful condition, the 'traveling shoes' were sold for $ 32.5M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Heritage on December 7, 2024, lot 89182.
One of these pairs of slippers is a highly popular attraction at the Smithsonian. It is mismatched with the pair stolen in 2005. Taken together, the two pairs are the predominant ruby slippers worn in the film.
Another one was sold for $ 670K by Christie's on May 24, 2000, lot 148.
At the first sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a pair of slippers used for test shots was sold for $ 610K, lot 111 here linked to the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. This one is identified as the Arabian pair.
2
The Skin of the Cowardly Lion
2014 SOLD for $ 3.1M by Bonhams
The Cowardly Lion is its most extravagant character of the Wizard of Oz.
This animal 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 sold for $ 3.1M by Bonhams on November 24, 2014, lot 128.
A photo of Bert Lahr in the lion's skin is shared by Wikimedia:
This animal 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 sold for $ 3.1M by Bonhams on November 24, 2014, lot 128.
A photo of Bert Lahr in the lion's skin is shared by Wikimedia:
3
The Hat of the Wicked Witch of the West
2024 SOLD for $ 2.93M by Heritage
A hat of the Wicked Witch of the West screen worn by Margaret Hamilton was sold by Heritage on December 7, 2024 for $ 2.93M, lot 89183, the next lot from the pair of 'traveling shoes' that sold for $ 32.5M.
It is made of black wool bunting fabric with a wide brim and an interior supporting metal hoop. It measures 50 cm in diameter with a 35 cm high cone-shaped crown. A black tulle veil is trailing behind in the wind.
In the 1980s and 1990s the hat was accompanying these shoes in Shaw's Hollywood Tour. It is considered by the auction house as the finest in existence. It is currently assembled with a silicone head in the fantastic likeness of the actress.
It is made of black wool bunting fabric with a wide brim and an interior supporting metal hoop. It measures 50 cm in diameter with a 35 cm high cone-shaped crown. A black tulle veil is trailing behind in the wind.
In the 1980s and 1990s the hat was accompanying these shoes in Shaw's Hollywood Tour. It is considered by the auction house as the finest in existence. It is currently assembled with a silicone head in the fantastic likeness of the actress.
4
Dorothy's Dress
2015 SOLD for $ 1.56M by Bonhams
Dorothy's 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.
A dress that was screen worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy was sold for $ 490K by Julien's on November 10, 2012, lot 641. Please watch the video. shared by the auction house. The same piece, identified by a label in seam reading Judy Garland / 4461, was sold for $ 1.56M by Bonhams on November 23, 2015, lot 67. It is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a Dorothy's test dress of the same model as above was sold for $ 1.1M, lot 110 here linked from the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. A handwritten label on the pinafore reads Judy Garland 3955. It was worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in the first two weeks of filming in The Wizard of Oz.
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.
A dress that was screen worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy was sold for $ 490K by Julien's on November 10, 2012, lot 641. Please watch the video. shared by the auction house. The same piece, identified by a label in seam reading Judy Garland / 4461, was sold for $ 1.56M by Bonhams on November 23, 2015, lot 67. It is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a Dorothy's test dress of the same model as above was sold for $ 1.1M, lot 110 here linked from the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. A handwritten label on the pinafore reads Judy Garland 3955. It was worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in the first two weeks of filming in The Wizard of Oz.
1953 Marilyn Monroe's Costume in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
2011 SOLD for $ 1.44M by Profiles in History
The war was over and pin-up girls went to be showgirls again. On Broadway, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, inspired by a comedy novel from the roaring twenties, is a great success. The musical is transposed to the cinema in 1953 without change of title but with new stars and some new songs.
The film features two women, the tall brunette and the petite blonde, who seek the ideal man together with opposing strategies. The blonde dreams of diamonds. The roles are played by 31-year-old Jane Russell, whose beauty and daring are already legendary, and by Marilyn Monroe, 27, who has her first big hit here. The costumes are made by Travilla.
Two Little Girls from Little Rock is a song adapted from the musical for being sung and danced by the two girls together. They wear gowns in red silk crepe with sequins and extravagant feathered hats. To avoid the prudish censorship of that time, the bust does not open on a nudity but on a flesh-colored underwear.
From the Debbie Reynolds collection, Marilyn's complete costume, dress with hat, was sold for $ 1.44M by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 282 here linked on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform .
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend also came from the musical but it is its performance by Marilyn that will make it a popular phrase. A prototype of the pink satin dress with which Marilyn will excite all men was sold for $ 356K on June 11, 2010, also by Profiles in History. This two-piece gown could not be used because the top and skirt separated when the actress raised her arms.
The film features two women, the tall brunette and the petite blonde, who seek the ideal man together with opposing strategies. The blonde dreams of diamonds. The roles are played by 31-year-old Jane Russell, whose beauty and daring are already legendary, and by Marilyn Monroe, 27, who has her first big hit here. The costumes are made by Travilla.
Two Little Girls from Little Rock is a song adapted from the musical for being sung and danced by the two girls together. They wear gowns in red silk crepe with sequins and extravagant feathered hats. To avoid the prudish censorship of that time, the bust does not open on a nudity but on a flesh-colored underwear.
From the Debbie Reynolds collection, Marilyn's complete costume, dress with hat, was sold for $ 1.44M by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 282 here linked on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform .
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend also came from the musical but it is its performance by Marilyn that will make it a popular phrase. A prototype of the pink satin dress with which Marilyn will excite all men was sold for $ 356K on June 11, 2010, also by Profiles in History. This two-piece gown could not be used because the top and skirt separated when the actress raised her arms.
1955 Marilyn Monroe's Subway Dress
2011 SOLD for $ 5.6M by Profiles in History
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 split her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History. The subway dress was sold for $ 5.6M from a lower estimate of $ 1M on June 18, 2011.
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 split her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History. The subway dress was sold for $ 5.6M from a lower estimate of $ 1M on June 18, 2011.
1962 Marilyn Monroe's Dress for Happy Birthday Mr President
2016 SOLD for $ 4.8M by Julien's
The birthday of John Kennedy is grand style at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 19 May 1962. 15 000 friends of the President attend this private show which involves the stars of music hall : Jack Benny, Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Fonda, Maria Callas and of course Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn has carefully prepared her contribution. The details are a surprise to the President and to the viewers. She composed the short poem 'Happy birthday Mr President' which she sings at the podium in a voice altogether languid and breathless after removing her coat.
She had ordered for this event to Jean Louis a stunning dress such as "only Marilyn Monroe could wear it". The effect of her performance is high among that well-wishing attendance. Jackie Kennedy is upset.
Jean Louis (Jean-Louis Berthault) is working for Hollywood studios since 1943. His designs have pushed Rita Hayworth to the rank of the sex symbol of the postwar period. He had already worked with Marilyn in 1961 for The Misfits.
Marilyn turns 36 less than two weeks later. Her professional career is at a point of no return. She is contractually linked with Fox whose projects do not bring any more pleasure to her. She feels that her body that made her fame will begin to get softened. She dreams of becoming a great tragic comedian.
The gown by Jean Louis is the culmination of the flamboyant youth of Marilyn and her apotheosis. Its color is perfectly consistent with her skin's. The garment with an open back is so tight that the zipper does not work completely and the last stitch is sewn on the actress. Under the stage lights the hundreds of crystals well distributed on the fabric sparkle to hide her nakedness while reinforcing the illusion of it.
On late June the Last Sitting is made. Photographed for Vogue magazine, Marilyn displays her still young body that Jean Louis's gown had masked. The root cause of her death on 5 August 1962 is not known.
The dress made by Jean Louis for Happy Birthday was sold for $ 4.8M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Julien's on November 17, 2016, lot 84. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Marilyn has carefully prepared her contribution. The details are a surprise to the President and to the viewers. She composed the short poem 'Happy birthday Mr President' which she sings at the podium in a voice altogether languid and breathless after removing her coat.
She had ordered for this event to Jean Louis a stunning dress such as "only Marilyn Monroe could wear it". The effect of her performance is high among that well-wishing attendance. Jackie Kennedy is upset.
Jean Louis (Jean-Louis Berthault) is working for Hollywood studios since 1943. His designs have pushed Rita Hayworth to the rank of the sex symbol of the postwar period. He had already worked with Marilyn in 1961 for The Misfits.
Marilyn turns 36 less than two weeks later. Her professional career is at a point of no return. She is contractually linked with Fox whose projects do not bring any more pleasure to her. She feels that her body that made her fame will begin to get softened. She dreams of becoming a great tragic comedian.
The gown by Jean Louis is the culmination of the flamboyant youth of Marilyn and her apotheosis. Its color is perfectly consistent with her skin's. The garment with an open back is so tight that the zipper does not work completely and the last stitch is sewn on the actress. Under the stage lights the hundreds of crystals well distributed on the fabric sparkle to hide her nakedness while reinforcing the illusion of it.
On late June the Last Sitting is made. Photographed for Vogue magazine, Marilyn displays her still young body that Jean Louis's gown had masked. The root cause of her death on 5 August 1962 is not known.
The dress made by Jean Louis for Happy Birthday was sold for $ 4.8M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Julien's on November 17, 2016, lot 84. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
1964 The Ascot Dress of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady
2011 SOLD for $ 4.4M by Profiles in History
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 by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform.
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 by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform.
(1972)-1979 Rolex ex Brando in Apocalypse Now
2023 SOLD for CHF 4.6M by Christie's
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 before being sold for $ 1.95M by Phillips on December 10, 2019, lot 30. It was sold for CHF 4.6M by Christie's on November 6, 2023, lot 2052.
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 before being sold for $ 1.95M by Phillips on December 10, 2019, lot 30. It was sold for CHF 4.6M by Christie's on November 6, 2023, lot 2052.
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.
1983 Michael Jackson's Jacket in Thriller
2011 SOLD for $ 1.8M by Julien's
Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth album released in 1982, was a phenomenal success. The video clip of the same name made in 1983 has contributed significantly to this achievement.
This little 14-minute film is a pastiche of horror movies. Michael, omnipresent, cunningly shows the complexity of his personality: sweet charmer of girls, abominable werewolf, first dancer in a gang of zombies.
A thread follows him in all these roles: his red jacket with black stripes. He often reused this model in concert. He liked this jacket that was flexible enough for not impeding the movements of the most frantic dance.
One of the two originals of this iconic garment was sold for $ 1.8M from a lower estimate of $ 200K by Julien's on 25 and 26 June 2011. This lot is shown on the release shared by AuctionPublicity. The jacket is estimated $ 200K. A portion of the proceeds were paid to the Shambala Preserve. This charity for abandoned big cats is housing since 2006 the two tigers of the artist, Thriller and Sabu.
This little 14-minute film is a pastiche of horror movies. Michael, omnipresent, cunningly shows the complexity of his personality: sweet charmer of girls, abominable werewolf, first dancer in a gang of zombies.
A thread follows him in all these roles: his red jacket with black stripes. He often reused this model in concert. He liked this jacket that was flexible enough for not impeding the movements of the most frantic dance.
One of the two originals of this iconic garment was sold for $ 1.8M from a lower estimate of $ 200K by Julien's on 25 and 26 June 2011. This lot is shown on the release shared by AuctionPublicity. The jacket is estimated $ 200K. A portion of the proceeds were paid to the Shambala Preserve. This charity for abandoned big cats is housing since 2006 the two tigers of the artist, Thriller and Sabu.
