Julien’s Auctions: Hollywood Royalty
Audrey Hepburn's ‘Holly Golightly’ Givenchy couture pink evening dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961). Images courtesy Julien’s Auctions.
In Conversation with Julien’s Auctions Specialists
Jason DeBord, Chief Operating Officer
Michael Amato, Fashion Specialist
Gracie Williams, Hollywood Specialist
Jeremy Kinser, Hollywood Specialist
Film Review previously spoke with Julien’s Auctions in April about their partnership with Turner Classic Movies (TCM). During the conversation, Julien’s Auctions Founder and Executive Director Martin J. Nolan shared more about the process of putting together the co-branded Hollywood focused sales, sharing, “It takes a year to assemble them. We partner with Turner Classic Movies, which is a great partnership, sort of a dynamic duo and a natural fit.”
The top results of April’s Hollywood: Classic and Contemporary auction included John Travolta’s screen and photo-matched suit from Saturday Night Fever ($260,000), a screen-matched ‘vampire mirror’ cigarette box from the Universal classic Dracula ($130,000), Michael Gambon’s ‘Albus Dumbledore’ Elder Wand from Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix ($130,000), Robert Downey Jr.’s ‘Tony Stark’ Mark XLVI Helmet Prop from Captain America: Civil War ($127,000), Warren Beatty’s trench coat and hat from Dick Tracy ($91,000), and Theda Bara’s photo-matched coronation headdress from the partially lost 1917 film Cleopatra ($58,500).
Now, for their fourth collaboration, Julien’s Auctions and TCM present Legends: Hollywood and Royalty on 6-8 September, celebrating 100 years of TCM’s parent company Warner Bros. and the screen’s greatest legends. In advance of the sale, Film Review chats with specialists from the Julien’s team about some of the highlights and treasures featured in Legends: Hollywood and Royalty.
Film Review (FR): This auction is largely organised by genre, beginning with Sci Fi and Horror on Day 1. With nearly 1,400 lots, how does Julien’s decide the format of a TCM auction?
Jason DeBord (Chief Operating Officer, Julien’s Auctions): We typically organise sales chronologically and by genre. Our current sale leads out with two days of contemporary property with a mix of classic Hollywood, the remarkable Princess Diana dresses, Audrey Hepburn’s pink dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the collection from the family of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and the treasures from the life and career of Dennis Hopper on the third day. We have a wide variety of participants in our Hollywood auctions, including collectors of all ages, important museums and institutions, as well as investors and investment groups, all with varying and targeted areas of interest. Therefore, we put efforts into curating the sale into groups of complimentary items as much as possible, while also striving to offer a little bit of something for every fan of popular culture.
(FR): Right off the bat, Lot 1 is a fantastic item from the world of classic sci-fi and special effects -- the flying saucer spaceship miniature from The Day the Earth Stood Still. That piece was last seen in a Profiles in History auction in 2003. What’s the provenance behind it and why is it an important item in the history of cameraman/cinematographer L.B. Abbott?
Special effects flying saucer spaceship miniature from The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Images courtesy Julien’s Auctions.
Jason DeBord: We are very excited to be offering this amazing special effects flying saucer spaceship ‘miniature’ (at 82 inches long!), created by L.B. ‘Bill’ Abbott for Robert Wise’s classic Cold War-era science fiction film, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Very little exists from 1950’s sci-fi and certainly not much of this size was preserved over the past 60 or 70 years. The 1/24 scale model was conceived by art directors Lyle Wheeler and Addison Hehr and created by L.B. Abbott, Ray Kellogg and Emil Kosa. L.B. Abbott went on to win several Academy Awards for his subsequent work in special effects. Award-winning miniature and visual effects master Greg Jein rescued the model from the 20th Century Fox lot when sold by the studio. Prior to the original sale in 2003, it was on display at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando Florida by the American Film Institute.
(FR): Now that entertainment memorabilia has elevated in value over the last decade or so, it seems like the catalogues of previous entertainment auctions have become a vital resource in understanding the provenance and transfer of these pieces, with some catalogues becoming items of value in their own right.
Jason DeBord: Yes, this is true – there has been a large number of pop culture artefacts that have been sold at public auction, particularly in the past two decades, and it is a very important tool to have the ability to go back through the chain of ownership to determine past history and provenance as well as memorialise the details of the property as known when re-offered to the public.
(FR): One section of particular interest is Classic Hollywood on Day 3. Many items related to former Film Review contributors are represented, beginning with several Audrey Hepburn pieces, including a Givenchy evening dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and a straw wide brim hat with tri-colour chiffon designed by Edith Head for Funny Face.
Michael Amato (Fashion Specialist, Julien’s Auctions): Audrey became a fan of Givenchy while he was working at Elsa Schiaparelli. When she was set to star in Sabrina, Audrey was advised by director Billy Wilder to get a Parisian wardrobe to emphasise the character’s growth and confidence while abroad. Holly Golightly’s Givenchy couture dress [from Breakfast at Tiffany’s] is a high-value piece of cinema and fashion history estimated at $200,000-$300,000. Fashion historian Henry J. Wilkinson speaks on the specific design of this couture piece and how Audrey and Givenchy’s work in fashion and cinema has become legendary.
The kismet relationship between designer Hubert de Givenchy and icon Audrey Hepburn was a creative union synonymous with glamour, elegance, simplicity, and timeless style. Audrey became a fan of Givenchy before he became a fan and friend of hers, the reason being, her starring role in the film Roman Holiday had yet to be released and the 24-year-old was still relatively unknown. Audrey made an appointment to visit Givenchy’s atelier while in Paris to purchase pieces for her role in Sabrina. The three looks she pulled became a sensation that led Givenchy to design the majority of Audrey’s wardrobes in her films.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s was a film that defined Audrey’s timeless style and the refined elegance that was Givenchy’s signature. The pink dress showcases architectural construction with a fitted princess-seamed bodice and a gathered skirt that is as buoyant as Audrey’s charming smile. The facet foil back crystals, the guipure fan tassels, and the vibrant pink add up to a defining moment in fashion where women were feminine, sleek, distinct, and articulate in how they dressed.
[In the film,] Audrey wears this flamingo pink dress upon returning from an evening with José, soon to find out her brother Fred is dead, sending her into a traumatic physical fit of grief. The bright colour and embellished design were a contrast to her character’s previous outfits of understated elegance.
This design was a part of Givenchy’s 1960 fall show with well-known clientele Lee Radziwill and model Capucine wearing the embellished design in black. Audrey asked if the design could be made in pink specifically for the film and only two of these pink design confections were made. A rare design that showcases the artistry of French haute couture and the beautiful Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. Audrey’s Givenchy wardrobes, while they evolved in each film collaboration, have become a timeless reference to elegance and glamour in both film and fashion.
[For Funny Face], Edith didn’t design the designer looks Audrey wears in Paris, which were Givenchy. Being the head of Paramount’s costume department, Edith was automatically attached to the film, so she would approve and design pieces for the cast, as well as the leads. The fashion pieces prior to the cast going to Paris were by Edith and her department of designers. Edith was a fan of gather and pleating fabric, especially at the bodices of gowns. If you think of Grace Kelly, Head used subtle design elements of colour and texture to elevate the lead looks in films. The hat introduces Jo Stockton (played by Audrey Hepburn) to the world of fashion. With vibrant colours and light fabric, it is the perfect gateway piece to entice the bookworm into a glamourous model.
(FR): Speaking of Edith Head, there are a number of Edith Head costume design illustrations in the sale, representing designs for names such as Doris Day, Lucille Ball, Olivia de Havilland, Grace Kelly, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Edith Head costume design illustration of Grace Kelly as ‘Frances Stevens’ in Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief. Images courtesy Julien’s Auctions.
Michael Amato: Edith Head oversaw the entire Paramount costume department from 1938 to 1964. She would ask for a variation of sketches for costumes to present to the director, producers, and actors, which the artists would prepare for her. The designs that would ultimately be used in the film would be signed by Head, as well as the director, producer, and talent, which made the sketch a contract on what the department can—and would—deliver (as well a receipt for the cost to create the garment). Edith would be attached to 40 films a year at the studio. The artists employed had different techniques, which is why Head’s illustrations change over time. Assistant sketch artists who worked with Head are being recognized today for their work, like Grace Sprague, Pat Brato, Bob Mackie, and Adele Balkan. Balkan once said [in Deborah Nadoolman Landis’ Hollywood Sketchbook: A Century Of Costume Illustration], “I had no style of my own. When I was at Paramount I loved [Travis] Banton’s sketches, and I learned to sketch like that. When he left and I was with Edith, this was a completely different style.” Julien’s is able to analyse each artist’s style, as well as the costumes in the films, in order to accurately attribute the designs to Edith and the films she worked on.
(FR): What other actors of the Golden Age have screen-used costumes in the sale and are there any particularly interesting stories associated with them?
Gracie Williams (Hollywood Specialist, Julien’s Auctions): One stunning piece being offered is a gown designed by Helen Rose and worn by Grace Kelly as ‘Linda Nordley’ in John Ford’s adventure/drama, Mogambo (Lot 964). Despite Kelly’s cool, calm, & collected persona, the reality on set of the film was anything but. It all began when the cast was greeted upon arrival in Kenya by armed guards protecting them from the local Mau Mau tribe’s uprising. This became an ongoing issue when two of the crew members were revealed to be part of the tribe. It was rumoured that they wanted to assassinate the leading man, Clark Gable. Another big talking point on set (and for months after wrapping) was an alleged affair between stars Kelly and Gable, who was 28 years her senior. More serious tragedies included three members of the crew being killed in driving accidents, due to the heavy rain and poor conditions. Despite the challenges, and with the help of the star-studded cast, the film became a box office success and garnered Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Oscar nominations.
Jeremy Kinser (Hollywood Specialist, Julien’s Auctions): There’s also a black silk velvet 19th century-style gown worn by Vivien Leigh in the 1941 historical romance, That Hamilton Woman (Lot 918). The gown was designed by René Hubert, who also created memorable movie costumes for Gloria Swanson, Ingrid Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, and even Shirley Temple, but the costumes he designed for Vivien Leigh in this film are probably his greatest. His work is even more impressive when one learns that the film was a British production made in Hollywood on a very tight budget. World War II had just begun, so financing was scarce and there wasn’t money for elaborate costumes. Still, Hubert made Vivien’s gowns seem incredibly lavish. This exquisite gown in our sale is from the film’s most romantic scene—the only movie that Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier starred in while they were a married couple. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called it his favourite movie. He claimed to have watched it more than 80 times.
(FR): Judy Garland’s ‘Manuela’ wedding dress costume from The Pirate has seen drastic changes from use in subsequent productions, as well as age due to the nature of the fabric. It has the provenance of coming from the collection of Debbie Reynolds and also contains fabric labels pointing to Judy Garland and a production code of ‘MGM, 34963’. How important are production numbers and how does Julien’s evaluate and identify pieces that arrive in a much different state than when they were last seen on screen?
Judy Garland’s ‘Manuela’ wedding dress costume from The Pirate (1948). Images courtesy Julien’s Auctions.
Gracie Williams: When examining an item, production numbers are a crucial part of the identification process. In certain cases, the names of actors/actresses have worn out over time, making them difficult to read, but we also identify the film through the production number and match it to the actor/actress based on the appearance of the costume, and in some cases, via screen-matching and photo matching to publicity images. An example of our process within this auction would be identifying Grace Kelly’s gorgeous gown worn in John Ford’s adventure/drama, Mogambo, which came to us with moderate discoloration from wear, age, and storage. In a situation like this, the first thing we do is check for interior labels. Inside Grace’s dress, we identified a bias label typed ‘Grace Kelly P-777-2636.’ One of our specialists then researched and confirmed the production [code] with an expert who consults with us and has production bibles for all of the major studios. The cocktail dress was eventually matched to the dinner scene which takes place on the African base camp.
(FR): Beyond classic film, what are some of the other film-related auction highlights and are there pieces here that have come to sale for the first time or from a film that is unusual to see at auction?
Jason DeBord: These are two separate lots (Lot 232 & Lot 233), but it’s hard to talk about them separately. Han Solo’s DL-44 blaster prop, as seen used by Harrison Ford, and Chewbacca’s bowcaster prop, as seen used by Peter Mayhew and Joonas Suotamo in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens. Outside of lightsabers, there aren’t any props in the Star Wars universe more recognizable than these two props (and arguably they are more recognizable to the casual fan than any specific lightsaber, since the users’ hands cover the lightsaber hilt). This is the first film-used bowcaster ever offered at auction. We don’t like to use the word ‘rare’ around the offices at Julien’s because, frankly, it all is, but I can’t express enough how rare of an opportunity these props are to buy and own, especially as a pair.
Lot 326 is an original animatronic hand created by Carlo Rambaldi from the production of Oliver Stone’s early horror film, The Hand starring Michael Caine. A very cool piece for several reasons – 1) it’s a very early Oliver Stone in an unusual genre, 2) it’s very early 80s horror (and not much was saved), 3) it’s representative of incredible ingenuity and engineering by the industry-leading [special effects designer] Rambaldi at a time when CGI was not an option. This is one of several pieces that are a part of celebrating 100 years of Warner Bros. with TCM.
The original ‘Wonderboy’ oak baseball bat prop with wood-burned lettering and lightning bolt is from my favourite Robert Redford film, Barry Levinson’s The Natural (Lot 612). It’s such a cool piece and from a film made during a time when crew didn’t save and preserve as a matter of habit. This one is truly special, as the gentleman that brought it to us told the story of his dad working in the props department on the film. You can even see his hands on-screen with the bat as a stand-in on the burning scenes.
(FR): Among the curiosities in the sale is a 16mm reel of Steven Spielberg’s first film, for which Amblin Entertainment is named and an extraterrestrial costume from Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. There’s even a 1992 unpublished script for a proposed sequel to Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. How does Julien’s connect the right item with the right collector?
Jason DeBord: There’s a great deal of work that goes into making a movie and all of the items from the production are eagerly sought after by collectors, from assets reflecting the conceptual stages of development like artwork and scripts, to film-worn costumes and various types of props and set pieces, to items used in the promotion of the film, like posters and other marketing material. In our upcoming sale, we have examples from every aspect of the filmmaking process, as well as things used and owned in the lives of celebrities—from Marlon Brando’s 1970s U.S. Passport to a Polaroid of Dennis Hopper taken by Andy Warhol. We have very substantive relationships (as well as sometimes friendships) with both our consignors and buyers, as all involved love to celebrate pop culture. Working with consignors, we are actively seeking out rare artefacts to capture the imagination of the public, especially in revisiting films that were impactful in personal ways for our buyers. It is exciting for us to live vicariously through the joy that our auctions bring to those who make dreams a reality by acquiring important pop culture relics.
(FR): With this particular auction, is there one film-related item that stands out to you and why?
Jason DeBord: Direct from the Carlo Rambaldi family is an original Xenomorph creature head from Ridley Scott’s Alien (Lot 44). While it does not appear to have been filmed and featured on screen in the film, this particular example is even more interesting to me because we were able to photo-match slime and damage to photos of Rambaldi with this actual head during the production process, which is amazing. We actually had this available for the prior auction in April, but we decided due to its condition at the time, to have it completely restored, by the amazing artisans at Blok4, to appear as it would have been seen back in 1979. As well as take measures to ensure that it will stay in the present restored condition and last for future generations to appreciate. This incredibly important pop culture artefact was a key part in realising the look of this now-iconic creature, which had a massive impact on all sci-fi films that followed (in and out of its own franchise).
Production-used Xenomorph Head from Alien (1979), direct from the archives of special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi. Images courtesy Julien’s Auctions.
JULIEN’S AUCTIONS produces high profile auctions in the film, music, sports and art markets. Julien’s Auctions has received international recognition for its unique and innovative auction events, which attract thousands of collectors, investors, fans and enthusiasts from around the world. Julien’s Auctions specializes in sales of iconic artifacts and notable collections including Marilyn Monroe, Lady Gaga, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and many more.
In 2016, Julien’s Auctions received its second placement in the Guinness Book of World Records for the sale of the world’s most expensive dress ever sold at auction, The Marilyn Monroe “Happy Birthday Mr. President” dress which sold for $4.8 million. Julien’s Auctions achieved placement in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009 for the sale of Michael Jackson’s white glove, which sold for $480,000 making it the most expensive glove ever sold at auction and two years later, sold Michael Jackson’s jacket from “Thriller” for $1.8 million. Based in Los Angeles, Julien’s Auctions has a global presence bringing their auctions and exhibitions to targeted destinations worldwide including London, New York, Las Vegas, Japan and China. Live auctions are presented for bidders on-site and online via live streaming video and mobile technology. For more information on Julien’s Auctions, go to juliensauctions.com.
Learn more about Julien’s Auctions and register for Legends: Hollywood and Royalty at: julienslive.com.
CHAD KENNERK
