In case you hadn't heard, Debbie Reynolds is giving up her dream of creating a movie memorabilia museum with the warehouses full of movie treasures she has acquired over the years. Debbie, a true child of Hollywood, is a gal who never bit the hand that fed her. Her love of Hollywood and its history inspired her to amass an impressive collection over the decades. How ironic that film, which lasts forever, is supported by an industry that treats its tangible history as temporary and disposable.
Debbie, who started her collection while in her 30s (she's a fantastic-looking 79), had hoped that her efforts to preserve all of this wonderful history would result in a museum that could showcase her collection. Originally, the museum was to be located in Las Vegas. When that plan fell through, it was hoped that a museum could be opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. However, the planned museum filed for bankruptcy and the collection remained without a permanent home.
Garbo, Valentino, Pickford (in addition to her costumes, a lock of her hair and many personal items), Fairbanks, Grant, Taylor, Kelly (both Grace and Gene), Flynn, Gable... almost every major star is somehow represented in this collection. Elizabeth Taylor's "Cleopatra" impossible ornate headpiece, Joan Crawford's "Mildred Pierce" waitress uniform, Clark Gable's personal robe worn between takes on "Gone With the Wind"....a movie lover's dream.
I went through the voluminous catalog and confined myself to a dozen "must haves":
Charlie Chaplin's Bowler Hat
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| suggested bid: $20,000 - $30,000 |
Rudolph Valentino's "Suit of Lights' costume, designed by Travis Banton, from "Blood and Sand"
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| suggested bid: $60,000 - $80,000 |
Garbo's green velvet dress, designed by Adrian, from "Anna Karenina"
Judy Garland's Ruby Slippers from "The Wizard of Oz." Every girl needs at least one pair.
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| suggested bid: $12,000 - $15,000 |
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| suggested bid: $12,000 - $15,000 |
Vivien Leigh's 2-piece suit from "Waterloo Bridge" (just to see if we're the same size)
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| suggested bid: $3,000 - $4,000 |
Ingrid Bergman's dress from "Gaslight"
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| suggested bid: $8,000 - $12,000 |
Claudette Colbert's gold lame gown from "Cleopatra." I need this.
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| suggested bid: $20,000 - $30,000 |
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| $6,000 - $8,000 |
Leslie Caron's blue fountain top dress from "An American in Paris" (for casual Fridays)
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| suggested bid: $3,000 - $5,000 |
Audrey Hepburn's exquisite Cecil Beaton gown from "My Fair Lady"
Merle Oberon's Empress Josephine gown from "Desiree"
Marilyn Monroe's red dress from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
Marilyn Monroe's famous white dress from "The Seven Year Itch"
To learn more about the auction (and download a free copy of the catalog) that takes place on June 18, 2011 click here.
HAPPY BIDDING!
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| suggested bid: $200,000 - $300,000 |
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| suggested bid: $20,000 - $30,000 |
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| suggested bid: $200,000 - $300,000 |
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| suggested bid: $1 million - $2 million Debbie paid $200 for this |
Okay, okay - there are 13. I had to include those Ruby Slippers. They'd look so nice with the Marilyn Monroe red dress, don't you think? Now, if I could just scrape up the $1,564,000 - $2,829,000.
There are hundreds of unbelievable items too numerous to mention: Laurel and Hardy's suits (one large, one small), cars, cameras, lobby cards of incredible value, props, furniture and even Ingrid Bergman's suit of armor from "St. Joan." What is so evident is the quality of every detail of these items (secondary players often had wildly sumptous and ornate costumes that rivaled and even surpassed those of the stars) and what is so tragic is the utter disregard MGM and other studios had for them.
Debbie Reynolds did her very best to honor and preserve the history of the industry she loves. We can only hope that most of these items don't end up hidden away in private collections, but somehow find their way to an appropriate venue for movie-lovers to enjoy and to discover. However, if somehow some benefactor thinks of me and I get the Valentino Suit of Lights, I'm keeping it close by at all times.
To learn more about the auction (and download a free copy of the catalog) that takes place on June 18, 2011 click here.
HAPPY BIDDING!
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