Even if you don’t plan on buying anything I highly encourage you to attend. Merely watching the items being fought over by the various bids as they fly in fast and furious is an exciting event to behold. And of course, it’s fun to see what your favorite item goes for, and wonder, “Only if”.
After last year’s huge success with “What Dreams Are Made Of: A Century of Movie Magic at Auction”, Bonhmas and TCM are teaming up once again for a movie memorabilia auction event to take place in November. Costumes from The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gilda (1946) are among the expected big-ticket items on the block for the “There's No Place Like Hollywood Auction”. And they’re saving room for any item you might want to place on consignment. So, dive into those basements and attics for a chance to take advantage of this rare opportunity to sell those favorite treasures you know someone else will really appreciate as much as you have.
“There's No Place Like Hollywood” will be a definitive auction of rare movie memorabilia set to take place Monday, November 24 in New York City. Among the many noteworthy items available for bid are a test dress and pinafore designed to be worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz (although the dress was never used). Also from Oz is an Adrian-designed test cape for the flying monkeys (can you imagine such a well dressed monkey?). There’s also a Jane Russell costume from Howard Hughes’ The Outlaw (I wonder if that comes with the foundational garment?). And then there’s a costume worn by Rita Hayworth while singing "Amado Mio" in Gilda - That’s not the black silk number, but the one that has the revealing midriff. Additionally, there are numerous other items, including some big surprises, currently being procured for the auction.
In the months leading up to the auction, movie fans will have the opportunity to see items up for bid. Bonhams will hold preview exhibitions prior to the auction at its locations in New York (Nov. 20-24) and Los Angeles (dates tbd). With TCM once again curating the auction, the many fascinating stories behind the memorabilia will be highlighted, providing the cultural and historical context for each remarkable treasure. Thus providing classic movie lovers the opportunity to get an up-close look at items they have previously only seen on the screen or in photos while shinning a spotlight on the tremendous preservation and restoration efforts made by The Film Foundation, an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history. And just as with the first event, TCM will use a portion of the proceeds to make a contribution to support The Film Foundation. Since the first auction included a Maltese Falcon statuette used in John Huston's classic film which set a new milestone for a movie prop by drawing a record-setting bid of over $4 million who knows what magnificent total that contribution may end up becoming.
If you’d like more information about the "There's No Place Like Hollywood" auction go to the official website at www.bonhams.com/tcm. And if you’re a movie memorabilia owner who would like to consign items you can contact Bonhams at entertainment.us@bonhams.com or (323) 436-5467. The consignment deadline for the auction is August 15. Good luck!