BOGART AND BACALL: BONHAMS SELLS OUTSTANDING COLLECTION OF HOLLYWOOD’S STAR COUPLE

An exceptional collection of film and music memorabilia goes under the hammer Bonhams Entertainment Memorabilia sale

 

Clothing and film scripts from a collection of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall memorabilia are amongst items relating to the icons of stage and screen in Bonhams’ Entertainment Memorabilia sale on 16th December.

 

Humphrey Bogart’s jacket, believed worn in the film ‘Action In The North Atlantic’ is estimated at £5000-7000. It bears a Warner Bros. Pictures label with the star’s name and is dated to late August 1942. Also included is Bogart’s script for ‘In A Lonely Place’ (Estimate £1500-2000), a film released in 1950. This is now recognised as a masterly example of film noir and Bogart’s performance as a writer accused of murder is widely regarded as amongst his best. Lauren Bacall’s script for ‘Bright Leaf’ is also part of this collection. It is dated Oct 28 1949 and contains some handwritten annotations. All of these items were gifts to the vendor’s father from Freddie Clarke, the Bogarts’ butler in their Hollywood home.

 

A British legend of both theatre and film, Laurence Olivier, is represented by a two piece costume worn in the landmark performance as Richard III, estimate £2,000 - £3,000. This is one of many outfits consigned for sale by London-based Angels, the world-famous film costumiers. Fans of Olivier’s wife, Vivien Leigh, will no doubt be interested in a collection containing more than fifty letters together with signed photographs of the couple and ‘Shakespeare In Stratford’ theatre programmes (Estimate £400-500).

 

Amongst lots relating to TV are several costumes from the classic British sci-fi series, ‘Dr. Who’. These include a Tetrap costume, which stands over six feet tall. This impressive outfit is from the 1987 story, ‘Time And The Rani’, and is thought to be one of just two surviving complete examples of this bat-like monster. Collectors will also have the rare opportunity to acquire a costume of one of The Doctor’s arch enemies, the Cybermen. This comprises a one-piece silver suit applied with tubing and was worn in the 1985 production, ‘Attack Of The Cybermen’.

 

The world of pop and rock memorabilia continues to be dominated by The Beatles. One of the more unusual items in the auction is a metal stud and piece of white-painted tarmac from the famous Abbey Road crossing. These were rescued from destruction in 1994 when this London landmark was resurfaced. (Estimate £800-1000).

 

A unique 1965 script for a proposed film starring The Beatles, ‘A Talent For Loving’, is included. Autographed by the group, manager Brian Epstein and writers Richard and Evelyn Condon, this is expected to fetch £3500-4500. Although dropped as a Beatles project the film was eventually released in 1969 as ‘Gun Crazy’, starring Richard Widmark.

A remarkable object from the formative years of group is being offered. This is a Grundig TK20 reel-to-reel tape recorder used by The Quarrymen circa 1960. This was sometimes borrowed by Paul McCartney from a neighbour to record the group’s rehearsals and was unearthed in a Liverpool attic in 1994. (Estimate £6000-7000).

 

Jimi Hendrix is another leading name in 20th century popular music. A police document, signed by the guitarist, provides background to his arrest in Gothenburg, Sweden, in January 1968 for wrecking his hotel room. This is estimated to sell for £4000-5000.

 

Several lots in the sale relate feature items relating to Michael Jackson. Amongst these are the trademark black fedora loafers worn by Michael for the September 2001 concerts at Madison Square Garden to mark the 30th anniversary of his solo career. The shoes are signed and inscribed b Michael with song titles are offered together and are expected to fetch £10,000-12,000. His astonishing record sales are reflected by the inclusion of a multi-platinum award for the ‘Thriller’ album (Estimate £1200-1500). This was presented to Epic Records for U.S. sales in excess of 21 million copies and the album is the best-selling of all time, with sales in the region of 110 million copies worldwide.

 

Stephanie Connell, Entertainment Memorabilia Specialist at Bonhams comments: “The forthcoming Bonhams sale offers collectors and fans a rare opportunity to acquire important memorabilia and personal effects relating to the most iconic and influential stars of the past 100 years”.