Tag Archives: Cinema History

Audrey Hepburn – Christie’s

Personal Collection of Audrey Hepburn, Christie’s King Street, London SW1, 27th September 2017

 Part II – Online Auction, 19th September – 3rd October 2017

Lot 127
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, 1961
Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly on the set of the 1961 Paramount production Breakfast At Tiffany’s three gelatin silver production stills
largest sheet: 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm.)
Estimate: £1,000-1,500 / $1,300-1,900 / €1,100-1,600
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

September is proving quite a month for sales by legendary actresses as following on the heels of the  Vivien Leigh sale at Sotheby’s we also have a sale of the possessions of Audrey Hepburn at Christie’s in London.  How does the song go ‘anything you can do I can do better’?

Lot 144
CHARADE, 1963
A COCKTAIL GOWN OF BLACK SATIN
GIVENCHY COUTURE
The two piece ensemble comprising a ftted bodice and skirt, each with a hem of semi-tubular black paillettes,
set on edge, with multiple canvas tags to the interior, as well as black woven label with canvas tag inscribed 23174,
designed for Audrey Hepburn as Regina “Reggie” Lampert in the 1963 Universal production Charade
Estimate: £50,000-80,000 / $64,000-100,000 / €55,000-86,000
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

Audrey was more than just a beautiful film star and wonderful actress.  Due to her association with Givenchy she became almost accidentally a fashion icon and is indeed regarded as one of the most iconic figures of the last century and in her last years became a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.  One of the fund raising events she was involved in for UNICEF was a concert at the Barbican by Michael Tilson Thomas entitled From The Diary Of Anne Frank and Audrey was the narrator reading excerpts from the diary.  It was extremely moving as Audrey had experienced similar wartime distress and hardship living in Holland like Anne Frank and one could feel that she found the reliving of this time somewhat painful and that the words could indeed have been her own.  Afterwards in the green room she confessed that she had been shaking before she went onstage.

Lot 178
MY FAIR LADY, 1964/REX HARRISON
A CONTINENTAL GOLD SNUFF BOX, CIRCA 1965
Rectangular box, the cover and sides set with panels of sablé engine-turning with flared thumbpiece, the base of polished gold and engraved with the inscription To / Eliza Doolittle / from / Henry Higgins
2 3/8 in. (60 mm.) wide
2 oz. (60 gr.)
Estimate £5,000-8,000 / $6,400-10,000 / €5,500-8,600
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

How well I remember sitting in the Regal Cinema in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow in 1961 watching and loving Breakfast At Tiffany’s and now 56 years later it is regarded as one of the most-loved films of all time, even having been shown at the Royal Albert Hall with live orchestral accompaniment.

Lot 119
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, 1961
Audrey Hepburn’s working script for the 1961 Paramount production Breakfast at Tiffany’s, dated 3 August, 1960, the script bound with two brass brads and comprising 140 pages of mimeographed typescript including deleted scenes, with 53 pages printed on yellow and 28 on blue paper representing changes to the script with varying dates through to 21 September 1960, the majority of pages with upper right corner either snipped, torn or folded down when completed, the parts for the character of Holly Golightly marked in Hepburn’s signature turquoise ink, with words underlined in blue ballpoint pen and pencil for emphasis, passages or directions crossed out, and approximately 20 pages annotated in Hepburn’s hand with copied out lines, minor amendments and notes including:
– p.15-16: where Holly asks Paul to help find her shoes for her visit to Sing Sing, Hepburn has amended Brown alligator [shoes] to Black, and deleted the lines And if you come across a black brassiere I can use that too… and garter-belt, garter-belt, garter-belt, garter-belt… I think maybe it’s hanging in the bathroom…would you mind…
– p.114: where the directions require Holly to rattle of sentences in Portugese, Hepburn has twice added the line Eu acho che voce esta gostando do acouqueiro
– p.119: next to …but I do love Jose Hepburn has suggested the revision I am mad about Jose – blank end page: Hepburn has jotted a brief scene list… intro, H-P-Sing Sing, P’s apt. bathrobe, cocktail, Sing Sing, Doc., drunk, scene in room, day on the town, library, chicken saffron, pickup… and scrawled the details of a fight f. 274 U. airl, 11.35 A.M.
11 x 8¾ in. (27.9 x 22.2 cm.)
Estimate: £60,000-90,000 / $77,000-110,000 / €65,000-97,000
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

The sale is in two parts with Part 1 being offered at Christie’s London and Part ll in an online-only sale. The auctions  feature annotated film scripts, including Breakfast At Tiffany’s, original portraits from   photographers such as Cecil Beaton and Philippe Halsman, her personal wardrobe and many costumes  from her films including a black Givenchy cocktail dress from Charade although not the Breakfast At Tiffany’s dress which  was sold previously.

 

Lot 109
THE NUN’S STORY, 1959
TWO FOR THE ROAD, 1967
A COLOURESS PASTE TIARA
composed of a continuous series of graduated navette and circular shaped paste, to close-back settings on a sprung frame; worn by Audrey Hepburn to the London premiere of The Nun’s Story, July 1959 and as Joanna Wallace in the 1967 20th Century Fox production Two For The Road 11¼ in. (29 cm.) inner circumference
Estimate: £7,000-10,000 / $9,000-13,000 / €7,600-11,000
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

This is the first time these items, which until now have remained with her family, have been offered for sale and they give us a rare glimpse into the very private world of a remarkable woman.

 

Lot 132
A SLEEP MASK SLEEP SHADE CO., CIRCA 1960
The blue satin shade applied with pink and blue lace-trimmed fowers, marked SLEEP SHADE CO., 282 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL 8 in. (20 cm.) long
Estimate: £100-150 / $130-190 / €110-160
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

 

http://www.christies.com/audreyhepburn

Lot 219
A RED DRESS COAT
VALENTINO COUTURE, SPRING/SUMMER 1971
Of red silk gazar; together with a pair of Andrea Carrano scarlet pumps
Estimate: £1,000-1,500 / $1,300-1,900 / €1,100-1,600
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2017

I am grateful to John Kirkwood for writing about this sale

“Love Scenes”

 Dan Llywelyn Hall – “Love Scenes”, Lights of Soho, 35 Brewer Street, London, W1, until 17th June 2017

GOLDFINGER

I have had the pleasure of writing about Dan before and I very much want to share his new exhibition of work with you. It reflects his long-term interest in the theme of love over the centuries through art or popular culture.

LOVE ARABESQUE

He has developed a strong following for his artworks whether landscapes, city scenes or portraits such as the one he painted of the Queen in 2013.  He says of this show:  “Lights of Soho occupies a building that once was central to the Paul Raymond empire; a venue familiar with scenes of erotica and physical embodiments of love. The ‘Scenes of Love’ series should feel at home here with my depictions of the greatest love encounters through the ages.”

1001 NIGHTS

https://www.LightsofSoho.com

CASABLANCA

http://www.danllywelynhall.co.uk/

 

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: Brigitte Bardot: My Life in Fashion

I have asked John Kirkwood to review this book:

Brigitte Bardot: My Life in Fashion  

Henry-Jean Servat, Brigitte Bardot

Publisher: Flammarion
ISBN: 978-2080202697
£29.95

brigittebardotmylifeinfashion_cover-2

It may seem slightly odd to bring out a book about fashions worn by an actress who was well known for wearing no clothes at all on screen.

 

Bardot says that le style Bardot is her style which is to say that there is no style at all as she wears what she feels like at the moment. However, it was impossible in the late fifties and early sixties not to see girls who were clearly influenced by her on almost every high street. The gingham dress or Breton sweaters and jeans crowned by the disarranged ‘choucroute’ hairstyle piled on top.

Bardot never really followed fashion, she was a complete individualist and in so being created a look which became her style. For some of her films she was dressed by Givenchy, Dior, Chanel, Balmain and Cardin but in her private life wore designs by the House of Real and Jacques Esterel who made the famous pink gingham dress which was copied everywhere. In the seventies she was very enamoured of the gypsy cum hippie look of Jean Bouquin.  At one time she went to Coco Chanel because she so admired the Chanel dress worn by Delphine Seyrig in Last Year In Marienbad and wanted one like it. In one of her best roles in La Verité she wore clothes which she herself had bought from Monoprix, the French version of Woolworths and in other films would quite often wear clothes from her own wardrobe.

As a long term practioner of ‘Bardolatry’ I found this to be a very well-constructed book which takes us through the evolution of Bardot’s non-style with many wonderful images which still remain fresh today.

Now in her eighties and devoted to her Foundation which benefits animals Bardot when asked about her style today says ‘I don’t dress up anymore!’

 

http://editions.flammarion.com/

AUCTION ALERT: Audrey Hepburn

AUCTION ALERT: Entertainment Memorabilia, Bonhams Knightsbridge, 29th June 2016

 Among the Audrey Hepburn related lots is this really rather special one which I thought may be of interest:

 

‘Lot 13

Hepburn Letters

 

AUDREY HEPBURN: A COLLECTION OF HANDWRITTEN LETTERS AND NOTES FROM AUDREY HEPBURN TO ACCLAIMED ACTOR SIR FELIX AYLMER,

1951-1960,

£3,000 – 4,000
€3,900 – 5,200

 

Lot Details

FILM AND TELEVISION

Audrey Hepburn: a collection of handwritten letters and notes from Audrey Hepburn to acclaimed actor Sir Felix Aylmer,

1951-1960,
providing a rare insight into a young Audrey Hepburn’s life both public and private, comprising: a handwritten autographed postcard dated 1951, from Monte Carlo sent while filming Monte Carlo Baby, she writes Would you believe it I’m in Monte Carlo working on the French and English version of a French Picture…this place is heavenly the best thing that’s happened to me.; a handwritten letter on The Whitehall, Chicago, headed stationary announcing her broken engagement to James Hanson from the start It is with a heavy heart I am writing to tell you James Hanson and I are no longer engaged, I know there is little I need explain to you, a gentleman of this profession. For a year I thought it possible to make our combined lives and careers work out…It is all very unhappy making but I am sure it is the only sensible dicision [sic]. with dated envelope November 14, 1952; a lighthearted note dated 9th August 1953 This is to say good bye and god bless you, until the happy day I see you again…; a letter from 20th May 1954 referencing her first play with Mel Ferrer, Ondine, Mel and I are still working on supernatural but are getting steadily naturally tirder[sic]…, a note inviting Aylmer to Hepburn and Ferrer’s ‘secret’ wedding, dated 14th September 1954, she writes …how dearly we would love you to be with us on our wedding day, 25 Sept., and how very much it matters to me. Please come we will have the car take you up to our mountain peak, Friday, for a gathering in our chalet of our nearest and dearest!…Saturday will be the wedding…We want to keep it a dark secret in order to have it without the ‘press’. Lots of love also from Mummy, Audrey, with a corresponding handwritten letter from Mel Ferrer and a follow up postcard handwritten by Hepburn We were so so sorry you could not come to our wedding, we wanted you there very badly…; two autographed typed letters relating to the premier of War and Peace signed by Hepburn and Ferrer dated 11th October and 12th November an extract states We long to hear from you soonest, as we can then confirm the seats for you. We also expect you to help us celebrate after the showing. Much love Audrey and Mel, the final correspondence is a short typescript autographed letter dated 17th August, 1960, a proud Audrey writes Dearest Felix,…Sean is truly a dream and I find it hard to believe he is really ours to keep. I long to show him to you. We all three send all our love signed in her distinctive turquoise blue ink and kisses Audrey; additionally there is a handwritten letter from James Hanson written prior to his broken engagement to Audrey; and two hand written letters from Audrey’s mother Ella van Heemstra, written during the run of Ondine and showing some disdain for Mel Ferrer That frog faced delinquent with the spindly legs has caused sufficient havoc to last a long time and I believe that Audrey is getting rather sick of the neurotic side to him!

FOOTNOTES

  • This collection of letters has remained within the extended family of Sir Felix Aylmer. Aylmer was Audrey Hepburn’s acting and elocution coach at the start of her career. The correspondence shows the affection that Audrey had for her mentor. She shares her career highs as well as her personal ups and downs which is a sign of the close relationship they shared. Through her letters she writes to him as a father figure and he was obviously a strong influence in her life at this time.’

 

http://www.bonhams.com