After having missed seeing the first installment of Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood Memorabilia Collection in person, I decided I better not let that happen again. After checking out the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA, I headed over to Beverly Hills to the Paley Media Center to see what Debbie had left to sell.
I will admit I was a little disappointed...and even more bummed that I missed the first batch. This was the first time I'd been inside the Paley Center, where a painting of Eva Gabor greets visitors to the lobby.
Back to Debbie. The first auction had a mind boggling array of classic memorabilia from some of Hollywood's most famous films. This time around...zzzzzzzzzz. The highlights included seeing Scarlett O'Hara's hat that was worn with her drapery dress in "Gone with the Wind":
This lacy hat that has yellowed over the years was also worn by Vivien Leigh in "Gone With the Wind," in the scene where she is caught in an embrace with Ashley (Leslie Howard) at the sawmill.
An outfit worn by Marilyn Monroe in the movie "Bus Stop":
I can't imagine that Norma Shearer ate very much cake when she squeezed into this gown from "Marie Antoinette" (1936):
The hippest display had to be this collection of suits worn by The Rat Pack:
A number of Judy Garland costumes were also visible, such as this wedding dress from "The Pirate" (1948):
There were a ton-o-costumes from MGM's splashy 1951 musical "Show Boat":
The exhibit itself is very well done; photos or constantly looping film clips accompany each outfit so that you can see it in its cinematic context. In all fairness, new costumes and props are still being added over the next few months, but part 2 still does not begin to compare to its predecessor.
To see more Paley Center for Media Debbie Reynolds collection photos, visit my regular website.
10 comments:
Well that was very cool. I had no idea the items were being displayed to the public! I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I gotta say, I'd make that trip just to see Scarlet's rooster hat made of "Mizz Ellun's por-tares".
I never realized how funny the hat was until I saw it close up in your post. Clearly, it's remains of a dead rooster wrapped up in green velvet, with a gilded claw poking out as a clasp.
A very sly commentary about hat-fashion of the day. Absolutely too funny for words.
Looks like an OK exhibit, if small. The Rat Pack suits are pretty cool, and Marylin's "Bus Stop" costume will sell for big bucks someday.
Wow it does look a little sparse compared to the first time around--when I went, you could barely see the floor, there were so many people milling around.
Actually, I didn't even know they had put more stuff out. Is she having another auction?
I tell ya, that dress size ain't norma! tee hee. Poor Norma... Awesome design. Always thought it a pity Marie Antoinette wasn't a lot more exciting a movie than it was. Norma actually wasn't an issue with me, it was all the conceptual/script areas. Just too much talking stuffy heads. And color would've been great, tho' in '34-'36 I can see why they didn't want to try tackling the color monster.
I can see the black headless mannequins for the Rat Pack group to a point, but I dunno about the mod black stuff for the rest... 'cause what's an outfit of Marilyn without Marilyn in it? ;) Really though many of these were designed for a specific person to wear and I'd think should be displayed on a likeness of them. IMH, YMMV etc
Jeanine - Yes, there will be a second auction. I believe they are going to continue to put more stuff on display until December and then it will all go up for bid.
Chiana - I agree. It is odd seeing these famous costumes on mannequins and not the stars themselves.
I need to get up there! Sheesh, I recognised everything. Amazing stuff.
Currently, The Shaw-Tumblin Gone With The Wind Collection - including many original Gone With The Wind worn costumes and hats - is on display at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. The exhibit runs thru April 30, 2011
CORRECTION! The Shaw-Tumblin GWTW Exhibit at the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little rock runs through April of 2012.
I would give anything to be a part of this auction. I have collected
GWTW for years and just to see any of the original items from the movie andything Scarlett wore would
be a lasting memory. Debbie Reynolds is so great to have preserved all the MGM memories.
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