Showing posts with label Auctions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auctions. Show all posts

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Going, Going, Gone With the Wind: Highlights of the Vivien Leigh Auction

The Vivien Leigh auction brought in £2,243,617, which is about $3,000,000. The bidding lasted for roughly seven and a half hours, with all 321 items selling. I wasn't able to be in London, so I watched the auction live from my computer. It was very exciting to hear and to watch the bids come in as the prices climbed on certain items. Listed below are a few of my favorite things from the auction.

Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind, 1939

Winston Churchill

The biggest seller of the day was a painting by Winston Churchill (Lot 245).  This Study of Roses sold for £500,000 (hammer price £638,750). It's oil on canvas, signed W.S.C in the bottom left corner and measures 20 inches by 14.5 inches. Churchill gifted the painting to Vivien, in 1951.


She wrote to Churchill, I should like to show you where the painting you gave me hangs. It is in my bedroom dear Sir Winston and I look at it every day as I wake and every night as I go to sleep... (Vivien Leigh, letter to Sir Winston Churchill, 14th February 1961, The Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge, CHUR 2/527A). Noting her decor, I think it's only apt that she kept the painting in her bedroom.

Vivien Leigh's bedroom
Churchill's book, Painting As A Pastime, was another big hit with the bidders. It sold for £15,000. Sotheby's listed the first edition book as full blue morocco by Zaehnsdorf, spine lettered in gilt, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, some very light rubbing to boards. The personal inscription read, To Vivien Leigh,  from Winston S. Churchill, 1950.

Winston Churchill's inscription to Vivien Leigh, Painting as a Pastime

Gone With the Wind

I really hope that whomever purchased these three items were representing a museum! Vivien's first edition copy of Gone With the Wind sold for £50,000. The book features an inscription from the author, Margaret Mitchell, to Vivien Leigh.


To Vivien Leigh-- 
"Life's Pattern pricked with a scarlet thread 
where once we worked with a gray, 
to remind us all how we played our parts
in the shock of an epic day." 
Margaret Mitchell

The lines are from Robert W. Service's poem The Revelation. Mitchell wrote them on a separate sheet of paper, which Vivien attached inside her book. 

Vivien's personalized copy of the Gone With the Wind script sold for £58,750. David Selznick gave these special, presentation copies as gifts for Christmas, 1939. To read more about her script, and other GWTW scripts that have been sold, please follow this link.



A Gone With the Wind photo album was also auctioned. It's estimated price was £3,000 to £5,000 and it sold for £8,750. The album contained 28 production still photographs from 'Gone With The Wind,' with two photographs from 'Fire Over England' mounted at the end, also with five photographic portraits of Leigh loosely inserted, including three studio portraits, by Lenare (on her wedding day, 1932, photographer's stamp on the reverse), Vivienne (c.1930s, photographer's stamp on reverse), and Dollings (photographer's stamp on the reverse), a photograph of her seated in furs (stamp of C. Norman Probert on the reverse), and a further still from 'Gone With The Wind.'

Clark Gable as Rhett and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett

Appointment Books

Two of Vivien's appointment books were placed on the auction block. The first one, which is dated from January 10, 1937 to November 25, 1939, sold for £15,000. In this book, Vivien noted that she Told Leigh (her first husband, Leigh Holman) presumably about Laurence Olivier. Then, on June 16, she wrote Left with Larry. The second appointment book only sold for £3,250 and was dated for the year 1953. This was also an important time in Vivien's life as '53 was the year she was diagnosed with manic-depressive disorder.



Paintings

The Roger Furse paintings all sold very well, but this one, of Vivien Leigh and Tissy, really brought home the bacon. The selling estimate was listed as £1,000 to £1,500 and it sold for £62,500.


A sketch of Vivien by Augustus John sold for £18,750. It was a Study for Portrait of Vivien Leigh, signed and dated 1942. The medium used was red chalk on paper and it measured 15.5 inches by 11 inches.


Vivien Leigh's own painting of Italian Landscape sold for £6,875. The auctioneer noted that this was the first painting by Vivien to be sold. The selling estimate was listed as £200 to £300.  It's oil on canvas and measures 12 inches by 16 inches. I'm a little surprised that this painting didn't reach the £10,000 mark.


A Streetcar Named Desire

Vivien Leigh's wig, which she wore as Blanche Dubois, in the film production of A Streetcar Named Desire, had an estimated selling price of £400 to £600. It sold for £7,500. The wig came with a photograph of Vivien wearing the wig, for a hair and make-up test.





Lot# 282 was a gorgeous jewelry case, apparently presented to Vivien Leigh, by Laurence Olivier, on the opening night of A Streetcar Named Desire's stage production. From the NYT: The crocodile case is embossed with the initials V.L.O. and 12th October 1949, the date of the London stage premiere of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' in which Ms. Leigh starred and Olivier directed. The selling estimate was £800 to £1,200 and it sold for £11,250.


Jewelry case

Jewelry

Vivien Leigh's watch sold for £25,000! The engraved watch (Vivien Larry Only!! Darling Xmas 1940) features rubies and diamonds. Sotheby's states that it was likely to have been a gift from Larry to Vivien for Christmas 1940, marking their first Christmas together as a married couple.


Vivien Leigh's charm bracelet was Lot 315. The estimated price was £1,000 to £1,500 and it sold for £33,750. Description: the double curb link bracelet set with a six charms including: an oval locket inscribed Lady Hamilton with the initials VL, containing a photograph of Vivien Leigh as Lady Hamilton and a portrait by George Romney; a book inscribed Gone with the Wind, the pages inscribed Vivien Leigh and Scarlett O'Hara, with an engraved image of the character; a round charm with a design of a boat against a sunset, the sky of blue chalcedony; a jadeite pendant carved with a design of a bat; and two chalcedony drops. 


Sotheby's called the last item of the auction the 'Eternally' ring. This stunning little ring was engraved with some kind of floral motif. Inside the ring's band were the following engraved words:  Laurence Olivier Vivien Eternally. The ring's estimated selling price was only between £400 to £600. The actual selling price was £37,500.


Laurence Olivier

I was really surprised that this photo of Laurence Olivier sold for £6,000 (selling estimate £200 to £300). Olivier signed this photo in the bottom left corner-- from L to his V forever --And he spelled LOVE diagonally, in red ink!



Laurence Olivier inscription spelling LOVE diagonally
 A silver, presentation mug to Laurence Olivier: later embossed and chased with scrolls, flowers and fruits and engraved with initials 'LO' and inscription: '12th June 1947 / from G[?]...' maker's mark, London standard and date letter for 1722. The date refers to Olivier's knighthood and appearance in the Honours List. Sold for £3,000!



Books

This first edition of Ian Fleming's book, Casino Royale, sold for £30,000!


Truman Capote's true crime novel, In Cold Blood, sold for £16,250. Capote had inscribed the book to Vivien with the following: for dearest Vivien, with much love, Truman.





Thanks for joining me for this recap of the Vivien Leigh auction! If I missed your favorite item from the auction, then please let me know and I'll add it to the post.

Cheers!


All images are from Sotheby's as are all italicized item descriptions.

Monday, September 25, 2017

Vivien Leigh as Muse (Part I)

It's no secret that Vivien Leigh's great beauty and talent have been inspiring artists of all mediums, since she first made headlines in 1935. Words of glory were thrown at her feet; roses and racehorses were named for her; she was photographed, sculpted, painted and forever immortalized. All because of The Mask of Virtue.

Vivien Leigh in The Mask of Virtue, 1935
It is an agreeable task to be able to welcome a new actress with unrestrained praise. 'The Mask of Virtue' obtained a personal triumph for Vivien Leigh, a discovery of Sydney Carroll. Miss Leigh is ravishingly pretty, which might not matter, but that her talent equals her beauty. She moves with grace. She is lovely in repose. Her voice is most attractive, and warmth, ardour and sincerity are not wanting in her acting. Vivien Leigh gave genuine life to the part of the girl, enchantingly reconciling her conflicting qualities. Her quiet dignity in the acceptance of a repugnant task, the growth of affection and the awakening to the sense of a triumph odious to her, were beautifully expressed and composed a performance that grew in loveliness and interest. --A.E. Wilson, The Star, May 1935

In this series of Vivien Leigh as Muse, we'll first look at a few of the items Sotheby's will be auctioning on Tuesday, September 26th. Among the Sotheby's items are photographs, caricatures, sketches and paintings of Vivien Leigh.

This first painting is by artist Dietz Edzard. The painting is oil on canvas and is sized at 28.5 inches by 21 inches. The estimated selling price is $10,600 to $15,900 (Sotheby's pdf catalog, page 21).

Miss Vivien Leigh in 'The Mask of Virtue,' by Dietz Edzard (from Sotheby's)
Edzard was a German born painter, who later moved to Paris and painted in the style of French Impressionism. Author Gerd Muehsam describes his style perfectly: Edzard has captured in his canvases the charm of the Parisian atmosphere. With the light, vibrant touch of his brush, he produced sparkling, and yet delicate, paintings of beautiful women, dancers and flowers. His brilliant delineations of circus life and the theatre, his spirited portrayals of Parisian cafe scenes have made him a favorite of art circles in this country and abroad. Edzard's buried at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.

In July, 1935, a reporter happened to come across Vivien Leigh, in the Leicester Galleries. She was standing in front of her portrait. Vivien shared with the reporter that Mr. Edzard had painted her from sketches he'd made, while watching her perform in the play, The Mask of Virtue. In addition to the sketches, The Daily Express reported that Vivien sat for Edzard twice. Coincidentally, Vivien was also painted by Suzanne Eisendieck, who later married Edzard in 1938.

These next two art pieces are by Roger Furse. Roger Furse was a well-known friend and collaborator with both Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. Depending on the project, he acted as set designer, costume designer and production designer. He worked on several of their plays and movies. Some of their collaborations include: Antony and Cleopatra, Caesar and Cleopatra, Macbeth, The Skin of Our Teeth, Duel of Angels, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, The Prince and the Showgirl, Richard III, Spartacus, Henry V and Hamlet.

Roger Furse
Furse was nominated for a Tony award for Best Scenic Design, for Vivien's play, Duel of Angels, in 1961. He also picked up two Academy Awards for Laurence Olivier's film, Hamlet: Art Direction (B&W) and Costume Design (B&W).

Vivien Leigh as Jennifer Dubedat, in The Doctor's Dilemma
This charming sketch of Vivien Leigh, by Roger Furse, is from the upcoming auction. Sotheby's lists it as A Sketch From the Doctor's Dilemma, 1941. Furse signed the bottom of the sketch, with the following: Wishing you a great success, dear Vivien, Roger. It's pencil on paper and is 12 inches by 8.5 inches. The selling estimate is $800 to $1,100 (Sotheby's pdf catalog, page 26).


This watercolour on paper, by Roger Furse is titled Vivien Leigh Reading with Tissy in the Sotheby's catalog (pdf page 119). The selling estimate is $1,350 to $2,000. The portrait measures 15.75 inches by 13.75 inches.

I love how Furse took care to note Tissy's different eye color. Vivien's fur baby really did have one green eye and one blue eye!

Roger Furse greets Vivien as she arrives in Corfu, Greece, 1966.
Roger Furse and Vivien Leigh remained lifelong friends. In 1966, she travelled to Corfu, Greece, where Roger greeted her as she disembarked. She had come to look at land parcels as she was thinking of building a home near Benitses. Furse lived nearby with his second wife, Ines (pictured below).

Roger Furse, Ines Furse, Vivien Leigh and Juli Damaskinos in Corfu.
Cecil Beaton was another well known collaborator of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier's. Beaton had been photographing Vivien Leigh since the 1930s. In addition to being a photographer, Beaton also designed sets and costumes. A few of his collaborations with Vivien included Caesar and Cleopatra (film version), Anna Karenina and The School for Scandal.

Sotheby's is having a special sale on portraits of Vivien Leigh, from The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive. The prices start at £3,000. Here are two samples from that sale. Follow this link for all the details.

Vivien Leigh at the British embassy in Paris, in 1947 
Beaton said of Vivien, Vivien is almost incredibly lovely. Hollywood is at her feet. She is madly in love with her husband – who adores her… Her former husband dotes upon her & adores her still – she is unspoiled – has many loyal friends & only ambition to improve as an actress. The adulation of her beauty leaves her cold.

Beaton was also a frequent visitor to Notley Abbey, writing, The life they lead in the country is most suitable for Shakespearean actors. The whole atmosphere of the place is suitable for giving performances of Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet.


Vivien Leigh as Anna Karenina, costume and photo by Cecil Beaton
Vivien is pictured in my favorite costume from Anna Karenina. In this photograph, Vivien's wearing a short waisted jacket, made from white silk and black velvet. Below the jacket is a white skirt, featuring multiple layers of organdy. The photos of Vivien, by Beaton, in this particular outfit, are my favorites from the film. To read more about the costumes of Anna Karenina, please click here.



Thanks for joining me today!
Michelle

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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Vivien Leigh's "Gone With The Wind" Script Is Up For Auction

In recent years, a plethora of items related to Gone With the Wind have turned up on the auction block. This year is no different. On September 26, Sotheby's will be auctioning off items personally owned by the movie's star, Vivien Leigh. One item, in particular, will be drawing the attention of Gone With the Wind collectors: Vivien's leather-bound script, gifted to her by the producer, David O. Selznick.

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett & Leslie Howard as Ashley

David O. Selznick gave these presentation scripts as Christmas gifts, in 1939, to select members of the cast and crew of Gone With the Wind, along with a few people outside the filmThere were two styles of these hardbound scripts: one screenplay was covered in cloth and morocco leather; the other, in leather only. The four main cast members (Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard and Vivien) all received ones bound in full leather.

Leslie Howard's leather-bound presentation script

These presentation scripts were maroon in color, with GONE WITH THE WIND, 'SCREEN PLAY' and the recipient's name gilt-stamped onto the cover. Selznick inscribed each copy with a personalized note to the recipient, found inside on the front end paper. These beautifully bound scripts were given the date of January 24th, 1939 and contained the finalized script of the film. Black and white stills from the movie were interspersed with the script.

Vivien Leigh's script is not the first one from the movie to be auctioned. Selznick handed out a few dozen of these scripts and many of them have been on the auction block. Walter Plunkett's, Hattie McDaniel's and Clark Gable's scripts have all been sold via auction houses.

Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel

Hattie McDaniel's script was made from cloth and leather. It's been on the auction block at least twice. In December 2010, Hattie's screenplay sold for $18,300 and then in April 2015, it sold again for $28,750. The seller noted that the covers had come unbound from the spine, along with leather loss and a stain on the front. Selznick's personal note to Hattie reads, For Hattie McDaniel, who contributed so greatly! With gratitude and admiration, David, Christmas, 1939.

Selznick's inscription to Hattie

Walter Plunkett, the costume designer for Gone With the Wind, also received a presentation script made from cloth and leather. At an auction, in April 2015, Plunkett's personalized screenplay sold for $22,500. Selznick's inscription reads, For Walter Plunkett, With appreciation of, and for, his brilliant execution of a difficult job. David O. Selznick, Christmas, 1939.

Walter Plunkett's cloth and leather bound GWTW script

Gone With the Wind's publicist, William R. Ferguson, received one of these cloth and leather bound books, too. It's signed, For Bill Ferguson, in memory of Atlanta. With appreciation, David Selznick. Ferguson's copy sold at auction, in October 2014, for $23,000.

Walter Plunkett and Olivia de Havilland

Sidney Howard, the only credited screenwriter for Gone With the Wind, passed away in August, 1939. His all leather copy was presented to his widow, Polly Damrosch. Selznick didn't inscribe this one. However, Polly gave the script to her nephew, writing, With love to Blaine on Jennifer's birthday, March 23rd, 1940, from Polly. This script hit the auction block in 2008, selling for $3,250; and then again in 2014, this time selling for $62,500. 

Norma Shearer, a would-be Scarlett at one time, received one of the special, leather bound screenplays. David wrote, For Norma, the ever appreciative. With gratitude for her never-failing encouragement, and with affection. David, Christmas, 1939. Norma's script fetched $14,640, at an auction, in 2011.


A few of the other recipients included William Kurtz, John Hertz, Will Price, William B. Hartsfield and the book's author, Margaret Mitchell. Mitchell's leather-bound, presentation script is kept in Atlanta. The Atlanta Fulton Public Library placed it on display for the 75th anniversary of the book's publication.

William B. Hartsfield's personalized screenplay was presented to him during Gone With the Wind's 21st anniversary, by David Selznick. The event was held in Atlanta and attended by Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland and Selznick (read more about that event here). Hartsfield was Atlanta's mayor during the film's original premiere in 1939 and also during the film's anniversary celebration. Inside the script, David wrote, March 10, 1961, To Mayor William B. Hartsfield with the affection and gratitude of the "Gone With The Wind Company," including his admirers. David O. Selznick. The script was also signed by Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Butterfly McQueen and Samuel Yupper, a friend of Mitchell's. It sold at auction, in 1995, for $8,625.

Will Price bequeathed his Gone With the Wind script to writer Carla Carlisle (Country Life, Sept 6, 2017). Will was the Southern voice coach for the cast. Selznick wrote, For Will Price, who literally shoved the South down our throats. With good wishes always, David Selznick.


Leslie Howard's script recently hit the auction block, in November 2016, as part of TCM Presents... Lights, Camera, Action, with an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It remained unsold. Selznick's inscription reads, For Leslie, with the profound, (but probably futile), hope that he'll finally read it. Christmas, 1939. Howard was kind of famous on set, for never having read Gone With the Wind, even after Selznick told him to at least read Ashley's scenes that were making it into the movie.

In 1996, Clark Gable's personalized screenplay sold for a whopping $244,500! The winning bid was placed by Steven Spielberg. The leather-bound script was inscribed to Gable by David Selznick, who referenced how the public, almost unanimously, chose Clark Gable to play Rhett Butler, For Clark, who made the dream of fifty million Americans (who couldn't be- and weren't- wrong!) and one producer come true! With gratitude for a superb performance and a happy association, David, Christmas, 1939. Gable later recalled how he didn't want the role of Rhett Butler, It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the compliment the public was paying me, it was simply that Rhett was too big an order. I didn't want any part of him, Rhett was too much for any actor to tackle in his right mind.

Clark Gable as Rhett and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett

Now, on September 26th, Vivien Leigh's leather-bound, personalized script will go on the auction block. Sotheby's selling estimate is between $13,300 to $19,900. However, this is not the first time Vivien's family has attempted to sell her screenplay.

In 2006, Bonhams listed the book, citing the provenance as by direct family descent (most likely Vivien's daughter, Suzanne Farrington). The selling estimate was given as $80,000 to $120,000. The script didn't sell and remained with the family.

Vivien Leigh's leather-bound presentation script

Unfortunately, David's inscription to Vivien is missing from the book. Sotheby's catalog states (pages 36-37 pdf) ...Vivien's copy now has a jagged-edged stub where the inscribed leaf has been cut out with a pair of scissors. We'll probably never know what happened to David's note to Vivien. Perhaps a guest or fan took it home as a souvenir or one of Vivien's grandchildren accidentally tore it out. Then there's always the possibility that Vivien removed the inscription herself, if she were truly mad at David Selznick.

In 1945, Selznick filed an injunction against Vivien, attempting to prevent her from appearing in the play, The Skin of Our Teeth. Sir Walter Monckton, Selznick's attorney, argued that The screen personality of a leading lady is a very valuable commodity to be treated rather as an exotic plant. Under the terms of his contract with Miss Leigh, Mr. Selznick claimed the right to decide how 'the exotic plant' was to be exposed so that it could not be subjected to unwise exposure. ...A screen personality is something so expensive and so valuable that a person investing in it large sums of money will naturally say, 'I want to prevent you from entering into adventures otherwise than with my consent.'  

Vivien's attorney, Valentine Holmes, contested this testimony. He said that it was against public policy to have restrictive clauses in a contract that prevented anyone working in 'war time.' No injury to Mr. Selznick could occur through letting her act for eight weeks in the play, but considerable damage and inconvenience would be caused to a number of completely innocent people if she was prevented. He went on with Vivien's affidavit. It had been decided under American law that a contract such as hers with Mr. Selznick was unenforceable after seven years, and in view of that decision, Mr. Selznick had for some months been urging her to enter into a new agreement. She refused as it would involve her in film appearances over a number of years and separate her for long periods from her husband. Vivien won the injunction.

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara

It'll be very interesting to see how much Vivien's personalized screenplay will sell for at auction, especially if two buyers get into a bidding war. There are many Gone With the Wind fans, including myself, who would love to have it as part of their collection.

Detail of the front cover of Vivien's script
Detail of the front cover of Vivien's script


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Monday, April 20, 2015

Gone With the Wind Auction Highlights


In case you haven't heard, Scarlett's Shantytown dress sold at auction for $137,000 this past weekend. The price isn't too surprising if you factor in the starting price of $60,000, along with the auction house fee and the fact that the dress is a piece of cinematic history.


We first see Vivien Leigh in this dress, as Scarlett O'Hara, when she encounters Rhett, played by Clark Gable, outside her store. She drives off to take a short cut through Shantytown, where she's attacked. Unfortunately, the color of the dress has faded over the years, from the blue-gray seen in the above photo to the light gray pictured below. The dress features a zigzag applique with decorative buttons on the front. It's lined with silk and the skirt is pleated.


The auction pieces came from James Tumblin's collection of Gone With the Wind memorabilia. Other items of interest that were sold include the hat Scarlett wears to the barbecue at Twelve Oaks along with a green sash made for the barbecue dress. This hat sold for $52,500 and the sash sold for $3,250.









Another item on the auction block was the top half of one of Scarlett's calico dresses, which sold for $32,500. James Tumblin says this was originally auctioned off by Vivien's daughter, Suzanne Farrington, and subsequently purchased at Christie's. Originally, there were approximately fourteen of these calico dresses made, in various stages of disrepair, as Scarlett wore this from working in the hospital in Atlanta until her return to Tara with Melanie and baby Beau.


From Heritage Auction's website:
Cotton, mauve, purple, and white floral pattern, high collar trimmed in white lace, 16 black button front closure, puffy, gathered long sleeves, same black button adornment and white lace on cuffs, numerous hidden snaps and hook-and-eye closures.


This suit worn by Clark Gable went under the hammer and sold for $55,000. It was worn during the scene when Scarlett tells Rhett she doesn't want to have any more babies. He then proceeds to leave the room by kicking in the door and shouting no locked door would keep him out.



From the auction's website:
Two pieces; the jacket gray wool, rounded lapels, one button front closure, two front welt pockets, 'Selznick Int. Pictures Inc.' label reads "20-108M-140," costumer's stamps on both sleeve linings, 'Eddie Schmidt Inc.' [tailor to male Hollywood stars] label on lining, further 'Eddie Schmidt, Inc.' label reads in part "Clark Gable / 4-25-39 / 3718;" together with matching trousers, five button fly, same 'Eddie Schmidt, Inc.' label as jacket, another label evidently removed, numerous costumer's stamps on waistband lining.


The 'Return to Tara' hat sold for $25,000 with eleven bidders vying for it. Vivien Leigh holds this hat in the scene where she and Rhett have returned from their honeymoon.


From the auction's website: Grayish-beige silk, gathered top, ruffled brim, two trailing pieces of fabric at back, 'Selznick Int. Pictures Inc.' label reads "Scarlett / 20-108-WW-435," another label reads "SL 74.153.1...



Olivia de Havilland, as Melanie Hamilton, is pictured below wearing her black bonnet. The bonnet, made from black silk, sold for $30,000 at this past weekend's auction. Melanie wears this hat while she and Scarlett search for Ashley's name (and thankfully don't find it) on the recently deceased list handed out to the public. Then later, the bonnet is seen on Scarlett as she's fleeing a burning Atlanta with Rhett, Melanie, Beau and Prissy.



From the auction's website: Interestingly, in Margaret Mitchell's book, Scarlett takes Melanie's hat from the hall table as she and the others make their escape. David O. Selznick, being the stickler for detail he was, had the hat made and sized for De Havilland and then had Leigh use the same one for her scenes, knowing it wouldn't fit her correctly as it wasn't supposed to as it wasn't her hat!


Melanie's hand-knit sweater sold for $18,750. From the auction's website: Gray wool with maroon trim at collar, on front, and on cuffs, three-quarter length butterfly sleeves, front portion purposely longer than back of sweater, two small front pockets with maroon wool bow appliqué, two decorative maroon wool buttons on front, hidden snap and hook-and-eye closures.



Olivia de Havilland as Melanie and Leslie Howard as Ashley greet each other at the train station. Ashley's received a few days furlough for the Christmas Holidays. The sweater is seen again as Belle Watling, played by Ona Munson, meets Melanie outside the hospital.


This scarf and brooch set, also Melanie's, sold for $10,000. Another hand-knitted item, the scarf, now faded to purple, was made from navy blue wool and featured gray trim. The scarf was also used in auditions for the part of Melanie. 

Olivia de Havilland originally gifted this cameo brooch to her stand-in, Ann Robinson, from whom James Tumblin acquired it.


Ashley Wilkes' Confederate uniform, minus its gold stars, sold for $16,250. Ashley, played by Leslie Howard, wears this uniform when he returns to Tara, after the end of the war. From the auction's website: The jacket made of wool (now gray due to fading but originally blue), yellow wool collar and cuffs, decorative yellow detail on sleeves, seven button front closure (four buttons missing), blue wool patch on right elbow, purposely distressed with stitching, staining, and holes, 'Selznick Int. Pictures Inc.' label reads "20-108-M-33," inside right sleeve has a 'Western Costume Co.' stamp; together with a pair of purposely distressed uniform pants with numerous holes, patches, and stitching evident as well as a tattered hem, 'Western Costume Co.' label and stamp in waistband.



Ona Munson played Belle Watling in Gone With the Wind. One of her best known outfits is this red velvet costume she wears to visit Rhett while he's in jail, just after Scarlett has left. Only the top half was available for auction, fetching $15,000. I think Belle would be proud.


From the auction's website: Red velvet, ruffled hems, white hair trim at collar, on front hem, and on upper back, white lace trim at cuffs, four button front faux closure, hidden hook-and-eye closures, 'Western Costume Co.' label reads "#41;" together with a matching white hair muff, secret pocket inside with a zip-up closure.


Adorable Cammie King was selected to play Scarlett and Rhett's daughter, Bonnie Blue Butler. Her fatal riding habit went for $15,000. The hat and gloves are not the original ones Cammie wears in the movie, but are replacements.


From the auction's website: Teal blue velvet, long sleeves, 12 button front closure, lace collar, ruffle at front waist, peplum in back, numerous hidden hook-and-eye closures, 'Selznick Int. Pictures Inc.' label reads "Bonnie / 108 W.W.-470;" included with a reproduction hat made of similar teal blue velvet and adorned with a red feather.



Additional information on other pieces from Gone With the Wind sold during this auction can be found at Heritage Auctions. Pictures of the costumes are from Heritage Auction's website.