Dec 15, 2023 10:00 EST
Stage & Screen
5047
A fine association between Elia Kazan and Tallulah Bankhead
Estate / Collection: Property of Frances Kazan
BANKHEAD, TALLULAH and KAZAN, ELIA
A gold money clip with presentation inscription to Elia Kazan from Tallulah Bankhead. A gold money clip (stamped 14k), 2 x 1 inches (5 x 2 cm), inscribed "Gadget/December 1942/Tallulah" in a script replicating her hand, the verso with a seal of St. Christopher. Fine.
A remarkable Golden Age association item, a money clip gifted from Tallulah Bankhead to Elia Kazan during the production of “The Skin of Our Teeth”, which opened on Broadway on November 18th, 1942, and ran for 359 performances. The play, written by Thornton Wilder, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, was an allegory covering nearly 5000 years of human history that baffled critics. Bankhead notably showcased her skills as an actress, as the play demanded her to portray many different women throughout history from the Ice Age to Atlantic City. This was Bankhead's second great Broadway role, and she was awarded the Variety Award for Best Actress and the New York Drama Critics Award. The play was also the first major Broadway success for its director, Elia Kazan, who won the New York Drama Critic's Best Director award (in college, Kazan was given the nickname Gadget as he "was small, compact, and handy to have around"). On and off stage, Bankhead is known to have clashed with actors and the play's director, including distractingly brushing her lustrous blond locks on stage during actress Florence March's major scene in the dress rehearsal. For this, Kazan apparently lambasted her publicly, drawing applause from the audience. The money clip presented here is perhaps an olive branch of sorts for this incident and others, and is a fine association item between two of the top stars of the period.
Provenance: Property of Frances Kazan
Sold for $473
Estimated at $600 - $800
Includes Buyer's Premium
Estate / Collection: Property of Frances Kazan
BANKHEAD, TALLULAH and KAZAN, ELIA
A gold money clip with presentation inscription to Elia Kazan from Tallulah Bankhead. A gold money clip (stamped 14k), 2 x 1 inches (5 x 2 cm), inscribed "Gadget/December 1942/Tallulah" in a script replicating her hand, the verso with a seal of St. Christopher. Fine.
A remarkable Golden Age association item, a money clip gifted from Tallulah Bankhead to Elia Kazan during the production of “The Skin of Our Teeth”, which opened on Broadway on November 18th, 1942, and ran for 359 performances. The play, written by Thornton Wilder, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, was an allegory covering nearly 5000 years of human history that baffled critics. Bankhead notably showcased her skills as an actress, as the play demanded her to portray many different women throughout history from the Ice Age to Atlantic City. This was Bankhead's second great Broadway role, and she was awarded the Variety Award for Best Actress and the New York Drama Critics Award. The play was also the first major Broadway success for its director, Elia Kazan, who won the New York Drama Critic's Best Director award (in college, Kazan was given the nickname Gadget as he "was small, compact, and handy to have around"). On and off stage, Bankhead is known to have clashed with actors and the play's director, including distractingly brushing her lustrous blond locks on stage during actress Florence March's major scene in the dress rehearsal. For this, Kazan apparently lambasted her publicly, drawing applause from the audience. The money clip presented here is perhaps an olive branch of sorts for this incident and others, and is a fine association item between two of the top stars of the period.
Provenance: Property of Frances Kazan
Auction: Stage & Screen, Dec 15, 2023
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Third Annual Stage & Screen Auction on December 15, 2023 Surpasses Expectations!
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Art, Memorabilia, Autographs & Photographs of the Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance
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Held in Collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's third annual Stage & Screen auction on December 15, 2023 attracted determined competition from collectors and fans around the world resulting in a sale total that surpassed expectations! Held in collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund, the auction offered artwork, memorabilia, props, autographs and photographs from the vast history of the performing arts: Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance.
Recognizing the importance of the performing arts to the fabric of New York, and the terrible toll the pandemic and recent strikes have taken on the entertainment community, Doyle is proud to donate 10% of our profit from this auction to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Highlighting the sale was an important 1969 letter and drawing from rock legend Freddie Mercury to Ibex bandmate Mick "Miffer" Smith that soared past its $12,000-18,000 estimate to achieve $50,400. Penned a year before forming Queen, Mercury discusses seeing Led Zeppelin, his sexuality, his songwriting, and his early bands’, Ibex and Wreckage, upcoming performances. The letter is a tour-de-force of descriptive thought and shows his growing passion for writing music.
The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund)
A special section of the auction comprising lots 5001 - 5019 featured celebrity memorabilia presented by the Entertainment Community Fund. While a portion of proceeds from every item in the auction benefited the Fund, 100% of the hammer price of the lots in this section goes entirely to the Entertainment Community Fund.
A highlight of this section was the stunning pink double-breasted velvet tuxedo jacket worn by Daniel Craig to the world premiere of No Time To Die at London's Royal Albert Hall on September 28, 2021. With competition from both sides of the Atlantic, the tuxedo jacket sold for $10,710, more than doubling its $3,000-5,000 estimate.
Founded in 1882, the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization for performing arts and entertainment professionals. The Fund helps address the specific needs of those in the industry, with a unique understanding of the challenges involved in a life in the arts. Read More ►
We Invite You to Auction!
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a free auction estimate.
For information, please contact Peter Costanzo at 212-427-4141, ext 248, or email Peter.Costanzo@Doyle.com
