1950 Edith Head "Sunset Boulevard" Production Sketch
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GUEST:
My husband and I collect costume sketches, and we have a dear friend that gave this to us as a gift, and he knew that it was our favorite movie.
APPRAISER:
How long ago did you get it?
GUEST:
Probably about five years ago. And, uh, he collects, as well, and he worked in the costume industry in Hollywood for years.
APPRAISER:
So that explains, perhaps, how he may have had access.
GUEST:
I believe so. We don't know the full story.
APPRAISER:
So we have a costume sketch, and it says right there what it is, Gloria Swanson, Sunset Boulevard, the 1950 film which had costumes designed by Edith Head. Edith Head's probably the most prolific costume designer on the planet-- she's won more Oscars for her costume designs than anyone. The first thing that we talk about when we deal with costume sketches-- especially with Edith Head, this is a big issue-- is it actually production?
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Or was it from one of her trunk shows? Because she was famous for doing these wonderful fashion shows in the 1960s, and she recreated a lot of the costume designs to put on display. One other thing that we see with Edith Head sketches is, oftentimes you see nice, big, bold Edith Head autographs, and we don't have that here. And to me, that's actually a good thing, because she did that consistently for all of the trunk show sketches, but none of that matters on this one, because we have this wonderful frame job that you did.
GUEST:
Thank you.
APPRAISER:
Which allows us to take a look at all of the information that's contained on the back of this. And what we see here is the absolute quintessential typical stamping system that Edith had used when she was at Paramount. Here you have the producer, the director listed, you have which fabric she's planning to order, the cost. You have the full time it's gonna take, 18 days to make this costume. Interestingly, they're going to rent the fur. So all of these things are absolutely 100%. There's no question this is a production sketch. But the information back on the front side of this that I like to look at... ...is the swatching. And we have that still that's attached to it, which is fantastic, because that is the scene in the film. Sunset Boulevard's obviously a classic, and it's this wonderful art imitating life...
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
...of following Gloria Swanson, who had a terrific career in silent films, into the talking era. And the woman that she plays, Norma Desmond, in this film, is not adjusting well to life with sound. By my count, I think she has 15 costume changes, and I think this comes in around number 12. So we're partway through the movie when she makes the famous return to Paramount Pictures to see Mr. DeMille. It was nominated for 11 Oscars and won three. It won for best screenplay, it won for best art direction, it won for best music, Franz Waxman. In the costume collecting world, you know, most sketches generally sell for under $500, depending upon who it is, and what it is, but then you have these pieces that are so iconic, that you know there would be a great deal of competition if it would ever come up at auction. And so I think, conservatively, I would put an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. And I wouldn't be shocked if it soared past that $15,000 towards the $20,000 mark.
GUEST:
More than I thought, so that's nice to know. Very exciting to hear that news, thank you.
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