FROM THE ARCHIVES: GENE KELLY & VERA-ELLEN

Gene Kelly's widow Patricia recently posted this telegram from Vera-Ellen to Gene. Such great memorabilia from March 28, 1949...

MEMORABILIA CORNER: JOAN CRAWFORD

Amazingly this dress from 1945's Mildred Pierce sold for $27,500 in 2016. Despite being a stunning piece of movie memorabilia, it has beenre-dyed at some point in its history and therefore, biddersshowed reluctance.

The dress was originally white, but was dyed to a flesh colour at Warner Bros., presumably for use in another film. It has also been altered and the original belt was missing, replaced with a later example.

Mildred Pierce (1945) was directed by Casablanca's Michael Curtiz, and is considered Joan Crawford's defining role. Her first film for Warner Bros. after leaving MGM, it earned her the Best Actress award at the 1946 Academy Awards, as well as the title of Queen of the Movies...

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MEMORABILIA CORNER: JUDY GARLAND

Here is a wonderful wedding gown worn by Judy Garland in the much-loved 1946 MGM musical classic The Harvey Girls. The gown is a creme-colored (Hollywood white) silk wedding gown with ornate puffy shoulders, lace sleeves and lace trim on the front. A handwritten cloth label sewn into the zipper lining reads “1348-9123 Judy Garland”

Garland played Susan Bradley in this film classic that tells the story of a mail order bride who makes her way out west under a mistaken offer of marriage and instead joins a group of young women who are opening a Harvey House in the wild west.

MEMORABILIA CORNER: FRED ASTAIRE

This pair of brown suede tap shoes worn by Fred Astaire date from the 1930s. We are still working to determine exactly when and where they were worn. Several biographers of Fred Astaire have noted his perfectionist tendencies. He reportedly practiced, practiced and practiced again to achieve his fluid, elegant dance persona. These well-worn shoes bear witness to this effort.

Even today, Astaire is considered a style icon. He is often remembered in elegant formal dress, as he wore in the 1935 film Top Hat. In his 1959 autobiography, Astaire admitted his dislike of formal wear, writing, "At the risk of disillusionment, I must admit that I don't like top hats, white ties and tails."1 He was fastidious about his wardrobe and had strong ideas about how men should dress. In an extensive GQ interview from August 1957, Astaire detailed his style preferences, including his taste in tie width, shirt cuffs, and tailoring. Most notable is Astaire's preference for using silk handkerchiefs instead of belts!  By the time he first appeared in a Hollywood film in 1933, Fred Astaire was already an experienced and popular performer...

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MEMORABILIA CORNER: ROBERT PRESTON

This coat that Robert Preston wore in 1961's The Music Man sold for $2500 in November of 2013...

Warner Bros., 1961. Reversible jacket, exterior is green wool blazer-style with sewn-down lapels and collar, and three buttons, the reverse is a drum major style red collarless jacket with olive green panels and gold trim. No labels present. Preston wears this jacket at the town hall meeting when he convinces the people that he should start a boys' marching band, changing into his drum major jacket and singing "76 Trombones."

The Music Man was written by Meredith Wilson and began its Broadway run in 1957, becoming a critical and commercial success, and winning five Tony Awards including Best Musical. Preston originated the role of Harold Hill on Broadway and the stage show's director, Morton DaCosta, also produced and directed the film version. The Music Man was nominated for six Academy Awards®, including Best Picture and Best Costume for Dorothy Jeakins. In 2005, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry...