A 'Red River D' Belt Buckle, 1946.
Rectangular in shape; made of sterling silver with a 'rope' trim and 14K gold details reading "Red D River / 1946 / NC" plus two wavy lines.
2" x 3 1/2"

This is one of the famous 'Red River D' belt buckles that director Howard Hawks had custom-made for the main players in the 1948 United Artists film, "Red River," starring John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, and Walter Brennan. Its design was based on the cattle brand that Wayne's character, "Thomas Dunson," used in the film. This particular buckle was given to Norman Cook, the production manager on "Red River" (later the Executive Vice-President and General Manager of Columbia Pictures), who was one of the few crew members to receive one due to his close friendship with Hawkes. Cook's daughter has consigned this piece directly to Heritage Auctions, where it's being seen outside the Cook family for the first time in decades. Interestingly, Wayne and Hawkes traded buckles with each other and Wayne ended up wearing Hawkes' buckle in countless films for the next 30 years.