DALLAS – A Hendee & Nelson Silver King bicycle, circa 1890s, is expected to headline a collection of items once owned by former actor Steve McQueen – one of three private celebrity collections – in Heritage Auctions’ Entertainment Signature Auction March 18 in Dallas. Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.
McQueen is one of several entertainment luminaries, whose personal collections will be among the coveted items in the sale, joining the likes of actors Farrah Fawcett and Bruce Willis. Personal property of actress/model Farrah Fawcett and actor/producer/singer Bruce Willis, among other entertainment luminaries, will be among the coveted items in the sale.
The bicycle, which is painted black, has solid rubber tires on wooden rims, a vintage leather seat, a portion of a 19th-century lantern attached to the front, nickel handlebars and a period-style hand-painted plaque that hangs from the cross bar that reads, “Steve McQueen” on each side. Partially restored by McQueen during the 1970s, the bicycle is accompanied by a later-made steel stand.
Other McQueen-owned items in the lot include but are not limited to:
· A collection of books, including a leather-bound script from The Great Escape (est. $10,000), a leather-bound script from The Magnificent Seven (est. $8,000) and a leather-bound script from The Towering Inferno (est. $6,000)
· A 1970s hunting knife (est. $5,000)
· A pair of 1979 pilot logbooks (est. $2,000)
· A Steve McQueen Screen Actors Guild card (est. $2,000)
· A cigarette lighter and pouch (est. $800)
Fawcett is one of the most well-known models and actresses from the second half of the 20th century, starring in such television hits as Charlie’s Angels and posing for a pinup poster in 1976 that became arguably the most popular such poster ever made.
But as it turns out, Fawcett also was a collector who gathered film scripts from the 1980s-2000s; television scripts from the 1980s-2000s; and a group of Rolodexes (1970s-1990s) that included a huge array of personal and professional contacts, including entertainment personalities like Warren Beatty, Candice Bergen, Milton Berle, Jacqueline Bisset, Dom DeLuise, Robert Downey Jr., Jane Fonda, John McEnroe, Liza Minelli, Sidney Poitier and Burt Reynolds.
Willis, who burst into the public eye as co-star of the 1980s television show Moonlighting and known best for his roles in the Die Hard movie series, has several items in the auction.
Among his top offerings is a French Movie Poster from Forbidden Planet (est. $3,000). This large-format poster (below) in French “grande” size (47 by 63 inches), from the 1956 Metro-Goldwyn film, features one of the most iconic images from the science fiction genre: Robbie the Robot carrying an unconscious beauty. All text, including the film’s title, is written in French. The poster includes a letter of authenticity signed by Willis.
Other Willis-owned items include, but are not limited to:
· A trimmed, linen-backed one-sheet movie poster (below) from Fighting Fool (Columbia, 1932): est. $1,500
· A 1928 Fresh Breeze Russian movie poster with Willis-signed letter of authenticity: est. $1,500
· An 1852 letter written and signed by Nathaniel Hawthorne: est. $800
· A 1959 contract signed by the Three Stooges: est. $600
A John Wayne twice-signed Mexican tourist ID card, 1972 (est. $6,000), includes the professional autograph of the legendary actor, director and producer whose given name was Marion Mitchell Morrison. Personal information, including his age (65) at the time the card was issued and his home address, also are noted.
A dress Elizabeth Taylor wore in Cleopatra (est. $4,000) is a mauve, floor-length, sleeveless silk chiffon with side slits to mid-thigh, adorned with sequins and silver thread forming shell-shaped patterns on the front and back bust. Taylor wore the gown – which appears more blue than mauve in the movie because of the lighting used in shooting – when she played the title role in the 1963 20th Century Fox epic.
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