Premiere Props, known in this art market as a company that holds a lot of low end auctions with great frequency, actually sold a piece this weekend for $344,000 (including fees) to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in their Hollywood Extravaganza XVII sale. The piece was a model of the Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle from Stanley Kubrick’s science fiction classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. An interesting development for a number of reasons… 1) Premiere Props usually does not sell high end (six figure) material, 2) AMPAS has already gone public about being the buyer, and 3) who were the underbidders? [Read more…]
CNN Visits Warner Bros’ “Secret Movie Prop Archives” [Video]
CNN recently paid a visit to their “corporate cousin” and the Warner Bros. Archives in the UK – reported as the first such visit by mainstream media that has featured authorized video of the facility within it’s “secret London location”. While this resulted in just 23 still photos and a short 3-minute video barely touches on the 10,000 props and 3,000 costumes within the “vault”, it is worth a look for sure. [Read more…]
“Bond in Motion” 007 James Bond Movie Prop Car Exhibition at the London Film Museum at Covent Garden
I am in London currently, and had an opportunity to drop by the fantastic new “Bond in Motion” exhibit at London Film Museum in Covent Garden. The brilliant exhibition features cars used in James Bond films over the past 50 years, as well as some key movie props and costumes from the 007 franchise. I’ve always been a huge fan of London Film Museum and their mission, and as always they have put together a great collection of film memorabilia in a classy and artful way – they are really the best in the business when it comes to displaying pop culture artifacts. [Read more…]
Profiles in History Gobbles Up “Hollywood Parts”, Refashions as “Hollywood P.R.I.M.E.”, and Takes Aim at Premiere Props?
Mike Filonczuk today announced the closure of his business, Hollywood Parts, and his new venture with industry heavyweight Profiles History: Hollywood P.R.I.M.E. (Production Resources International Management for Entertainment). While details are sparse and the former company’s website is now gone, based on their own description, it looks like the event auction house is looking to move into territory and business models more akin to competitors like VIP Fan Auctions and Premiere Props (while Premiere Props has become more Profiles in History-like with their off-eBay event auctions with consignor material in recent years). It will be interesting to see how it all plays out over the coming years, assuming Hollywood P.R.I.M.E. has more longevity than other efforts to branch out by both auction houses (such as the Hollywood Treasure cable television series, authentication efforts launched by Profiles years ago with the Dracula poster debacle, and Premiere Props and their own Movie Props DNA quietly launched and quickly abandoned last year). [Read more…]
Fascinating, Candid, and Revealing Interview with Tracey McCall of ‘Hollywood Treasure’ on Reality Television and Profiles in History
Movie Room Reviews today published a great interview with Tracey McCall of SyFy’s ‘Hollywood Treasure which was refreshingly candid, honest, and revealing, and on many fronts reinforces some of my opinions about aspects of the “reality” show about the principals and “characters” working (and acting) for Profiles in History, the auction house portrayed in the entertainment television series. [Read more…]
The Harry Crocker Museum: The First Movie Prop Museum? Any Records, Information, or Photos? Whereabouts of Classic Hollywood Artifacts?
I came across a post on NitrateVille.com asking about The Harry Crocker Museum – described as “The First Museum Dedicated To Famous Movie Props” – and I’d never heard of it. Other than an issue of Photoplay dated December 1928, I could have no record of its very existence. I would be curious if anyone has any additional information about this museum, or if any of the material on display or referenced in the article still exists. [Read more…]
D23 Presents “Armchair Archivist: Avengers Edition” Video Interview with Kevin Feige
Josh with Disney D23 has published a great video featuring an interview with Kevin Fiege, Producer of The Avengers and President of Marvel Studios. They take a tour of props and costumes from films set in the Marvel Universe. [Read more…]
HollywoodPatch Reports Lawsuit Filed Against Profiles in History Over Hollywood Treasure TV Show Concept
HollywoodPatch today published a report that Erik Anderson filed a lawsuit against Profiles in History, Joe Maddalena, and producers Shevick*Zupon Entertainment and Zupon Entertainment over the idea for their SyFy television series, Hollywood Treasure. Per their article, Mr. Anderson claims to have pitched Mr. Maddalena the idea for a show with the same concept, which he called Hollywood Forgotten, in October 2009, and he also published four episodes of his show on YouTube. [Read more…]