A Danny Kaye Group of Set Stills from His Films

A Danny Kaye Group of Set Stills from His Films Including Knock on Wood, The Court Jester, The Five Pennies, and On the Double. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs in each film folder. Knock on Wood (Paramount Pictures, 1954). Starring Danny Kaye. Directors Melvin Frank, Norman Panama. Approximately 190 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., a few featuring Danny Kaye.; a smaller photograph, 4 x 5 in.; and a black-and-white negative, 8 x 10 in. The Court Jester (Paramount Pictures, 1956). Starring Danny Kaye. Directors Melvin Frank, Norman Panama. Approximately 90 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many date stamped (1954-1955) and stamped 'Script' to verso, 2 featuring Glynis Johns. Together with 22 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. The Five Pennies (Paramount Pictures, 1959). Starring Danny Kaye. Director Melville Shavelson. Approximately 140 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with 3-hole punches to border, many date stamped (Oct.-Nov. 1958) to verso, 2 featuring Danny Kaye and Barbara Bel Geddes together, 3 with Bel Geddes alone, and 2 featuring Tuesday Weld. On the Double (Paramount Pictures, 1961). Starring Danny Kaye. Director Melville Shavelson. Approximately 100 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with 3-hole punches in the border, many date stamped (Oct.-Dec. 1960) to verso, one featuring Dana Wynter. Together with 11 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in., 8 of which are wardrobe/hat test shots of Danny Kaye. Danny Kaye's tongue-twisting inimitable comedy took the 1940s public by storm when he appeared in his first feature film, Up in Arms (1944). Though he had appeared on Broadway prior to his film career, the masses had not yet been exposed to his very unique humor. Most of his original material was written by his wife, Sylvia Fine, and together they created a persona for Kaye that carried him through decades of show business triumphs. The Court Jester (1956), produced at Paramount Pictures, is the second most beloved of the films he made for the studio (the other being White Christmas [1954]), and it's no wonder. No one who sees it can ever forget the famous scene with Mildred Natwick and Glynis Johns as they try to explain to Kaye the tongue-twisting locations of the poison: 'The pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle!' 8 x 10 in. or smaller Footnotes: The collection of Paramount Pictures set stills that is being offered in this auction is an extraordinary historical archive from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. Sets stills were taken for continuity purposes and to document the arrangements of the sets and props, etc, during the making of a film. Not only does this collection photographically document the changes in filmmaking through the decades, it details the changing styles of architecture, interior design (the Art Deco sets from the 1930s are astonishingly beautiful), fashion, cars, and more. In the cases of location shooting, one can see the evolution of various southern California towns and landmarks, from the tony nightspots of Hollywood to the open spaces of Brentwood to the artistry of the Paramount Ranch. The photos give a unique behind-the-scenes look at the stars during filming; some vamp for the camera while others avoid it, some study their scripts or confer with the director, and some look incredibly bored. Equally interesting is the appearance of the stars' lookalike stand-ins and famous extras such as Bess Flowers. The unsung heroes of filmmaking, the crews, are seen as well, holding the booms, adjusting the lights, holding the clapper boards, and waiting, waiting, waiting. And speaking of unsung heroes, the talent, imagination, style, and creativity of the art directors and set decorators for these films cannot be overstated. Most of the fashion designers of the 1930s and '40s, such as Edith Head, are recognized for their contributions, as well they should be; however, the set decorators and art directors are grossly overlooked. Masters of their profession such as Hans Dreier, Robert Usher, William Flannery, Hal Pereira, Ernst Fegte, Sam Comer, Walter H. Tyler, A. Earl Hedrick, and so many others, deserve their place in the sun, and hopefully, the future owners of these historic photographs will appreciate their artistry. Lot to be sold without reserve. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing