A Cecil B. deMille Group of Set Stills from His Films

A Cecil B. deMille Group of Set Stills from His Films Including The Sign of the Cross, This Day and Age, Four Frightened People, The Buccaneer, Union Pacific, Reap the Wild Wind, The Story of Dr. Wassell, Samson and Delilah, The Greatest Show on Earth, and The Ten Commandments. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs in each film folder. The Sign of the Cross (Paramount Pictures, 1932). Starring Fredric March. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 30 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., some with photographer 'A.E. Freudeman' stamped to verso, one featuring Fredric March. This Day and Age (Paramount Pictures, 1933). Starring Charles Bickford. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 55 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., some with photographer 'A.E. Freudeman' stamped to verso. Four Frightened People (Paramount Pictures, 1934). Starring Claudette Colbert. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 25 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with photographer 'A.E. Freudeman' stamped to verso. The Buccaneer (Paramount Pictures, 1938). Starring Starring Fredric March. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 115 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., most with location descriptions to border, some with 'Set Dressing (36)' stamped to verso. Union Pacific (Paramount Pictures, 1939). Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 250 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, many with 'Set Dressing (36)' stamped to verso. Reap the Wild Wind (Paramount Pictures, 1942). Starring Ray Milland, John Wayne. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 225 gelatin silver photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, many stamped 'Interior Decorating (36)' to verso, featuring various scene setups including the barrel room, the courtroom, the ship deck, the coffee house, the ship galley, most with the scene identification chalkboards indicating the production number and director Cecil B. deMille's name and other details, a few featuring the stars of the film including John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Robert Preston, and Ray Milland. The Story of Dr. Wassell (Paramount Pictures, 1944). Starring Gary Cooper. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 250 silver gelatin photographs, 4 x 5 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (July-Sept. 1943), some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso, one featuring director Cecil B. deMille and 11 featuring Gary Cooper. Together with 25 larger photos, 8 x 10 in. Samson and Delilah (Paramount Pictures, 1949). Starring Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 125 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with 3-hole punches to border, some date stamped (Dec. 1954) to verso, many of horses and chariots with stamped and handwritten details to verso, 2 featuring Victor Mature and 2 featuring Hedy Lamarr (one with director Cecil B. deMille). Together with 135 silver gelatin photographs, 4 x 5 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (Dec. 1948), some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso, several featuring both Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature, one featuring Angela Lansbury, and one featuring George Sanders and Henry Wilcoxon together. Together with 27 black-and-white negatives, 4 x 5 in. The Greatest Show on Earth (Paramount Pictures, 1953). Starring Jimmy Stewart, Betty Hutton, Charlton Heston. Director Cecil B. deMille. Two Folders: Approximately 350 silver gelatin photographs, 4 x 5 in., most with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (Feb.-April 1951) and some with 'Interior Decorating' stamped to verso, several featuring Jimmy Stewart, Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, and Dorothy Lamour. Together with 240 larger photos, 8 x 10 in., some featuring Heston, Hutton, Stewart, and Cornel Wilde. The Ten Commandments: Paramount Pictures, 1956. Starring Charlton Heston. Director Cecil B. deMille. Approximately 100 silver gelatin photographs, 7 x 9.5 in. to 8 x 10 in., many with studio keybook 3-hole punches in border, many date stamped (1954-1955) or stamped 'Script' or 'Paramount Pictures Corporation / Research Department' to verso, featuring various scene setups, many with horses and camels used in the film, chariots and chariot race outdoor sets, tomb interiors, many with background actors on the outdoor sets (including a glimpse of Henry Wilcoxon), many with the scene identification chalkboards indicating the scene and director, Cecil B. deMille. Cecil B. deMille continues to wear the crown of King of Epic Films due to his sometimes-too-long but always entertaining films (often based on Biblical stories) including Samson and Delilah (1949) and The Ten Commandments (1956), but he was also responsible for unforgettable classics which explored such diverse topics as the evolution of transportation (Union Pacific [1939]), heroism (The Story of Dr. Wassell [1944]), the circus (The Greatest Show on Earth [1952]), and many more. Let's not forget that his directorial debut was The Squaw Man (1914), the first feature film to be shot in Hollywood (the actual barn in which it was shot is now the Hollywood Heritage Museum in Hollywood). DeMille was then and remains a true Hollywood legend whose contributions to the film industry are incalculable. 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 For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing