A Group of Set Stills from A Place in the Sun

A Group of Set Stills from A Place in the Sun Paramount Pictures, 1951. Comprising approximately 225 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with 3-hole punches to border, some date stamped (Oct.1949) to verso, several featuring Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters, director George Stevens, and Raymond Burr. Together with 130 silver gelatin photographs, all 4 x 5 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, many date stamped (Oct. 1949) and many with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso, several featuring Elizabeth Taylor, Clift, and Stevens. The photographs exhibit various scene setups including the Eastman home, the courthouse, the Vickers' lake home, Angela's bedroom, the boat landing, the jail, the roadside inn, and many more, some with scene identification chalkboards indicating the production number and director George Stevens' name and other details. Together with a group of silver gelatin photographs of generic factory scenes (likely for research purposes), 8 x 10 in.; and a group of very faded Polaroid photos. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs. Was there ever a more physically beautiful screen team than Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun? There was more to their relationship, however; Taylor claimed that Clift inspired her to become a better actress, and this is evident in the film and in the fact that she later went on to win two Academy Awards® for Best Actress. George Stevens directed this drama based on the book, An American Tragedy, about a young man who becomes enamored of a beautiful socialite and the world in which she lives. Shelley Winters perfectly captures her role as the plain factory girl who gets pregnant by Clift and is bereft after he loses interest in her. The film earned 6 Academy Awards® including Best Director for Stevens. 8 x 10 in. and 4 x 5 in. 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