A John Wayne Group of Set Stills from His Films

A John Wayne Group of Set Stills from His Films Including Born to the West, The Shepherd of the Hills, Hatari!, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Donovan's Reef, McLintock!, The Sons of Katie Elder, and El Dorado. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs in each film folder. Born to the West (Paramount Pictures, 1937). Starring John Wayne. Director Charles Barton. Approximately 20 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some with 'Set Dressing (36)' stamped to verso. The Shepherd of the Hills (Paramount Pictures, 1941). Starring John Wayne. Director Henry Hathaway. Approximately 120 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, many with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso, one featuring Harry Carey. Hatari! (Paramount Pictures, 1962). Starring John Wayne. Director Howard Hawks. Approximately 120 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in. (approximately 20 are of automobiles), some date stamped (March-May 1961) to verso, 5 featuring John Wayne (one in which he plays chess on set) and 3 featuring Red Buttons. Together with a black-and-white negative of an automobile, 8 x 10 in.; 5 black-and-white negatives of automobiles, 4 x 5 in.; 2 color transparencies of automobiles, 4 x 5 in.; and a Polaroid photo of a truck, 3 x 4 in. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Paramount Pictures, 1962). Starring John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart. Director John Ford. Approximately 120 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many date stamped (Sept.-Nov. 1961) and with 'Script' stamped to verso, one featuring director John Ford and one featuring Vera Miles. Together with 3 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. Donovan's Reef (Paramount Pictures, 1963). Starring John Wayne. Director John Ford. Approximately 190 silver gelatin photographs, 4 x 5 in., many date stamped (Aug.-Sept. 1962) and with 'Script' stamped to verso, one featuring director John Ford. Together with 7 color transparencies, 4 x 5 in.; 7 contact prints, 2.25 x 2.25, two featuring Dorothy Lamour; 2 larger photos, 8 x 10 in.; and a group of very faded Polaroid photos. McLintock! (Paramount Pictures, 1963). Starring John Wayne. Director Andrew McLaglen. Approximately 110 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in. Together with 10 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in.; and 24 color negatives, 2.25 x 2.25 in. The Sons of Katie Elder (Paramount Pictures, 1965). Starring John Wayne, Dean Martin. Directed by Henry Hathaway. Approximately 50 silver gelatin photographs, 4 x 5 in., some date stamped (Jan. 1965) to verso. Together with 25 smaller (fading) photos, 4.25 x 3.25 in., a few featuring Dean Martin. El Dorado (Paramount Pictures, 1966). Starring John Wayne. Director Howard Hawks. Approximately 80 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., some date stamped (Dec. 1965) to verso, one featuring John Wayne. Together with approximately 40 smaller color photographs, 3.5 x 4.5 to 4 x 5 in., 2 featuring John Wayne (one with Robert Mitchum) and one featuring Ed Asner; 2 smaller black-and-white photographs, 3.75 x 3.75 in., one featuring director Howard Hawks; and a group of very faded Polaroid photos. 'The Duke,' John Wayne, had a long association with Paramount Pictures which had its beginning in such films as Shepherd of the Hills (1941) and Cecil B. deMille's epic film, Reap the Wild Wind (1942), but the Westerns in which he later appeared at Paramount are those favored by his many fans. Films such as The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), McLintock! (1963), and El Dorado (1966) provide a snapshot of Wayne's roles as the Western leading man who is a hero, but one with flaws. He won an Academy Award for his role as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (1969) and would appear in a sequel of sorts with Katharine Hepburn in 1975's Rooster Cogburn, his penultimate film. 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