A Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray Group of Set Stills from Their Films Together

A Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray Group of Set Stills from Their Films Together Including The Gilded Lily, The Bride Comes Home, Maid of Salem, No Time for Love, and Practically Yours. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs in each film folder. The Gilded Lily (Paramount Pictures, 1935). Starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray. Director Wesley Ruggles. Approximately 40 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, many with photographer 'A.E. Freudeman' stamped to verso. The Bride Comes Home (Paramount Pictures, 1935). Starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray. Director Wesley Ruggles. Approximately 35 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, many with photographer 'A.E. Freudeman' stamped to verso. Maid of Salem (Paramount Pictures, 1937). Starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray. Director Frank Lloyd. Approximately 55 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., most with location descriptions handwritten to border, some with photographer 'A.E. Freudeman' stamped to verso. No Time for Love (Paramount Pictures, 1942). Starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray. Director Mitchell Leisen. Approximately 135 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 Claudette Colbert. Together with 50 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. Practically Yours (Paramount Pictures, 1944). Starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray. Director Mitchell Leisen. Approximately 50 silver gelatin photographs, 4 x 5 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (March-April 1944) and some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso. Together with 30 larger photos, 8 x 10 in. Paramount Pictures unwittingly created an enduring screen team when they paired Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray in their first film together, The Gilded Lily (1935). Each had achieved individual success before this film, but the cozy and funny chemistry they shared delighted 1930s and '40s audiences. The Egg and I (1947) was one of their most popular comedies in which they struggle to raise chickens for a living (incidentally, the team of Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride as Ma and Pa Kettle had its inception in this film). Director Mitchell Leisen, who directed the duo in No Time for Love and Practically Yours, later recalled of MacMurray and Colbert: 'Fred and Claudette worked so wonderfully together. Many times when I was setting up the next scene, they'd go off in a corner and work it up themselves. They were talented natural performers.' 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