Lot 295
Rare Contracts/Letters by Oscar Winning Greats Including Oscar Hammerstein, Cahn / Van Heusen and Dimitri Tiomkin. Three rare contracts/letters from music greats with career long involvement in film. First a contract for the rights to what ultimately became the winner of the Best Song Oscar in 1959 for the song "High Hopes" memorably sung by Frank Sinatra and featured in the comedy, A HOLE IN THE HEAD starring Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson and Eleanor Parker and directed by the great Frank Capra. Four page contract dated 12/23/58 is signed by composer Jimmy Van Heusen, lyricist Sammy Cahn and by director, Frank Capra, for Frank Capra Productions for the production and use of "High Hopes" in Capra's film. "High Hopes" factored in a year later with Sinatra re-recording the lyrics and was used for John F. Kennedy's Presidential Campaign. In excellent condition. Second a typed letter signed by Oscar Hammerstein to Eddie Cantor dated Feb. 2, 1949 requesting him to accept an honorary committee position to keep the works of Ira Gershwin alive with a concert at Carnegie Hall and is signed "Oscar" typed on personal stationery. Finally, a rare contract agreement by acclaimed Russian-American composer and conductor, know for some of the most memorable scores in motion pictures from the 1930s through the 1960's including IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, John Wayne's THE ALAMO, GUNS OF NAVARONE, DIAL M FOR MURDER, RIO BRAVO, THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, literally too many to list. Here a 7 page original contract for his work to score William Wyler's classic, acclaimed film about pacifism and conflict within a Quaker family during the Civil War, FRIENDLY PERSUASION, which starred Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire. Tiomkin's work was nominated for two Academy Awards, Best Score and Best Song. In Tiomkin's career he was nominated for an Academy Award 14 times winning 4. Contract is signed by Tiomkin and by an executive with Allied Artists.
Estimated Value $300 - 400.
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| Realized $197 |
