Hello Hollywood!

I was born in New York City, the Bronx. My brother was born in Manhattan, we moved to Los Angeles the summer I turned 6 years old. Mind you, I wouldn't have escaped my love of Hollywood glamour and film if we hadn't have moved here. I recall coming home from elementary school to the KCET Movie Matinee. My first memory of watching a classic film was from about 2nd or 3rd grade. I came home to my mother who gave me a snack and introduced me to Bette Davis. We watched Of Human Bondage and that pretty much says all you need to know about me....

I love Debbie Reynolds. From Tammy films, Singing in the Rain, the Singing Nun and the Unsinkable Molly Brown she is fabulous! Not to mention I loved her time on television show Will and Grace: Perfection. I love that she admits to having had her share of issues, I love that she forgave Liz Taylor for stealing her husband, and I love her most because she had the vision to keep and catalog the costumes that make up the visual wanderlust we call Hollywood. She personally salvaged wardrobes and props from studios in the last near 40 years including FOX and  MGM according to the Associated Press.

Debbie Reynolds still bright and beautiful with some of her collection. Associated Press Photo

Associated Press Photo

Sadly, no one stepped up to create  the museum of hollywood costumes, that Ms. Reynolds envisioned which has lead to one of the most amazing private hollywood memorabilia collections for sale. You probably have already heard about 4.6 million dollars paid for Marilyn Monroe's Subway dress from The Seven Year Itch. How about the 3.7 million for Audrey Hepburn's beautiful black and white ascot dress from My fair Lady? These figures do not including fees of nearing a million dollars to auction house, Profiles in History. All of the images below are from the Profiles in History Debbie Reynolds Auction catalog. The catalog is available for download here. Isn't that wonderful!

Below some of my favorite catalog picks and movie moments through costume. Feel free to share yours and comment dolls!

"Cleopatra" Claudet Colbert

"Wizard of Oz" Emerald City Jacket 

"The Sound of Music" Julie Andrews

"Gigi" Leslie Caron

"Stormy Weather" Lena Horne

"Blood and Sand" Rudolph Valentino

Custom tailored High School Graduation Dress, 1956 for Natalie Wood