Hollywood Prop House Will Close After 40 Years
Online Auction Offers Film & TV Fans A Chance To Own History
Jul 26, 2009
Almost 100,000 pieces of Hollywood history will go on the auction block on July 28 - August 1 beginning at 9:30 am (PDT) each day. A special webcast auction preview will be held on July 25 & July 27 according to the website. The actual sale will take place simultaneously on location at 20th Century Props and on the web. Starting on August 3, a series of scheduled online sales will begin. Potential buyers can bid on these items througout the week.
Props that were used on films such as Cleopatra, Titanic, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Moulin Rouge, and The Mask will be sold. A downloadable brochure is available which details all of the items that will go on the block. Items will include actual sets, replicas of sets, signage, miniatures, furniture, art, musical instruments, movie figures, mannequins, and photos. Items of special note include a desk that was owned by Howard Hughes and used in the film The Aviator, a throne that was used by Claudette Colbert in the original Cleopatra, and an armchair that was used by Marilyn Monroe in multiple films.
All web sales will be charged a 13% sales commission plus local taxes. Items can be shipped worldwide.
Hollywood Business Is Changing
Harvey Schwartz, owner of 20th Century Props, told the NY Times that the decline in movie and tv filming in Hollywood has cut his business revenue over fifty percent this year. Last year he saw sales decline thirty percent less than 2007.
The exodus of production from California to foreign countries and other states such as Michigan and Florida is due to the fact that these areas have passed legislation which makes filming easier and more profitable. Fewer permits, bigger tax breaks, and cheaper location costs are major reasons why less entertainment is actually made in Los Angeles. New California legislation will grant production breaks for filmmakers beginning in 2011. For many businesses like 20th Century Props, it will be a solution that comes too late.
There are still working independent prop houses in Hollywood. Also, Sony, Universal, and Warner Brothers Studios also have prop departments that are open to the public for rental. The closing of 20th Century Props will not eliminate set dressing options for filmmakers but it is another loss for the entertainment industry.
In this case, the loss will at least be a gain for collectors who want to own a small piece of Hollywood history.
