Both Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, tragically passed away in December. Now, the estate is going to put the treasures that both women collected, up for auction. The Hollywood memorabilia includes the ruby shoes from The Wizard Of Oz , and a life-sized figurine of Princess Leia, along with other Star Wars treasures.
In an auction house statement made by Todd Fisher , Debbie Reynold’s son and Carrie Fisher’s brother, he explained the significance of this collection.
“My mother and sister were magnificent collectors, they amassed an amazing and diverse collection in their lifetimes. The size and scope of their collection rivals most museums. So in keeping with my mother’s wishes we have decided to share part of their magnificent collection with all their friends and fans.”
How did such a collection get amassed? Reynolds got the ball rolling early on. Reynolds began collecting memorabilia over 50 years ago. She saw so many treasures discarded after a movie finished filming, and realized the historical and sentimental value in them.
According to the Daily Mail, the turning point was in 1970, when the hobby became an exceptional collection of priceless Hollywood memorabilia. The pivotal moment was when MGM announced they would auction off everything on their lot, with the exception of their properties. Sensing that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, Reynolds offered MGM $5 million for the entire collection.
Unfortunately, they rejected her offer and proceeded to sell the entire lot to an auction house. Reynolds chose the pieces that she wanted, included the gold dress that Barbara Streisand wore in Hello Dolly. This is reportedly the most expensive garment ever created for a motion picture, costing $100,000 at the time of filming.
In Reynold’s collection, she had Judy Garland’s Dorothy blue and white gingham test dress, from the first two weeks of filming the classic Hollywood movie. The Singing In The Rain actress also preserved Marilyn Monroe’s iconic Subway Dress from The Seven Year Itch .
In 2011, Reynolds had to put these and other items up for auction, because the funding for a special museum she planned to display them all together, fell through. At this auction, she sold over 2,000 pieces of priceless Hollywood memorabilia. At that time, she was quite heartbroken that her collection had to be disrupted.
“I’m heartbroken. I don’t want to see the collection broken up. It should stay intact. It’s a real shame but that’s the way it’s going to be.”
Carrie Fisher obviously inherited her mother’s love of Hollywood nostalgia. As part of her collection, she has a special director’s chair from Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, along with other Star Wars collectables such as life-sized figures of Princess Leia, Yoda, and C-3PO. Star Wars fans are bound to want to bid!
The auction will be in Los Angeles on September 23, but those who are curious or interested in what items are being sold, as well as more details, the information is already online .
According to the auction house, a portion of the proceeds will go to two charities: Debby Reynolds’s charity, The Thalians, and The Jed Foundation, which is said to be selected by Debby Reynolds’ granddaughter, and Carrie Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd.
Soon, the 1928 estate that the mother and daughter lived on will also go on the auction block. The former owners of the hacienda-style home include Bette Davis and celebrated costume designer, Edith Head.
What about Carrie Fisher’s dog, Gary? What became of him? As Inquisitr previously reported, Fisher’s daughter, Billie Lourd was to take the Fisher’s beloved bulldog. Yet, TMZ recently reported that Corby McCoin, Carrie Fisher’s assistant, took the dog because he had such a close connection to her.
[Featured Image by Shaun Heasley/Getty Images]