A Veronica Lake Group of Set Stills from Her Films

A Veronica Lake Group of Set Stills from Her Films Including I Married a Witch, So Proudly We Hail, The Hour Before the Dawn, Bring on the Girls, Out of This World, Hold That Blonde!, Miss Susie Slagle's, The Sainted Sisters, and Isn't It Romantic. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs in each film folder. I Married a Witch (Paramount Pictures, 1942). Starring Veronica Lake, Fredric March. Director Rene Clair. Approximately 150 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., some with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso, one featuring Fredric March and Veronica Lake. So Proudly We Hail (Paramount Pictures, 1943). Starring Veronica Lake. Director Mark Sandrich. Approximately 75 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., some with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, many stamped 'Interior Decorating (36)' to verso, one featuring Paulette Goddard. Together with 4 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. The Hour Before the Dawn (Paramount Pictures, 1944). Starring Veronica Lake. Director Frank Tuttle. Approximately 85 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso. Together with approximately 40 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in., some date stamped (June 1943). Bring on the Girls (Paramount Pictures, 1945). Starring Veronica Lake. Director Sidney Lanfield. Approximately 50 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (Jan.-Feb. 1944) and some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso, 2 featuring Veronica Lake and 3 featuring Eddie Bracken. Together with 45 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in., 2 featuring Veronica Lake and 5 featuring Eddie Bracken. Out of This World (Paramount Pictures, 1945). Starring Veronica Lake. Director Hal Walker. Approximately 30 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x10 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (July 1944) and some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso. Together with approximately 25 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. Hold That Blonde! (aka Good Intentions) (Paramount Pictures, 1945). Starring Veronica Lake. Director George Marshall. Approximately 45 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso. Together with 5 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. Miss Susie Slagle's (Paramount Pictures, 1946). Starring Veronica Lake. Director John Berry. Approximately 65 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x10 in., many with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (Sept. 1944) and some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso, one featuring Lillian Gish. Together with approximately 80 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. The Sainted Sisters (Paramount Pictures, 1948). Starring Veronica Lake. Director William D. Russell. Approximately 100 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso. Isn't It Romantic (Paramount Pictures, 1948). Starring Veronica Lake. Director Norman Z. McLeod. Approximately 100 silver gelatin photographs, 4 x 5 in., almost all with location descriptions handwritten in ink to border, some date stamped (March 1948), some with 'Interior Decorating (36)' stamped to verso. Known as 'The Girl with the Peekaboo Bang,' Veronica Lake was one of Paramount Pictures' biggest moneymakers in the 1940s, particularly when she co-starred in a series of film noir films with the studio's other favored star, Alan Ladd. The diminutive blonde first captured attention in the Mitchell Leisen film, I Wanted Wings (1941), putting her with two of Paramount's up-and-coming actors, William Holden and Ray Milland. Arguably her best film was Preston Sturge's Sullivan's Travels that same year, as the wisecracking dame with a crush on Joel McCrea; the film was instrumental in launching her career. Lake's career continued through the 1940s but her roles became increasingly banal and she essentially retired in 1954 (with the exception of 2 low-budget films in 1966 and 1970). After her career was over, she became a barmaid for a time, much to everyone's surprise. 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