The finest and most desirable item in Hollywood collecting -- the original Oscar awarded to Orson Welles for best "Original Screenplay" for "Citizen Kane." This Oscar statue, awarded by The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is the very same statue presented to Orson Welles on 26 February 1942 at the Biltmore Hotel. Now widely accepted as the greatest motion picture in the history of cinema the world over, "Citizen Kane" was nominated in nine categories at the 14th Academy Awards, though this was the masterpiece's singular win. It is also the only Oscar for a Welles film, won by the first-time director who was able to execute his vision for the film with unheard-of final cut privilege granted by RKO Pictures. Welles' revolutionary camera, sound, and editing techniques are often cited as evidence of Citizen Kane's ground-breaking contribution to the universal language of cinema. The multiple controversies the movie ignited at the time of its release were eclipsed only by its ultimate grand scale success. Welles stars in the film, portraying a character whose personal happiness and moral fibre deteriorate as his wealth and power skyrocket - a character based recognizably on publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst. Feeling exposed by its depiction of his affair with Marion Davies, Hearst leveraged his clout and fortune to wage war on the picture. This, coupled with Welles' shockingly unconventional filmmaking style, alienated enough of the general public to thwart box office success. Hearst's threats to the industry also spoiled the film's reception in Hollywood, with the exception of some critics whose reviews acknowledged Citizen Kane's weighty merit. The movie's legacy of on and offscreen drama has beset even the award itself; for years it had gone missing and the Academy issued a replacement to Beatrice Welles, Orson's youngest daughter and sole heir. The original had all along been in the possession of cinematographer Gary Graver, who tried to sell it in 1994. Beatrice learned of her father's treasure resurfacing and filed suit in California, stopping the sale, and returning this precious piece to the Welles family, who displayed it at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003. Complete chain of ownership will be provided to the winning bidder. The provenance is currently from a private collection. Two engraved plaques are placed on opposite sides of the Belgian marble pedestal. One reads, "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences / First Award / 1941". The other reads, "Academy First Award To Orson Welles / For Writing / Original Screenplay of 'Citizen Kane'". The figure and film reel, composed of gold-plated britannium measuring 10.5" tall, top the pedestal, bringing the total height to 12". The pedestal's diameter measures 5.25". The award weighs 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Some tarnishing to statue, primarily to the leg area of the figure. The green felt backing under the pedestal is worn away around the edge. Overall in very good condition. A spectacular tribute to the visionary director and screenwriter, Orson Welles, and to the film he brought to life.

This item sold for $861,542.00

An incredible piece of Hollywood history and memorabilia. The only Oscar won by "Citizen Kane," voted the greatest American film of all-time by the American Film Institute. Mankiewicz received the award for best original screenplay with the visionary director, writer and actor, Orson Welles, on 26 February 1942 at the Biltmore Hotel. The duel credit to Welles and Mankiewicz would be hotly disputed by both parties, critics and their peers. Influential film critic Pauline Kael attributed Kane's screenplay to Mankiewicz, particularly offensive to the "one man band" credit Welles was receiving for the film. Rumors materialized publicly that Welles had tried to pay Mankiewicz off, in exchange for Welles to take all the credit for himself. Mankiewicz stated in a letter to his father, "The fact is that there isn't one single line in the picture that wasn't in writing - writing from and by me - before ever a camera turned." The Screen Writers Guild ended the initial debate by decreeing a joint credit on the film but historians still debate whose hand penned which lines of the seminal 1941 masterpiece. Two engraved plaques are placed on opposite sides of the Belgian marble pedestal. One reads, "Academy of / Motion Picture / Arts and Sciences / First Award / 1941". The other reads, "Academy First Award / To / Herman J. Mankiewicz / For Writing / Original Screenplay of / 'Citizen Kane'". The figure and film reel, composed of gold-plated britannium measuring 10.5" tall, top the pedestal, bringing the total height to 12". The pedestal's diameter measures 5.25". The award weighs 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Some tarnishing to statue, primarily to the leg area of the figure. The green felt backing under the pedestal is slightly wearing away around the edge. Overall in very good condition.

This item sold for $588,454.80

Oscar statue awarded to Joan Crawford for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role as the title character in the 1945 film "Mildred Pierce". Joan Crawford currently ranks in the American Film Institute's top ten actresses in the history of cinema. After rocketing to stardom in MGM's pictures "Sally, Irene and Mary," "Our Dancing Daughters" and "Untamed," Crawford became one of the biggest movie stars of the day, the flapper ideal for the modern woman. Her reign as so-called "Queen of the Movies" spanned the entire Great Depression era. She left MGM for Warner Brothers in 1943 and then, despite rumors that her career was over, convinced director Michael Curtiz, who had just won the Oscar for "Casablanca," to cast her in the lead role as "Mildred Pierce." The murder mystery film was adapted to the screen from the James M. Cain novel of the same name and produced by Jerry Wald and Jack Warner. Crawford's character is the subject and driving force of the noir film, a divorced woman enslaved by her need to gain the approval of her spoiled, elitist teenage daughter, Veda. Ann Blyth plays Veda, and herself was Oscar-nominated for her supporting role. Joan Crawford's role as Mildred Pierce was regarded as her triumphant comeback, and indeed, the winning of this Oscar ultimately proved to be the true pinnacle of her extraordinary Hollywood career; it is considered one of the Best Actress performances of all time. The plaque affixed to the front of the base is engraved: "Academy First Award / To / Joan Crawford / For Her Performance In / 'Mildred Pierce'". Gold-plated statue of "Oscar" standing on a film reel measures 10.25" in height atop a round black base to an overall height of 13.25". Base measures 5.5" in diameter. Statue weighs 6 lbs. 2 oz. Light speckling and rubbing to finish and scattered chips to base, else near fine. With provenance from Christie's.

This item sold for $426,732.00

The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, awarded in 1971 to influential economist Simon Kuznets, inventor of the Kuznets Curve in 1955. Kuznets is credited with inventing a quantitative method for correlating per capita income to economic inequality over time, as a country's economic growth matures. In the ceremony on 11 December 1971, the Nobel Prize committee awarded Kuznets the Nobel Prize for his ''empirically founded interpretation of economic growth which has led to new and deepened insight into the economic and social structure and process of development''. 23K gold medal prominently bears the image of Alfred Nobel upon the obverse, with ''Sveriges Riksbank Till Alfred Nobels Minne 1968'' applied in raised letters, encircling the medal. ''Simon Kuznets 1971'' is engraved to the rim, and the medal's reverse contains the north star emblem of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, with the phrase ''Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien'' applied. Housed in the original red leather case with Kuznets' name gilt stamped. Medal weighs 7.25 oz. and measures 2.5'' in diameter, consistent with the original Nobel Prizes awarded in 1971. Case measures 5.5'' x 5.5'' x 1''. Accompanied by a copy of the Nobel Prize speech owned and annotated by Kuznets. This is the sixth Nobel Prize ever sold at auction, and the first in the category of Economic Sciences. Presented in near fine condition. With an LOA from the consignor, Simon Kuznets' son.br>
This item sold for $390,848.00

A magnificent trophy from the golden age of Hollywood: the original Best Picture Oscar awarded to "Cavalcade" at the The Ambassador Hotel on 16 March 1934. This Oscar is from only the sixth Academy Award ceremony, a time when Oscars were held every other year. The ceremony is remembered for the mistake made by Will Rogers when presenting the award for Best Director. Rogers announced, "Come and get it Frank!" Confident of winning, nominee Frank Capra marched to the stage only to discover Rogers had meant the actual winner, Frank Lloyd for "Cavalcade." Rogers quickly called on third nominee George Cukor to join them on stage and ease the embarrassment. This Oscar was Fox Studio's first Best Picture accolade of a total of eight wins, seven of which were achieved after the company's merger with 20th Century. Cavalcade, based on the original play by Noel Coward, centers around the life of a wealthy London family set to a backdrop of major historical events including The Boer Wars, the sinking of the Titanic and World War I. Engraved plaque reads, "Academy of / Motion Picture / Arts and Sciences / First Award / 1933". A circular plaque underneath the statue has the words engraved, "Academy First Award / to / Fox Film Corporation / for the production / of / 'Cavalcade'". The figure and film reel, composed of gold-plated britannium measuring 10.5" tall, top the pedestal, bringing the total height to 12". The pedestal's diameter measures 5.25". The award weighs 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Some expected wear to statue and red felt backing under the pedestal is wearing away around the edge. Overall in very good condition.

This item sold for $332,164.80