English film director, producer and screenwriter Lewis Gilbert (1920-2018) is best known for his three 007 films – You Only Live Twice (1967), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979) – and Alfie (1966), which shot Michael Cane into stardom. Later successes included Educating Rita (1983) and Shirley Valentine (1989).
Lewis’ wife Hylda was very supportive of his career. As a theatre lover, Hylda was actively involved in spotting potential future films for her husband, a number of which ranked amongst Lewis' most successful titles. Hylda was born into an antique dealer’s family, her father owning a fashionable antique shop in Kensington’s Church Street who counted among his clients, H.M. Queen Mary and Gladys, Duchess of Marlborough. Hylda’s passion for antiques, combined with her eclectic taste and connoisseurship, is reflected in her design and home collectables, which are included in this two-part sale.
‘The Lewis Gilbert Film Script and Production Archive’ and ‘The Lewis & Hylda Gilbert Collection’ are going under the hammer on Tuesday 16 November 2021 at auction house Bellmans.
Among the highlights of the Film Script and Production Archive sale is playwright Bill Naughton’s autographed Alfie manuscript, along with letters and character notes.
The handwritten character notes, by Naughton and seemingly given to Gilbert, were made to assist Gilbert with preparation for the film. The notes largely comprise Naughton’s observations on Alfie’s personality and the delivery of his responses, and include some stage direction, costume and set details.
The letters comprise five one-page autograph letters from Naughton to Gilbert, all on Park-Sheraton Hotel New York headed stationery, and two file copy replies from Gilbert.
Also from the Alfie archives is an important collection of seventy black-and-white contact sheets, the majority featuring the main cast, including Michael Caine, Julia Foster, Shelley Winters, Eleanor Bron, Vivien Merchant and Jane Asher. Most were taken on set during filming, some shots 5.5 x 5.5 cm, others 2.5 x 3.5 cm. The majority of pages are complete – each page 26 x 20 cm – fitted in contemporary plastic sleeves contained in a red hardback binder.
For James Bond fans and collectors, the sale includes from You Only Live Twice a red scrapbook compiled by Hylda Gilbert. The seventeen pages are pasted with numerous press clippings and material relating to the premiere, such as tickets, timetables, press stills, telegrams, Polaroids, set photographs, reproductions and more.
Ever wondered how a film script evolves from early drafts?
Two separate mimeographed typescripts of Richard Maibaum’s screenplay The Spy Who Loved Me are for sale. Both are early variants of the film script and offer an interesting record of the development of the screenplay, including elements which were omitted from or adapted for use in the final version.
If you’re interested to know what these differences include, bid to find out.
Perhaps the most special of the James Bond memorabilia is this director’s version of the Moonraker script.
At 160 pages, it is fastened together with a hinged metal clasp between brown covers. It features no title page, and the first page incorrectly titled For Your Eyes Only, crossed out in pencil and inscribed in unknown hand MOONRAKER in pencil. There are seven pages with minor annotations in blue ballpoint pen in Gilbert’s hand, and the script comprises 1-623 numbered scenes.
Included with the lot bundle are a black-and-white press still of Lewis Gilbert with Cubby Broccoli, Roger Moore and Lois Chiles posing on a Parisian rooftop, and a signed autograph letter to Lewis Gilbert from his long-term collaborator Vernon Harris, dated 8.1.88.
Educating Rita was originally a play, commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and written by Willy Russell. It opened at The Warehouse in London in June 1980, before moving to The Piccadilly Theatre in September of that year.
On the strength of the rave reviews, Hylda Gilbert went to see the play while it was at the Warehouse. On her urging, Lewis went to see it shortly afterwards when it opened at the Piccadilly Theatre. Julie Walters starred as Rita in this original production opposite Mark Kingston as Frank. In his autobiography, Gilbert recalls: “... but up on that stage it was Julie’s show. I thought it was wonderful and knew I had to get in touch with the author right away.”
In the sale are two photograph albums compiled by Hylda, both labelled on the cover in Hylda’s hand, the first reads LOCATION RITA / IRELAND DUBLIN 1982… the second Ireland Educating Rita 1982-1983. Within the albums are colour snapshots, many on location and featuring a look behind the scenes, for example Julie Walters in hair and makeup.
16 November is the date to note for this exceptional cinematic sale, as well as the personal items from Lewis and Hylda’s home in Sheldrake Place, Kensington.
