Palm Beach Modern Auctions received a lot of press in the mainstream media in the past few weeks for their red jacket attributed to the classic James Dean film, Rebel Without A Cause. The $400,000-$600,000 pre-sale estimate would imply that the jacket must have been worn by the star during production of the film… Perhaps the provenance supplied by the auction house was unconvincing, since it failed to sell at auction.
Head over to Rick Spector’s “Stairway To The Stars” Facebook page for his research into and analysis of the letter that the auction house supplied in the lot description to support the claims of authenticity and provenance for the jacket:
Stairway To The Stars – Facebook Post #1 (March 1st): LINK
Stairway To The Stars:
Here we go again. James Dean red windbreaker from REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE which is at auction for $400,000 to $600,000 dollars. However, the linchpin of the claim is to put it in costume supervisor’s Leon Roberts’ hands who then pursued it, according to an unsigned typed note from 1962, from the man he gave it to. The problem with that is that Leon Roberts died in January 1957, just after arriving in Japan to do SAYONARA. James Garner opens Chapter 4 of his autobiography describing the event and the 1957 Costumer’s Annual has a full page (shown) dedication to Roberts from his co workers on the production. All this has been sent to the auction house. To their credit, they have replied by asserting it could not be the same man as LAFAYETTE ESCADRILLE is credited to him for a 1958 release. True, except that was filmed between October 1956 and May 1957 and held until the following year. See for yourself… https://www.liveauctioneers.com/…/59972873_james-dean-rebel…
Stairway To The Stars – Facebook Post #2 (March 2nd): LINK
Stairway To The Stars:
Sorry, for the repost, but this article keeps disappearing. To paraphrase what it was, James Dean’s red windbreaker is coming to auction with an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. The first document offered is an unsigned typed letter from Warner Brothers costume supervisor Leon Roberts, dated 1962, recounting that he gave it to the addressee and now requests he donate to the proposed Hollywood Museum. The problem with all this is that Leon Roberts died in January 1957 after arriving in Japan to work on the film SAYONARA with Brando and James Garner who even wrote of his passing. There was a full page tribute to him in the COSTUMERS ANNUAL from his co workers on that film. The auction house is discussing these issues in the addendum, but thinks it is possible that he did not die as his IMDB credits end with LAFAYETTE ESCARDRILLE, released in 1958, overlooking the fact it was shot earlier, commencing in October 1956. I show the offered note, the Garner book entry, the memorial page from the Annual and the IMDB listing for LAFAYETTE.
Stairway To The Stars – Facebook Post #3 (March 3rd): LINK
Stairway To The Stars:
UPDATE on the James Dean ‘REBEL’ jacket. It passed. The auctioneer added this statement after have been given the information on Leon Robert’s 1957 death:
“Response in reference to the possible death of Leon Roberts on January, 1957: We have received an unverified report that Leon Roberts died in 1957 and, therefore, could not have been the author of the 1962 letter regarding the Hollywood Museum of Motion Pictures. Palm Beach Modern Auctions could not verify the claim or the possible confusion with Chester L. Roberts (b.1900, also noted on this website), another person connected with the movie industry who would have been 58 years old at the suggested date of death. The site further notes that Leon Roberts is credited with work on the movie Lafayette Escadrille in 1958 after the suggested date of death for Leon Roberts.”
He was sent everything I show in the original post. He neglected to accept the IMDB production dates that ESCADRILLE was filmed before SAYONARA and that the contention raised there about Chester L. Roberts was NOT that he was another person, but the SAME man who earlier in life had worked in silent films.
As for not being able to verify the facts, I doubt there was much of an effort, as Roberts obituary was published in the New York Times January 16,1957, page 35, under the headline “WARNER AIDE DIES IN JAPAN”. I found it in several other publications including a Singapore newspaper that claimed he was the third American film worker to die there in many months and contended there was a jinx.
There was obviously only one Warner Brothers costume employee who worked on ‘REBEL’ and died later, in Japan, working on SAYONARA in 1957.
Facts…not suggestions or unverified claims.
Additionally, there is a document included in the images for the promotion of the auction (see here) that has the following handwritten note: “COPY FROM WARNER BROS. ARCHIVES (THEIR RESEARCH) CAME FROM JULIEN’S WHEN THEY WANTED TO AUCTION IT AND VISITED MY HOUSE IN THE 90’S.”
I just today spoke with Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions, and he said “Julien’s Auctions visited but declined in selling the jacket because there was inconclusive evidence that it was the jacket.”
Below is an archive of the auction description and photos from the Palm Beach Modern Auctions sale:
Lot 333
James Dean REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE Red Jacket, 1955Passed
Est. $400,000 – $600,000Live Auction
Modern Art & Design, Urban Culture, JewelryARTIST
Bud Berma OriginalsSize
21″l, 19″w (at waist, measured flat); no marked sizeDescription
The red jacket worn by James Dean is one of a few purchased from Mattsons’ Sportswear for Men in Hollywood, California for use in the 1955 film REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. Darts were hastily sewn into the back to accommodate Dean’s smaller frame. Upon completion of filming, the jackets were given as gifts. The following provenance information makes reference to several documents, which are depicted in the listing photos. All are available for inspection in person during the preview period. Provenance: Leon Roberts, Wardrobe Supervisor for Rebel Without A Cause (*1) |1955: Mr. Dambres, California (*2) | Ernest H. Dambres, Florida and New York (*3) |Michael Scott, Hobe Sound, Florida (*4).
Notations: *1 – The Making of Rebel Without A Cause, Douglas L. Rathgeb, pg. 102: “Leon Roberts and Henry Field would supervise wardrobe selection for Rebel: largely T-shirts, blue jeans and whatever else costume designer Moss Mabry deemed appropriate.” / Rebel Without a Cause Staff & Cast, 3/26/55: Men’s WDBE. Leon Roberts-7570 ½ DeLongpre Ave., Ho. HO50011. (according to consignor’s notes, “their notes, copy from Warner Brothers archives, came from Julien’s Auctions when they wanted to auction it and visited my house in the 90’s.”) | *2 – Mr. Dambres was a friend and associate of Leon Roberts, having provided laundry/linen services to Warner Brothers. The jacket was given to Mr. Dambres at the end of filming in 1955. | *3 – Ernest H. Dambres was given the coat by his uncle Mr. Dambres. Ernest wore the coat for years when he was younger. See 9/6/1962 letter to Ernest from Leon Roberts, in which Roberts writes on behalf of the nonprofit Hollywood Museum of Motion Pictures, requesting that Mr. Dambres donate the jacket to the museum to assist in generating public funds for the benefit of aging motion picture industry workers. Additionally, Mr. Roberts says, “I respectively [sic] request that you would consider donating the red jacket worn by the late actor James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause that I gave to your uncle at the end of shooting back in 1955.” / Palm Beach Modern Auctions spoke with a representative at the Hollywood Museum who stated that the Museum of Motion Pictures was planned but never came to fruition, although the Academy is still considering the project. | *4 – Refer to: copy of handwritten, notarized document 4/1/1989 / Michael Scott was a longtime friend and colleague of Ernest H. Dambres in the field of drafting and design. The two shared a common interest in 1950s automobile culture. Mr. Scott did benefit auto shows for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and Ernest Dambres offered the use of his jacket for display at the shows. When Mr. Dambres moved up north, he left the jacket with Mr. Scott so that he could continue using it for this purpose. When Ernest Dambres passed away, Michael Scott was notified that the jacket was bequeathed to him in the will. | *5 – Refer to: copy of correspondence between Michael Scott and Marcus Winslow. Michael Scott also noted that he had shown the jacket to Marcus Winslow, Curator and Executor of the James Dean Estate in Fairmont Indiana. Mr. Winslow requested that Mr. Scott donate it to the museum there. Mr. Scott declined at the time, and received a response thanking him for sharing the jacket. In his handwritten notations, Mr. Scott noted that Mr. Winslow believed it to be the “real deal.”3.1.2018 update to potential bidders and interested parties:
1) Response in reference to “grayish lining in movie” versus Lot 333: It is our understanding that once the wardrobe department recognized an issue during production with the light-colored lining, they used lamp black – the soot created by the lights on set – to treat the interior of the jacket. It is reasonable that this would have been removed after, as the consignor advised us that the jacket had been worn by Ernest H. Dambres, as described in the provenance section of the listing.
2) Response in reference to the possible death of Leon Roberts on January, 1957: We have received an unverified report that Leon Roberts died in 1957 and, therefore, could not have been the author of the 1962 letter regarding the Hollywood Museum of Motion Pictures. Palm Beach Modern Auctions could not verify the claim or the possible confusion with Chester L. Roberts (b.1900, also noted on this website), another person connected with the movie industry who would have been 58 years old at the suggested date of death. The site further notes that Leon Roberts is credited with work on the movie Lafayette
Escadrille in 1958 after the suggested date of death for Leon Roberts.
Condition
very good, some staining and cigarette burns, probably laundered, wear consistent with age and useMedium
USA; nylon, metalSignature
Bud Berma Originals label
Screencapture Archive: LINK
Associated Press reported on Monday (3/5/2018):
A Florida auction house says bids for James Dean’s red nylon jacket from “Rebel Without a Cause” fell short.
Palm Beach Modern Auctions co-owner Rico Baca had valued the iconic garment at $400,000 to $600,000 before the bidding started Saturday.
In a statement Monday, the auction house said bids did not meet the item’s reserve price. That’s the confidential, predetermined minimum Michael Scott of Hobe Sound was prepared to accept. Interested bidders will now have a chance to privately negotiate an after-auction sale.
Dean died in a car crash in September 1955, about a month before the film’s premiere.
Scott has documents showing the jacket was given by the film’s wardrobe supervisor to the uncle of his friend and then willed to him after the men died.
~
Jason DeBord