Debbie Reynolds Put Movie Costumes Up For Auction

Zorianna Kit

 Reuters

LOS ANGELES—

Iconic movie costumes worn by Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe will go up for sale in June from a collection belonging to fellow actress Debbie Reynolds, California auction house Profiles in History said on Thursday.

Monroe's subway dress from "The Seven Year Itch," Judy Garland's blue cotton dress and ruby red slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" and Charlie Chaplin's "Tramp" bowler hat are among the 3,500 items up for auction in Beverly Hills on June 18.

Barbra Streisand's sleeveless gold velvet, jeweled gown from "Hello, Dolly" -- said to be the most expensive dress ever made for a film -- will also be up for sale as will Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress from "My Fair Lady" and Julie Andrews' costumes from "The Sound of Music."

Reynolds, 79, who starred in such films as "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," has been collecting film memorabilia for more than 50 years.

She got more serious about it when in 1970, Hollywood movie studio MGM announced it was going to auction off everything except its real estate. Reynolds, who had been under contract at MGM, purchased many items and continued to save as many pieces as she could over the years.

Her collection was due to have been housed in a planned museum, her spokeswoman said. But the project fell through and Reynolds has decided to sell her collection.

The collection will be on view to the public at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills in early June before the auction on June 18.

Source; http://www.wtkr.com/entertainment/sns-rt-us-finearts-moviestre74p72a-20110526,0,4409355.story