Make him an offer… Godfather early script goes upp for auction
● Blockbuster Hollywood mogul’s estate under the hammer
An early script from seminal Hollywood film The Godfather and a painting from Impressionist Pierre-august Renoir are among the items going under the hammer as par t of an auction of famed movie producer Robert Evans’ estate.
Evans, known as much for his larger-than-life persona as for his prodigious film-making skills, was credited with resurrecting Paramount Studios.
Under his control during the 1960s and 70s, Paramount released classic films including Godfather I and II, Chinatown, True Grit, Rosemary’s Baby and Harold And Maude, transforming the studio’s fortunes. However Evans, who died last year aged 89, had a fall from grace in the 1980s following a drugs scandal.
Julien’s Auctions is overseeing an auction of his estate, with more than 650 items once owned by the Hollywood mogul going under the hammer.
Many of the items featured in 2002 documentary The Kid Stays In The Picture, which was based on Evans’ famed autobiography of the same name.
Among the items up for sale is an annotated early draft of The Godfather script, dated 10 August 1970, which includes handwritten notes on casting.
The notes reveal Gene Hackman was among the actors considered for the role of Tom Hagen, a part that eventually went to Robert Duvall.
The script has an estimated selling price of between £2,300 to £3,800.
A Godfather II script marked “second draft” is being sold with a guide price of £760 to £1,520.
Evans’ collection of fine art photography and paintings will be sold, including a Renoir oil on canvas of a female nude with raised arm, which hung on the producer’s living room wall (£76,000 -£190,000) and a nude drawing from French artist Pierre-Paul Prud’hon (£11,000-£15,000), which was in Evans’ master bedroom.
Also up for sale at the auction, set to take place live in Beverly Hills and online next month, is a brass name plate that once hung on the do or of Evans’ Paramount Studios office door (£230-£380).
Other items include a Hollywood Walk Of Fame plaque given to the producer to commemorate his star being laid (£2,280-£3,800) and the Golden Globe award Evans won in 1975 for classic noir China - town (£2,280-£3,800) .
And items from Evans’ colourful personal life are also on sale. Three Rolodexes from the 1980s and 90s and containing a who’s who of Hollywood figures, including Warren Beatty, Francis Ford Coppola, Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow and Carrie Fisher, have a guide price of £300-£455.
His 1995 Jaguar XJS 2+2 convertible (£6,000 -£7,600) will also be going under the hammer.