International
fine arts auctioneers Bonhams & Butterfields is pleased
to announce an incredible single-owner sale of vintage film
posters set for December 5, 2005 in Los Angeles. The Louis Leithold
Collection contains nearly 2,000 film posters — titles spanning
the history of cinema, from the silent era to contemporary blockbusters.
Louis Leithold, noted educator, author and memorabilia dealer,
was a major figure in national high school Advanced Placement
(AP) circles, known not only for his workshops for AP calculus
teachers, but also for the development of a textbook credited
for changing the method of mathematical study — The Calculus
7. Mr. Leithold passed away in May 2005 just days before his
Malibu High School calculus class was to take the AP calculus
exam. The 16 students vowed to honor their long-time teacher
and 14 of them achieved the highest score possible on a five-point
scale, while two earned 4s. It was the best performance of any
class taught by Leithold, who began teaching at Malibu High
in 1998 at the age of 72.
Mr. Leithold was a mentor to many math teachers, including
Jaime Escalante who gained recognition for his success teaching
calculus to inner-city students. Stand and Deliver, a feature
film produced about Escalante, featured actor Edward James Olmos
in the lead role. Mathematics aside, the legacy of Louis Liethold
also includes a love of film and an impressive collection of
Hollywood memorabilia.
Although more famous as an author and a professor, many knew
Leithold as a poster collector and dealer. His love of movie
poster art began in the 1950s when he owned the Kiva, a movie
theater in Scottsdale, Arizona, reportedly frequented at the
time by a young Steven Spielberg.
In later years he founded and ran the Cinema Poster Gallery,
selling vintage Hollywood posters to some of the best-known
collectors in the country. In addition, Leithold also owned
a contemporary art gallery in the 1960s and 1970s, and was a
representative for artist Stanley William Hayter, among others.
A collector, connoisseur and dealer, Leithold focused on classic
Hollywood cinema, including the genres of film — noir, musicals,
comedy, drama, westerns, and science fiction/horror. Nearly
every great film star of the 20th century is represented in
his collection, including: Gable, Bogart, Bette Davis, Greta
Garbo, Jean Harlow, Gary Cooper, Katharine and Audrey Hepburn,
John Wayne, Mae West, Rita Heyworth, James Dean, Ingrid Bergman,
Judy Garland, James Stewart, Fred Astaire, James Cagey, Henry
Fonda, Spencer Tracey, Charlie Chaplin and Joan Crawford.
Dr. Catherine Williamson, Bonhams & Butterfields’
specialist-in-charge for the sale, said, “Without a doubt,
the Leithold collection is one of the finest single-owner poster
sales to come to auction in recent history. No movie lover can
fail to be impressed by Mr. Leithold’s inventory; and no
serious collector of film posters can afford to miss this auction.”
Selected highlights from the Louis Leithold Collection include:
· Posters created for films of Alfred Hitchcock, including
Notorious, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Rebecca, Psycho,
Vertigo, Rope and Spellbound
· Posters created for films of Preston Sturges, including
The Lady Eve, The Palm Beach Story, Christmas i n July, The Miracle
of Morgan’s Creek, and The Great McGinty
· Film noir posters including Laura, Double Indemnity,
Gilda, The Big Sleep, Detour, Sunset Boulevard and The Letter
· Musicals, Comedies, Drama and more
For more details visit the Bonhams
web site.
