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The Collection of Steve Martin at Julien’s Auctions

mmy, Grammy, People’s Choice,
and Academy Award Winner hardly
Ebegin to describe Steve Martin, who
has entertained us for decades on radio and
TV, in the movies, on music-hall stages,
and in comedy clubs across the country and
around the world. His brand of homespun
and goofy humor and always charming and
memorable characters are the hallmark of a
noted career that is still going strong!
Martin’s SNL routines are legendary; the Lot 637: Steve Martin magic
many costumes and props that define his trick from his stand-up days
Steve Martin movie rolls, iconic. And if that wasn’t
enough, he’s also an accomplished musician In a letter that introduces the Property from The Collection of Steve
who actively performs, tours, and records; an author, playwright, Martin catalog accompanying the July 18, 2020, live auction,
and comedy writer; and, more importantly, a good friend to the Martin shared how this auction came to be, and why it was so
members of his Hollywood community. important for him to bring these personal mementos to auction:
Earlier this past year. Martin brought an impressive collection of
his personal costumes and memorabilia from throughout his career “In the late 1990s, I had a friendly relationship with the
to Julien’s Auctions in Beverly actor Roddy McDowall. He would invite me to his house on
Hills to be auctioned off, with Laurel Canyon Boulevard for dinner parties that were always
100 percent of the proceeds attended by fabulous people: Elizabeth Taylor, the cartoonist
going to the Motion Picture & Al Hirschfeld, the writer George Axelrod, and his
Television Fund’s Country witty wife, Joan Stanton. In her late 70s, she once
House and Hospital in honor of said to me, ‘Finally, you do become wise. But
his good friend, the legendary then it’s too late.’
actor Roddy McDowall.
The Motion Picture & “When Roddy was on his deathbed in
Television Fund’s Country 1998, he was summoning friends to say
House and Hospital was founded goodbye. Roddy had had a longstanding
a century ago this year by silent relationship with The Motion Picture &
film star Mary Pickford. MPTF Television Country House and Hospital in
provides a wide variety of pro- Woodland Hills, California, and when I went
grams and services to take care to his bedside (along with several
of industry members in need, Lot 654: others), he asked me to take over his
offering programs and services Steve Martin responsibilities there. I said yes, knowing
and retirement housing on their Lot 627: Steve Martin “Pavarotti” prop trident he was dying and I was lying. But
Woodland Hills campus. puppet from his funny stand-up act from Dirty I couldn’t really utter the word ‘no.’
called “The Great Flydini”
Rotten Scoundrels “Now it is time to fulfill
at least a part of that bedside
promise.
“I estimate that I have
been in show business for
55 years. There have
been highs and lows:
the lows being the
result of ego hits,
and the highs
always accompa-
nied by a hint of
Lot 671: Steve Martin’s signed
script from The Jerk insecurity. Through all
these thrills, I have squir-
reled awaymemorabilia of
all sorts; some scraps of
interest to nobody but me,
and some the tangible

14 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles