Community Corner

1942 Oscar Up for Auction in East Greenwich

A rare 1942 Oscar statuette that was presented to Joseph Wright for color art direction of "My Gal Sal" will be up for auction at Briarbrook Auction's monthly antiques auction on June 23.

Next week, you can bring home your very own Oscar, even if you've never set foot on a movie set.

A rare 1942 Oscar statuette that was presented to Joseph Wright for color art direction of "My Gal Sal" will be up for auction at Briarbrook Auction's monthly antiques auction on June 23.

As a veteran art director with over 100 major motion pictures to his credit, Wright won eighteen nominations and two Oscars ( both won in 1942).  His credits include such box office hits as “Guys and Dolls”, “ Porgy and Bess”, “Flower Drum Song”, “Oklahoma”, “My Gal Sal”, and “ Days of Wine and Roses.  The statuette was presented at the 15th. Annual Academy Awards ceremony held March 4, 1943 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Oscar statuettes rarely come up for auction due to a policy enacted in 1950 by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As of 1950, any Oscar recipient was required to sign a contract agreeing that if they (or their heirs) ever desired to sell the Oscar that it must first be offered back to the Academy for the sum of $1.00. So, only Oscars won from 1929 – 1949 can legally be sold. The Oscar was consigned to Briarbrook Auctions by a local Cranston resident who inherited the statuette many years ago from his uncle Joseph Wright. Oscar measures 13 inches high weighs about 6 pounds, and is still in very good condition.

The statue will be auctioned before the public at The Varnum Armory in East Greenwich, R.I. on Monday June 23rd. at 7:30 pm mid-way during their antiques and fine art auction. Interested parties may bid in advance using auctionzip live online, attend the auction, or phone 401-439-2346 to arrange a live telephone bid during the sale.

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