COLLECTING MUSIC & FILM MEMORABILIA

My love of music dates back to the early-seventies and over the fifty years that followed my music collection has gone from vinyl and cassettes to Compact Discs and, despite not being a great fan of the medium, digital downloads.

Anyone that knows me will know that I have a wide taste in music and listen to everything from rock 'n' roll to blues, country, Americana, country rock, pop and even jazz and orchestral. To be honest the only styles I am not interested in are rap and opera.

Just a few of my favourite artists are Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles and The Beach Boys, although this is only a small section of my music tastes.

I also enjoy films although my tastes are the films from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s rather than the big blockbusters from the past few decades. However, there are still some favourites from the later years with Die Hard being top of my list. My favourite male and female movie stars all date back to the great days of Hollywood... James Stewart and Gene Tierney. You can read more about Gene Tierney here on my blog in the article Gene Tierney - Hollywood Beauty.

Although not an avid collector who has to have everything, I do collect items of music and film memorabilia including promo CDs, press photos, sheet music, lobby cards and press books. A few items from my collection are pictured below.

This brings me to books on collecting music and film memorabilia of which I have several in my library including The Lyle Price Guide - Film & Rock 'n' Roll Collectables by Tony Curtis,  The Elvis Collector - An Introductory Guide To Collecting UK Film Memorabilia 1956-1977 and The Elvis Collector - An Introductory Guide To Collecting UK Memorabilia 1956-1977 the latter two compiled and written by Harry Carrigan.

I recently received three books from Schiffer Publishing which cover Elvis Presley, The Beatles and Sheet Music from the 1960s, all three of which are reviewed below.

Elvis Presley Memorabilia - An Unauthorized Collectors Guide (Sean O'Neil) (Schiffer Publishing 2001 - ISBN 0-7643-1382-7) 

Following a brief introduction which covers prices and counterfeit items the 160-page book is split into seven chapters which cover Elvis' career - Elvis In Concert, Elvis Presley Enterprises and Novelty Items, Sun Records and RCA Victor Records, Magazines, The Movies, One-of-a-Kind and Autographs, Photos and Other Paper. Each chapter opens with a short introduction.

The Concert section features early press ads, photo albums that were sold at the concerts, ticket stubs and much more. Moving into the seventies there are more ads and souvenir photo albums, a few which I still have in my own collection.

The items produced by Elvis Enterprises ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous with record cases, photo cards and record players to jewellery and even  'I Like Elvis' and 'I Hate Elvis' badges, the Colonel certainly catered for both camps.

The Records section was of special interest to me as I love the old RCA ads and various sheet music featured.

Of the remaining sections there are various magazines from the 1950s through to the 1970s, movie posters, lobby cards and advertising, rare items that don't fit in any other part of the book, so are given their own chapter and finally some festive items. Christmas was a special time for Elvis and every year the Colonel produced a postcard, some classy and others less so... Elvis in a jumpsuit by a Christmas tree!

The book is beautifully produced, with mostly colour illustrations and includes a brief description of each item along with the then current values.

The Beatles Yesterday & Tomorrow - A Collector's Guide To Beatles Memorabilia (Courtney McWilliams) (Schiffer Publishing 1999 - ISBN 0-7643-0852-1) 

A preface explaining condition of memorabilia and an introduction that covers the early days of the group in Liverpool and Hamburg is followed by nine chapters covering various areas of collecting. Over 210-pages  the book covers - Vintage Beatles, All Movie Memorabilia, Fan Club Memorabilia, Jewellery, The Beatles As Art, Music Mediums, Ephemera, Solo Efforts and Something New.

Following the same format as the Elvis book this is a treasure trove of Beatles memorabilia, beautifully illustrated with an introduction to each chapter and every item has a brief description and guide to value.

I really enjoyed the sections on the movies with all the posters, lobby cards, press ads and stills. The records section includes the well known UK releases but also the albums released on Capitol in America, Beatles '65, The Early Beatles and Beatles VI. The infamous 'Butcher Cover' which was originally planned to be the cover of the Capitol album The Beatles Yesterday and Today is also included. One of the rarest Beatles items that nowadays is almost impossible to find and is worth at least the $6,000 - $12,000 value quoted for a copy in mint condition.

Like Elvis Presley there are items that fall into the same category... from the sublime to the ridiculous. Beatles wigs, masks, lunch boxes, thermos flasks and, depending who your favourite band members was, badges with 'I Love Paul', 'I Love John', 'I Love George' and 'I Love Ringo'. I couldn't see any 'I Hate The Beatles' badges and maybe none were ever produced.

A chapter on their solo work seems to devote more pages to John Lennon than Paul, George or Ringo which is had to understand when you look at the amount of solo work released by the other three ex-Beatles.

The final chapter, Something New, covers some of the more recent items available and those issued after the break-up in the 1970s.

Collecting Rock 'n' Roll Sheet Music Of The 1960s  (Valerie Carallo) (Schiffer Publishing 2006 - ISBN 0-7643-2373-3) 

Split over 176-pages this book includes an introduction which explains what sheet music is, the differences between USA, UK and Australian sheet music and value and condition. The book then covers seven different genres of music - Twist and Shout (The Beatles), Wipe Out (Surf and Folk), Psychotic Reaction (Garage, Hard Rock and Psychedelia), Lightnin' Strikes (Pop and Rock), Going To A Go-Go (R&B, Soul and Motown), Catch Us If You Can (The British Invasion) and Thank U Very Much (Bubblegum, Girl Groups, Novelty Songs etc).

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on The Beatles with many great cover images and designs including those for Ask Me Why, A Day In The Life, Till There Was You, Girl and Back In The U.S.S.R. A few foreign items are displayed... Tu Mano Cogere (I Want To Hold Your Hand) from Spain, Elle (Il) T'Auime (She Loves You) from France and the German issue of Twist im Blut (Twist And Shout).

Many of my favourite artists are covered in the book with The Beach Boys featured heavily with Sloop John B, Dance Dance Dance, The Man With All The Toys, God Only Knows and my personal favourite sheet music cover from the group, Surfer Girl.

With over 600 illustrations there are too many to cover in this review. However, besides those already mentioned these are just a few of my personal favourites... Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Bob Dylan), Mrs Robinson (Simon & Garfunkel), I'm A Boy (The Who), These Boots Are Made For Walking (Nancy Sinatra), Alternate Title (The Monkees), A Boy Named Sue (Johnny Cash) and Ode To Billy Joe (Bobbie Gentry). The latter has the title misspelled as the title is actually Ode To Billie Joe.

Being a big fan of Linda Ronstadt I couldn't end this review without mentioning the inclusion of Different Drum by The Stone Poneys which features the lovely Linda on the cover.

Many of those, me included, who collect sheet music are not buying them because they can read music but because of the images featured on the covers many of which were rare and differed from the image featured on the 45rpm single. 

Like the Elvis and Beatles books this one is beautifully produced, illustrated in full colour and printed on high quality, glossy paper. Each chapter has a brief introduction and, like the previous books, includes a description of each item featured along with a guide to the value.

I really enjoyed going through these books and seeing the amount of items that were produced with the names Elvis Presley and The Beatles, some tacky and some very collectable. I wonder how many of the items have survived in their original packaging and in mint condition. Likewise, the sheet music book, was a fascinating insight into what is still a very collectable market.

Although all three books were originally published between 1998 and 2006 they can still be found on various sites on the internet and if you are like me and find this kind of information fascinating then I recommend checking them out.

With thanks to Victoria Hansen at Schiffer Publishing Ltd for providing copies of the books for this article.

GENE TIERNEY - HOLLYWOOD BEAUTY

Gene Eliza Tierney was born on 19 November 1920 in Brooklyn, New York City and raised in Westport, Connecticut. Her father, Howard Sherwood Tierney, was an insurance broker and her mother, Belle Lavinia, was a former teacher. During her childhood she often lived with her grandparents in Connecticut, attended some of the finest schools on the East Coast and spent time in Switzerland at finishing school. She returned to America a couple of years later to complete her education.

Her first acting role was in 1938 when she appeared in What A Life! on Broadway which saw her carrying a bucket of water across the stage. One critic, writing in the entertainment paper Variety, wrote, "Miss Tierney is, without a doubt, the most beautiful water carrier I have ever seen!" It was hard to disagree with his comments as she was admired for her beautiful green eyes, luminous skin and high cheekbones... every inch a Hollywood Starlet.

Further roles on Broadway during the final years of the 1930s included Primrose Path, Mrs O'Brian Entertains and Ring Two which found her tackling meatier roles and receiving critical acclaim from the New York critics. Richard Watts, one such critic, said, "I see no reason why Miss Tierney should not have a long and interesting theatrical career, that is if the cinema does not kidnap her away." Fortunately for the cinema-going public it was exactly what happened.

In 1940 Tierney was appearing on stage as Patricia Stanley in the hit show The Male Animal and came to the attention of legendary producer and studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck. Impressed with this stunning young actress he signed her to a contract with 20th Century Fox. Her movie career began in 1940 with her role as Barbara Hall in Hudson's Bay and the same year she would also appear in The Return Of Frank James.

The next few years were very busy for Tierney with films including The Shangai Gesture, Sundown, John Ford's comedy Tobacco Road, Belle Star all released in 1941 and the following year she turned to comedy again in Rings On Her Fingers. 

Around this time she was approached to recreate her role as Patricia Stanley in the film version of The Male Animal. Unfortunately she was under contract to make Tobacco Road and the part went to Joan Leslie.

Demand for her acting talents, and no doubt stunning looks, meant she was offered more roles and 1942 saw her in China Girl, Thunder Birds and, the next year, top billing in the Ernst Lubitsch comedy Heaven Can Wait alongside Don Ameche and Charles Coburn. She received her first award for the film, The Photoplay Award for 'Best Performances of the Month'. However, the following year would see her playing her most famous role. 

Critics agree that her portrayal of murder victim Laura Hunt in Otto Preminger's film noir Laura was an outstanding performance. Starring alongside Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price and Judith Anderson it told the story of police detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) who falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.

The film received five Academy Award nominations, winning the 'Best Black & White Cinematography' category, was selected in 1999 for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant and named one of the best ten mystery films of all time by the American Film Institute. A second Photoplay Award came her way for 'Best Performances of the Month (January)'.

Laura wasn't the only film in which she starred with Dana Andrews. They also worked together on Tobacco Road, Belle Star, The Iron Curtain and Where The Sidewalk Ends.

The mystery/romance Dragonwyck, released in 1946, saw her appearing alongside Vincent Price again having already worked together on Laura, Hudson's Bay and Leave Her To Heaven.

Her portrayal of Ellen Brent in Leave Her To Heaven (1945) earned her an Oscar nomination in the 'Best Actress' category which, despite not winning, just confirmed, if any confirmation was necessary, her position in Hollywood society.

More praise came her way in 1946 with her role as Isabel Bradley in the wartime romance film The Razor's Edge, based on a book by W. Somerset Maughaw and the next year as Lucy Muir in the acclaimed romance The Ghost And Mrs Muir.

The 1940s had been good years for Tierney and the 1950s would find her just as busy. Among her film credits during the decade were Night And The City (1950), The Mating Season (1951), Close To My Heart (1951), Plymouth Adventure (1952), Personal Affair (1953) and The Left Hand Of God (1955), which would be her last role for seven years.

She returned to the silver screen in 1962 in Advise & Consent but demand for her waned and The Pleasure Seekers (1964) was her last feature film although she did make a TV appearance in 1980 in the mini-series Scruples.

While Gene Tierney was a successful actress, loved on the silver screen and across the world her personal life was not such a happy story.

She struggled for years with depression and, following consultations with psychiatrists, was admitted to a number of facilities. Following shock treatment, meant to alleviate depression, she fled one facility and became very outspoken about the therapy which, she claimed, had severely damaged parts of her memory. Talking about her depression she said, "No one suggested psychiatric help. No one saw it then as a clue to the mental breakdown still ahead of me, or the kind of trick the mind plays on the body."

She worked as a salesgirl in a dress shop before being recognised by a customer and this resulted in newspaper headlines. In 1959 she was offered a role in Holiday For Lovers but the stress was too much and after a few days of production she dropped out of the film. As we have already seen she did make a comeback in 1962 in Advise & Consent. Explaining why she hadn't been working she commented, "My departure from Hollywood was described as a walk-out. No one understood I was cracking up."

Tierney was married twice. Her first husband, Oleg Cassini, was a fashion designer and they had two children, Antionette Daria and Christina. They married in 1941 and separated in 1946 during which time she was linked romantically with John F. Kennedy and Kirk Douglas. A reconciliation with Cassini only lasted a few years and they were divorced in 1952. She met oil baron William Howard Lee in 1958 and they married in 1960 and lived a fairly quiet life in Texas and Miami until his death in 1981.

While pregnant with Daria, in June 1943, Tierney contracted Rubella, possibly from a fan who had the illness. She was born prematurely, weighing just over three pounds, and the illness caused congenital damage. Daria was deaf, partially blind and mentally disabled. She spent a lot of her life in institutions and passed away in 2010 aged 66. Howard Hughes apparently paid all the medical expenses ensuring she had the best care possible, something Tierney never forgot.

Tierney was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 1960 and honored with the first Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986 at the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. Eighteen of her films passed the $100 million gross mark with Leave Her To Heaven becoming her biggest box office hit. On average a Gene Tierney movie grossed $117.20 million. Although she never won an Oscar thirteen of her films received at least one nomination in any category with four winning at least one in any category.

Gene Tierney had started smoking the first time she saw herself on-screen commenting that, "I sounded like an angry Minnie Mouse." She thought smoking would help lower her voice but it came at a great cost. She passed away on 6 November 1991 of emphysema and was buried at the Glenwood cemetery in Houston. She was two days away from her 71st birthday.

The last words should be from Darryl F. Zanuck who said, "She was unquestionably the most beautiful woman in movie history."

I have to agree.