"The Estate Of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr." 2011 Doyle New York
$350
446 lot personal collection amassed by this Hollywood legend.
[153] pp
Doyle New York
2011
10 3/8" x 8 1/4"
VG
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Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr. (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer, and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best-known for starring in such films as The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), Gunga Din (1939), and The Corsican Brothers (1941). The son of Douglas Fairbanks and stepson of Mary Pickford, he was first married, briefly, to actress Joan Crawford.
Doyle New York is honored to auction property from the Estate of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 10am. The sale comprises over 430 lots of memorabilia, bespoke clothing, accessories, photographs, books, silver, furniture, artwork and decorations from Mr. Fairbanks’ Park Avenue home.
Born into Hollywood royalty – his father was the swashbuckling actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and his stepmother was "America’s Sweetheart" Mary Pickford – Douglas, Jr. entered the film world at the young age of 13 and starred in such films as Morning Glory, Prisoner of Zenda and Gunga Din.
After the onset of World War II, Fairbanks was appointed by President Roosevelt as special envoy to South America, in which capacity he gathered intelligence about Germany’s activity there. Later, as part of an officer exchange program directed by Lord Louis Mountbatten, he trained with the Royal Navy, with a stint at the Commando Training School at Ancharry Castle, Scotland. Mountbatten had been friendly with Douglas Jr.’s father, and had requested his assignment to the program. The two men remained life-long friends—a friendship that would ultimately extend to the entire Royal family.
In 1943 Fairbanks returned home. Using the knowledge he had gained with the Royal Navy, under the command of U.S. Admiral Kent Hewitt he was instrumental in establishing the Beach Jumper program, which specialized in the art of naval deception and disinformation. Following the War, he was the first director of C.A.R.E., which assisted in providing much needed food and supplies to a war-torn Europe.
Fairbanks spent his later years acting in stage, film and television productions, traveling often to his beloved England and his "Vicarage" in Palm Beach, and enjoying the company of the myriad close friends he made during his long and well-lived life.