true grit

Oscar-Nominated Costumes On Display in Los Angeles

Filed under: Apparel

It's an annual tradition in Los Angeles. At the start of the year, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles showcases costumes from movies shown during the previous year. This year's display, the 19th annual event, puts on display actual costumes from over 20 movies from 2010, some of which have been nominated for an Academy Award. Shown above are the costumes designed by Mary Zophes, from the film "True Grit." The AP reports that Zophres spent months researching to get the look right for the characters living in 1860s Arkansas. New clothing was faux-aged to appear well-worn.

There are a total of nearly 100 costumes on display, many worn by the lead actors in the films. Although it was assembled before the Academy Award nominations were announced, the exhibit includes four of the five Oscar nominees for costume design. The exhibition is free to the public and will be open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. from now through April 30.

Tags: Academy Awards, Fashion Institute Of Design And Merchandising, Fidm, Oscars, Osx, True Grit

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John Wayne's True Grit Outfit Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

With the Coen Brothers True Grit remake burning up the box office and garnering Oscar nods, it's the perfect time to auction off a piece of key memorabilia from the original movie. John Wayne's western ensemble from his role as Rooster Cogburn in True Grit (Paramount, 1969) is being offered through High Noon Western Americana on January 29 in Mesa, Arizona as part of their Western auction. Wayne won an Academy Award for the role, the same one that Jeff Bridges is nominated for currently. Should Bridges win it would mark the first time that the same role has resulted in Academy Awards for two different actors.

The lot includes a brown rough-out leather vest with lapels, four pockets, decorative string ties on either side. It has a linen lining with label reading Western Costume Co / Hollywood / 2318-4 / John Wayne / Chest 50. It also comes with a long sleeve, single pocket shirt of fine blue cotton, custom-made for Wayne by Ermenegildo Zegna and worn in the film True Grit, and a salmon neckerchief.

The outfit was originally acquired in the 1970s by Gary Hess, a six-year employee of the Duke Engineering Company (DECO), directly from John Wayne himself, as appreciation for his extraordinary work in resolving some complex technical problems facilitating the completion and lucrative sale to a Texas group working with Exxon. It is offered with notarized letters of provenance and copies of notarized statements from Hess, Walter Adams, and William Evans all employees of DECO, attesting to the presentation of gifts to Mr Hess by Mr Wayne. It is estimated to fetch $15,000 - $20,000 and has a starting bid of $7500 at Live Auctioneers.

Tags: hollywood memorabilia, john wayne, movie costumes, movie cowboy, rooster cogburn, True Grit, true grit 2010, true grit remake, true grit trailer, true grit wine

What To Drink With A Remake: Parducci's True Grit Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Parducci Winery in Mendocino county has been making True Grit Petite Sirah wine for a while but the wine is getting new attention because of the upcoming Ethan and Joel Coen remake of the John Wayne classic Western, True Grit. The wine got its Hollywood turn last week. Wine Spectator reports that Parducci partner Tim Thornhill poured the wine at the cast screening of the movie and that Paramount purchased 100 extra bottles for distribution to their media contacts.

The wine got its name before the new movie but does takes its name from the original. As the story goes, several years ago a publicist dubbed the wine a "John Wayne among reds." The True Grit label shows a worn pair of boots with spurs. The latest vintage (2007) is available on the winery website for $19.99 a bottle. It's described as having aromas of ripe fruit, white pepper and vanilla with blackberry, dark chocolate, pepper and caramel flavors.

Tags: parducci, True Grit, true grit 2010, true grit remake, true grit trailer, true grit wine, wine

David Ellison's $350 Million Paramount Deal

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

How does a 27-year-old actor raise $350 million for a movie-making deal with Paramount Studios? It helps when your father is a billionaire. David Ellison, the son of Oracle's Larry Ellison raised the money, $150 million in equity and a four-year, $200-million revolving credit facility led by JPMorgan Chase, so that he can ramp up production at his movie decoration: underline;">company Skydance Productions, according to the LA Times.

Ellison's father has an estimated net worth of $28 billion and did chip in part of the equity along with other investors. The funds will enable the younger Ellison to crank out four to six movies a year. Skydance will produce both big-budget action, adventure and science fiction as well as less expensive comedies and genre pictures. The LA Times reports that Ellison had been trying to raise money since last year, when he first signed a four-year co-financing, production and distribution agreement with Paramount. The deal means that Skydance will get the option to co-finance and co-produce the movies that Paramount plans to make and Paramount can co-finance and distribute a number of movies that Skydance makes.

The LA Times article reports that Paramount needed the cash infusion. The studio failed to raise its own $450 million in 2009 and has been making movies with the help of financing partners including Spyglass Entertainment to put out its films. Skydance will co-finance "Mission: Impossible 4" with Tom Cruise, "True Grit" starring Matt Damon and a new movie with Chris Pine to reboot the Jack Ryan series of movies based on Tom Clancy's thrillers. Ryan has been played by Ben Affleck, Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin in the past.

Ellison is a USC Film School graduate who started off as an actor. He is also a stunt pilot who has his offices at the Santa Monica airport and named his company after his love of flying. In 2006 he had his first big-screen role in the World War I drama "Flyboys" a movie that he starred in with James Franco and co-financed with MGM. David Ellison, his father and a group of filmmakers and investors spent around $60 million of their own money to make and market the film. It had a total box office gross of $17,770,614.

Tags: david ellison, jack ryan, Jack Ryan franchise, jack ryan reboot, larry ellison, mission impossible 4, Paramount Studios, skydance productions, true grit, true grit remake