August 2012 Auction Ends Thursday, August 30th, 5pm Pacific

1935 Oscar Statue Made by Columbia Pictures

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/30/2012

Rare miniature Oscar issued by Columbia Pictures Corporation in 1935, when the film "It Happened One Night" became the first motion picture to win the "Big Five" major Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Columbia's longtime president Harry Cohn is thought to have conceived the idea of issuing miniature Oscars, which were then given out on a very limited basis to various stars and executives associated with Columbia Pictures. This Oscar measures 6" tall, stands on a metal base, is finished with a gold wash, and is an exact facsimile of its namesake. An engraved brass plaque on the front reads: "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences / First Award / Columbia Pictures for the Best Picture of the Year" and on the back, a similar brass plaque reads, "15th Anniversary / Columbia Pictures / 1920-1933". These period Oscar statues, manufactured by Gorham & Co., are extremely rare with only a handful ever reaching the public. Some chipping to the finish on the base and rubbing to gold finish as expected from age. Overall in very good condition.