Julien's Auctions, the world-record breaking auction house, held its highly anticipated event PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN on Saturday, November 2 in Beverly Hills, CA in front of a packed audience of collectors, bidders and fans of the four-time Grammy award-winning singer and pop culture icon, live on the floor, online and on the phone.
The top moment of the event was the headline making sale of two of the most iconic items worn by one of the best-selling musical artists of all time and Hollywood film star, in her star making role as Sandy, in the blockbuster musical film–Grease (Paramount, 1978). In the film's finale number of "You're the One that I Want," Sandy (Newton-John) surprises Danny (John Travolta) with her transformation as a demure cheerleader to a sexy greaser girl wearing a black leather jacket and pair of figure hugging black shiny high waisted pants that were so tight that Newton-John had to be sewn into them. The ensemble struck "Greased Lightning" today on the auction stage with the jacket selling for an astounding $243,200 and the pants selling for $162,500 for a combined total of $405,700. 100% of the proceeds from the Grease jacket and pants will benefit the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre with a portion of all of the items sold benefiting the Centre as well.
Grease was the word among other top auction highlights that included: a one-sheet advance Grease film poster signed by Newton-John, John Travolta as well as other cast members, the director Randal Kleiser and producer/ songwriter John Farrar that sold for a stunning $64,000, sixty four times its original estimate of $1,000; a custom "Pink Ladies" jacket presented to Newton-John by the cast and crew of Grease (estimate: $2,000-$4,000) that sold for $50,000, twenty-five times its original estimate of $2,000; a fourth-draft script for Grease, dated June 9, 1977 with handwritten notes and front cover signed by Newton-John and John Travolta that sold for $35,200; handwritten lyrics for the song "You're the One That I Want," written by John Farrar, signed by Newton-John, John Travolta and Farrar and Newton-John's personal Greasememorabilia collection both sold for $12,500 each; her custom made 1950s inspired petal pink lace gown worn to the 1978 premiere of Grease at The Mann's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles that sold for $18,750 (estimate: $3,000-$5,000); her tan leather dance shoes worn by the star while rehearsing the dance numbers for Grease that sold for $11,250 and more.
Other auction highlights included: a "Physical" ensemble consisting of a white ribbed velvet and gold lamé long top and a pair of short shorts worn by the singer on the October 2, 1981 episode of The Merv Griffin Show (NBC, 1962-1986) sold for an incredible $31,250, over thirty times its original estimate of $1,000; handwritten lyrics to "Hopelessly Devoted to You," written and donated by John Farrar that sold for an astounding $28,125, twenty-eight times its original estimate of $1,000; a custom-made embellished black mini dress designed by Fleur Thiemeyer, the designer behind Newton-John's image in the 1970s and 1980s, and worn by the singer during her 1982 Physical Tour that sold for $28,125; a 1983 American Music Award presented to Newton-John for Favorite Female Vocalist Pop that sold for $22,400, well over its original estimate of $2,000; Ken Done's "Sydney Sunday," oil on canvas painting that sold for $44,800; Newton-John's wedding ensemble when she married actor Matt Lattanzi in December 1984 that sold for $15,625; a custom-made copper color suit woven with a gold lamé and worn by Olivia Newton-John while performing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and her band live at the Sydney Opera House that sold for $10,240; her Kimball baby grand piano that sold for $10,000; a magenta Thai silk Fleur Thiemeyer designed dress worn by the pop diva on her 1982 Physical Tour that sold for $11,520 (estimate: $1,000-$2,000); a cherry red embellished Fleur Thiemeyer gown worn by Newton-John while performing at the Royal Charity Concert held in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in aid of handicapped persons on May 27, 1980, at the Sydney Opera House that sold for $11,250; a pair of Missoni harem pants worn by Olivia Newton-John while singing the title song in Xanadu (Universal, 1980) that sold for $19,200; a pair of custom-made cream thigh-high suede western boots worn by Olivia Newton-John in the film Xanadu that sold for $16,000, eight times its original estimate of $2,000; an Olivia Newton-John signed record collection that sold for $12,800; a custom-made embellished white chiffon gown worn by Newton-John while performing a medley of songs with Andy Gibb and ABBA on her television special Olivia(ABC, 1978) that sold for $21,875, twenty one times its original estimate of $1,000; an RIAA-certified "platinum" record award commemorating the sale of more than one million copies of her MCA records album Totally Hot which sold for $11,250; her ensemble worn as a presenter in 1978 at the 50th Annual Academy Awards that sold for $10,240; a 1979 People's Choice Awards trophy presented to Newton-John for Favorite Motion Picture Actress that sold for $11,520 and more.
