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Lot 1068

An original Willis O'Brien concept painting for Elephant Rustlers

21 November 2017, 13:00 EST
New York

US$5,000 - US$7,000

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An original Willis O'Brien concept painting for Elephant Rustlers

Gouache and watercolor, circa 1960, circled "B" to lower right in ink, matted and framed. Visual effects wizard Willis O'Brien (1886-1962) is among the single most important stop-motion animators and monster-makers in film history. His work on King Kong (1933), Mighty Joe Young (1949), and other classics influenced generations of fantasy filmmakers. In O'Brien's later years, he prepared many concept paintings for various film projects he was pitching, few of which were produced. One such project, Elephant Rustlers, dealt with a hunt for elephant thieves in Burma, where the heroes are threatened by giant, ferocious lizards. This O'Brien painting depicts an armed cowboy and a companion atop elephants, confronting several such reptiles.
Overall: 17.75 x 22.5 in.; within mat: 11.5 x 16 in.

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