Bidding for this lot will end on Wednesday, March 26th. The auction will begin at 10:30AM PDT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, March 27th or Friday, March 28th.

A Mitchell "Elephant Ears" studio VistaVision 35mm film camera with serial number MVV-21. This camera surely worked on many films over the years, and is specifically documented (by surviving camera reports) as having been used for camera tests on Alfred Hitchcock's classic Vertigo. In the 1950s, Paramount Pictures introduced a groundbreaking camera system dubbed "Lazy 8" which required rotating film horizontally to change its aspect ratio from the standard 1.37:1 to 1.5:1, allowing for eight perforations per frame and creating a dazzling widescreen effect. In 1954, the studio renamed the process VistaVision.

This style of VistaVision camera - nicknamed "Elephant Ears" for the dual film magazines stationed on either side - originates from the 1950s. While only a few dozen examples are known to have been produced, cameras equipped for VistaVision were employed on a number of landmark films from the era, among them Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, Michael Curtiz's White Christmas, and Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments.

The camera features a 35mm Leica lens with serial no. C-6390 accessible via a matte box with a "swing away" feature, as well as a motor, focus motor, top view finder, and two "elephant ears" film magazines numbered "R-27" and "L-27." It comes mounted to a wooden friction head tripod with a metal wheeled base and opens from compartments on top and on one side. The camera's side, sunshade, and motor are affixed with Metal Mitchell "acorn" plaques numbered "21," "19 VVMB," and "107," respectively, while its adjustment knob is marked "MVV4."

This camera is no longer capable of running film as its "movement" feature is missing, and the current functionality of its other mechanical and electrical components remains untested. The magazines and tripod exhibit scuffing, while the lot exhibits grime and discoloration throughout from extensive use and age. Dimensions: 60" x 30" x 16" (152.5 cm x 76.25 cm x 40.75 cm)

Contains electronic and mechanical components; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Special shipping required; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Estimate: $8,000 - 16,000