$6,000
Men's size 9 black leather boot. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity. Jack Simmons was a fixture of the Los Angeles homosexual scene.1 An eccentric who drove a Cadillac hearse around Hollywood and part of James Dean’s crowd at “Googies.” Many purport that Simmons and Dean were lovers. It is known that Dean lived with Simmons for a time and he arranged for Simmons to have a role in “Rebel Without a Cause.” Fellow actors reported they arrived on set and left together each day. 2 According to writer William Blast, Dean insisted Simmons was just a groupie who ran errands for him. What is known is that Simmons had collected items from his time with Dean. Jonathon Gilmore recalled seeing a worn out pair of Dean’s boots displayed in plastic box on a book shelf.3 One of these boots remained in Simmons possession at the time of his death. And offered for sale for the first time here. PROVENANCE From the estate of Jack Simmons 1 Alexander, Paul. Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. P. 189 2 Riese, Randall. The Unabridged James Dean. Chicago: Random House, 1991. P.496 3 Alexander, Paul. Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. P. 201 Categories: James Dean
Auctioneer:
Juliens Auctions
Date:
2007-06-16
