Screen-worn costume pin worn by Brando to fasten his toga in the 1953 film Julius Caesar. Pin was hand-crafted by MGM artists for this purpose and consists of a gold-colored 2.5 x 3 oval pin with a purple stone set into the center, surrounded by a raised design alternating between cones and pyramids. In fine condition, with light general wear and a few slight chips to the purple area. Accompanied by an original lobby card for Julius Caesar in which this pin is visible on Brando’s toga, as well as a letter of provenance.
Playing Mark Antony in the MGM adaptation of Shakepeare’s play, Brando’s most memorable moment from the film is the scene in which he delivers the work’s famous monologue—one of the most famous speeches in literary history. The letter of provenance is from actress Vanessa Brown and describes the history of the piece, in full: “The gold buckles with the purple stone was hand crafted by the artists of Metro Goldwyn Mayer for holding up the toga of Marlon Brando, who starred in the MGM film ‘Julius Caesar,’ directed by Joseph Mankiewicz. It came into my possession from the marketing director in New York in 1951, who was my friend and had these (there were other objects, as well) objects in his office. They had been sent to him by the publicity department of MGM in Hollywood. To help him in his exploitation of the film ‘Julius Caesar’ in New York City, my friend, the marketing director, knew that I collected odd things, and since he was thru with them; the New York run was completed, he gave me the buckle that Marlon Brando wore in the film, when he was delivering his famous oration ‘Friends, Romans, and Countrymen, lend me your ears.’” A few inaccuracies are present in this letter: while Brando does wear the pin in the film, a different one is worn during the scene mentioned; and the discrepancy between the year of the film’s production and the 1951 date in her letter must have been a typographical error or misremembered, as it was written much later. A universally acclaimed film, Julius Caesar won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction and Brando was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role. As an immediately recognizable screen-worn item from Brando’s important role, this is an exceptionally desirable piece of cinematic history. RR Auction COA.
