More than 550 silent film-era posters and a rare 1930 Oscar statuette from the 2nd Academy Award ceremony are about to go up for auction as part of the largest collection of silent movie memorabilia ever collected.
Collector and former sports agent Dwight Manley is the owner of the incredible collection and appeared on KTLA 5 Weekend Morning News to discuss highlights from the auction, which goes live on July 15 through Heritage Auctions.
Manley’s collection of silent film posters is widely recognized as one of the world’s most impressive, according to Heritage. It includes the largest selection of silent Westerns in the world.
Zach Pogemiller, Heritage Auctions Movie Posters associate director, called it “the best collection of silent film posters ever compiled.”
In total, Manley owns about 2,300 posters with more than 500 up for auction this coming week.
White Shadows in the South Seas (MGM, 1928) image provided by Heritage Auctions 
A Dog’s Life (First National, 1918) image provided by Heritage Auctions 
The Kid (First National, 1921) image provided by Heritage Auctions 
Alice the Lumberjack (Margaret J. Winkler, 1926) image provided by Heritage Auctions 
King Kong (RKO, R-1938) image provided by Heritage Auctions 
Shoulder Arms (First National, 1918) image provided by Heritage Auctions
The Oscar statuette in Manley’s collection was awarded to cinematographer Clyde De Vinna at the 2nd Academy Awards ceremony on April 3, 1930, for the film “White Shadows in the South Seas.”
Only 15 silent films in history have ever won an Academy Award. Manley says the statuette was the first Oscar for a silent film to ever be offered at auction and may very well be the last.
Highlights from the auction were available for viewing at Heritage Auction’s Beverly Hills office from June 29-July 8. They can also be viewed by appointment at the auction site’s headquarters in Texas.
To view or submit a bid, click here.
This segment aired on KTLA Weekend Morning News on July 10, 2022.
