Julien's Auctions
Lot 612
A 33-inch oak baseball bat prop with wood-burned lettering that reads "Wonderboy" alongside a lightning bolt from the production of Barry Levinson's drama film, The Natural (Tri-Star Pictures, 1984). Together with a crew t-shirt and a collection of small props and production ephemera from an assistant prop maker (whose hands can been seen applying the lettering to the bat in the shots included in the final film).The film stars Robert Redford as "Roy Hobbs," a Nebraskan baseball player who is signed to the New York Knights as a middle-aged man after being shot as a teen hopeful. The Natural was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actresss in a Supporting Role (Glenn Close), Best Cinematography (Caleb Deschanel), Best Art Direction (Mel Bourne et. al.), and Best Music (Randy Newman), making $48 million at the box office.The bat is introduced during the dramatic opening sequence of The Natural and plays a pivotal role throughout the film. First, in the early 1910s, a young Hobbs (Mark Atienza) harvests the wood from the tree that was struck by lightning as his father was suffering a fatal heart attack. He then shapes the wood into a bat and burns "Wonderboy" and the bolt along the side. The film jumps to 1939, with a middle-aged Hobbs signed to the New York Knights. Hobbs is immediately sidelined by "Pop" Fisher (Wilford Brimley) who thinks he is too old, until he impresses the coach with his batting skills. Pop asks to see the bat Hobbs had been using, and Hobbs explains its origins, saying that he made it as a kid and "wanted it to be a very special bat." The disbelieving Pop asks "Red" (Richard Farnsworth) to measure and weigh the bat, telling Hobbs that "if it comes up to specifications, we'll let you use it." It does, and he proceeds to break the Knights out of their slump.The bat props for the film were designed by prop master Barry Bedig, based on the Louisville Sluggers widely used in the 1930s. The props accompanying the bat include: two baseballs, one with red and black stitching used during filming, the other with red stitching used during the production but not during filming; a group of paper props from the production including player roster and training schedule pamphlets, various score books and scorecards; and a pair of prop tickets to the game between the Chicago Cubs and New York Knights (Wrigley Field).The production ephemera includes: a crew baseball shirt (white and navy blue, 3/4 sleeve, with two buttons and "Hollywood Rental Co., Inc. printed on the chest and "The Natural / Filmed Summer 1983" on the back along with a graphic of a baseball player), no size or label present; 24 color photos from the set, including one of Redford out of costume on the field, a Tri-Star Pictures parking placard that reads "Tri-Star Pictures / Now Filming / 'The Natural,'" several call sheets, shooting schedules and shot lists, and a folder of orientation material for shooting in Buffalo, NY (including maps, memos, and information about local restaurants).Includes a DVD of the film.33 inches (bat)
