LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 Oct. Sig. Entertainment Memorabilia #648  / 

22270

Peter Fonda U.S. Flag Patch from "Easy Rider"

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Movie - Memorabilia Start Price:10,000.00 USD Estimated At:40,000.00 - 60,000.00 USD
Peter Fonda U.S. Flag Patch from Easy Rider
<B>Peter Fonda's American Flag Patch from His "Easy Rider" Jacket.</B></I> A surprise mega-hit during its 1969 theatrical run, <I>Easy Rider</B></I> is one of those rare movies that changed the way motion pictures are made and defined a generation in the process. Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper co-star as "Wyatt" (aka "Captain America") and "Billy," respectively, hippie motorcyclists who try to obtain their own version of the American Dream via a drug deal. Their quest takes the form of a road trip across the Southern and Southwestern United States (stunningly captured on film by late cinematographer László Kovács), where they encounter the best and worst of a nation in turmoil, and ultimately find only disillusionment and death. As the tagline so eloquently put it, "They went searching for the American Dream and couldn't find it anywhere."<BR><BR>It's a story that is as provocative and relevant now as it was then. The impact of <I>Easy Rider,</B></I> along with <I>Bonnie and Clyde,</B></I> <I>The Graduate,</B></I> and <I>Midnight Cowboy,</B></I> helped jumpstart the "Hollywood Renaissance" of the 1970s, a period that saw studios investing more and more into smaller -- and often riskier -- movies by directors with a personal vision, projects such as <I>American Graffiti,</B></I> <I>Mean Streets,</B></I> <I>The Conversation,</B></I> and <I>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.</B></I> Its soundtrack set an early standard for the use of pop and rock music in motion pictures at a time when recycling songs was unheard of; now multi-artist pop soundtracks are par for the course and often a major source of revenue.<BR><BR>This is the original, one-and-only American flag patch worn on the back of Wyatt's motorcycle jacket, featured prominently throughout the movie and also its classic poster. Peter kept the jacket after production wrapped, and wore it until it wore out. He saved the patch, however, framed it, and has held onto it for almost 40 years. The patch measures 14.5" x 11" and is in Very Good to Fine condition with moderate to heavy overall fading and toning from age, and overall moderate wear. Some areas on the upper right quadrant and the blue field have deteriorated and worn away enough to reveal the vinyl backing underneath; said backing is visible on the reverse and exhibits uniform glue residue. The flag has been framed in a double-sided glass display that measures 21.25" x 17.25". A truly unique item from an American classic that continues to inspire.{br}{br}{a href=”/common/images/media/PeterFondaLot22270_320.wmv”}<B>See and hear Peter Fonda discussing this item!</B></I>{/a}{br}{br}<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Framed - with Glass, Small (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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