Fun and Fans at the "Barbara" Streisand Charity Auction

The Barbra Streisand Auction held October 17th and 18th at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills raised funds for The Streisand Foundation  in New York which contributes to such causes as the Natural Resources Defense Council, American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, Institute for America’s Future, People for the American Way, Center for Public Integrity, Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Watch and Youth Arts USA.

Gowns Barbara Streisand wore for concerts were auctioned off.  There were costumes from “The Way We Were”, “Funny Lady”, “Nuts”, “The Mirror Has Two Faces”, and “Meet the Fockers” with a surprise anoucement that for continuity reasons, who ever purchased the jewelry from “Meet the Fockers” might be getting a call from Barbra asking to borrow them back for the sequel, "Little Fockers". There were portraits, some good and some not so good, almost life size cardboard figures of Barbra and a wooden letter “a” that she kept as a momento signifying the “a” she dropped from her name changing it from Barbara to Barbra. There were everyday items and antiques, tables, bookcases, fire place poker sets, antique commodes and ceiling fans (that sold, due to a bidding war for $7,500). Mementoes from all over the world included some exquisite Japanese netsuke carvings including a baby bird in an egg shell, a frog riding a whale, a man holding a cat and a hand holding a monkey. There was also a miniature replica of one of the chariots in the tomb of the Chinese Emperor Shi Huang from the Museum of Shanghai.

Many in the audience were avid fans with some even wearing concert T-shirts and hair styles from the seventies, shoulder length wings in front, cut shorter in back. Their knowledge of their idol was extensive and not to be challenged. It was a fun audience with bids also coming in from places as varied as Miami, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium and Canada.

Barbara Streisand is a singer, writer, actress, and producer. She is the number one selling female recording artist in the United States and is tied with the Beatles for “Most Albums Reaching Top 10 Status”, with only The Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra out pacing them both. Her career began in 1962 and has lasted over four decades. She has released 63 albums, 50 of which, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, went Gold, 30 of those going Platinum and 15 of those Multiplatinum, winning ten Grammys, two Oscars and numerous other awards including Kennedy Center Honors. With nine Number One albums, her latest album “Love Is the Answer” is listed at Number One on Billboard as of October 17, 2009, Barbra Streisand’s career shows no sign of slowing down.

Whatever your favorite song may be, People ; Evergreen ; The Way We Were ; You Don’t Bring Me Flowers ; I’m the Greatest Star ; Don’t Rain on My Parade ;Cry Me a River ; Happy Days ; Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair ; On a Clear Day ; and A Sleepin’ Bee just to name a few, their popularity is undeniable.   Perhaps part of the magic is that her beauty is not flawless nor is it dependent on surface perceptions but is based on talent, self confidence and an inner radiance that shines through when she performs.  She doesn’t let anyone dictate her actions, she doesn’t accept defeat or settle for less than the stars she aims for, but she herself is relatable and down to earth. She represents hope and dreams despite the odds stacked against us. She is both strong and feminine and her songs and vocals touch a universal chord that is basic and eternal. 

My one regret is that I was only able to attend the last day of the auction as once again Darren Julien presented a charity event that was both entertaining, fun and thought provoking for a cause well worth supporting.

Who knew a Charity Auction could be so much Fun?

Fun at Old Trader Vic’s Tiki Room

Nineteen hours of full throttle excitement, cut throat competition and celebrity sightings. The Superbowl? The World Series? The Oscars? Wrong, wrong and wrong again. Only in Los Angeles could something as esoteric as an auction be so exciting. From the kickoff party through the four auction sessions the entertainment was fast paced and practically nonstop.

Held in the Beverly Hilton at the old Trader Vic’s by Julien’s Auctions the Friday night VIP party was everything you could want a Beverly Hills party to be. The mix was perfect, from the beautiful ingénue complete with body guard to Peggy Thomas a grand dame with beautiful silver hair in pearl clips and a wit as sharp as glass. Loni Anderson graciously posed for pictures as the ladies who lunch snapped avidly away. Estelle Harris, whose name you may not recognize but whose face you will immediately as the mother of George Costanza on Seinfeld was happily enjoying the fun.

A lady with shorn locks as exotically beautiful as a Siamese cat, a gracious gentleman kissing hands with the timeless elegance of yesteryear, six twins in matching black dresses, vamps in polyester, an eager young camera man from NBC ready to interview the stars about Bob Hope’s exploits, the publicist in cowboy boots and hat, were just a few of the eclectic crowd who attended. The only low point of the party being those men who showed up wearing blue jeans to a party that specified cocktail attire.

The items to be auctioned off were housed like museum pieces in glass cases with mirrored backs or hung from the walls. From huge stuffed fish (ah, what a fish tale could be told about these by the lucky person with the winning bid) to primitive weapons, from clothing to sports equipment, each piece came with a story. All the pieces, from flimsiest autographed document to a chunk of stone from the Berlin Wall were handled equally delicately by white gloved representatives from Julien’s Auctions.

The first day of the auction brought in the serious players and the audience was as entertaining as the exhibits. Bids were taken from the floor, over the internet, by phone and through absentee bids given prior to the auction by those who couldn’t make it. Auction Network and Julien’s were set up to the side of the auctioneer at a table covered by phones and laptops and the hosts of the Auction Network were set up outside on the patio.

As items popped up simultaneously on the internet and on screens set up to each side the auctioneers off the cuff remarks were better than a sitcom script:

“The more you bid the more its worth.”

“Are you bidding or scratching Sir? You’re making me nervous!”

“How about if we start at a million five, one million, a quarter million (at that price we’ll give you your choice of the catalogue!)”

“Should I kiss him now or just give him a tease?”

“You shook your head ‘no’ but said ‘yes’ what does that mean?”

“I stutter so I became an auctioneer.”

“We have nine bidders in sixteen states… is that possible?”

“She says no, you say yes. I don’t know what to do with that…”

And always apropos these days:

“Your money’s not safe in the bank anyway.”

Even the pony tailed, tattooed cameraman was getting into the spirit of the event as he panned the audience and bidders warred for coveted treasures. Only at a auction could you find someone who will pay $225 for a one dollar bill, of course it had Bob Hope’s mug on it which may have had something to do with it, we could sure use more of these in circulation.

There was drama when the bidder who lost Bob Hope’s desk to the competition, ran up the prices on all the desk accessories and even managed to win a few.

There was romance as the young staffer stared all day at the cameraman’s pretty young assistant.

There was action, so much that at times the bidding was so fierce Martin had a phone on each ear, while competing with bids from the gallery, from the internet and from other phones giving the auctioneers quite a challenge keeping up.

There was comedy when the Australian lady’s winning bid got her a Texas Tech basketball and one had to wonder which part of the planet really is the home of all things bigger and better, whose tales are the tallest and is the jack-a-lope secretly imported from overseas or is it a home grown phenomena?

There was suspense as the whole audience held it’s breath then cheered for the veteran who really wanted the oversize golf club (4’ by 2’) and golf ball (7 ½” in diameter) placed the winning bid.

Thank goodness PETA wasn’t there when Bob Hope’s off the shoulder caveman costume made of real and fake fur was auctioned off, they would have been seeing red!

The gallery audience held bidders from rocket scientists to writers, from veterans to housewives, professional autograph hounds to first time bidders. There were those who traveled from places as diverse as Texas and Australia and of course those from Beverly Hills.

Old time Hollywood was out in force in memory of one of their own. Bob Hope, the consummate American who didn’t just pay lip service to patriotism but put himself on the line in support of the troops. Those men and women without whom the rest of us wouldn’t have a prayer (in what ever religion you chose to believe… or not to believe…) of living the diverse lives we value so much. During his lifetime Bob Hope didn’t rest on his laurels but actively showed his support, time and time again. Now, even after his death his legacy lives on through the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation raising money for veterans through charity events like this one. A cruise and European tour showcased the items for auction culminating in this spectacular event in the grand tradition of show business.

From his well worn desk chair, to his comfortably used bedroom slippers that sold for $550, from hats to golf clubs for every occasion, from the mundane to the extravagant and, of course, perhaps most important of all, to the sublimely ridiculous as only Bob Hope could pull it off, masterfully orchestrated by the virtuoso conductor, Darren Julien, the auction was a success from any point of view.