Over 10 feet long, this full size, production-used kayak is traditionally constructed of sealskin and sinew over a wood frame. 2 remnants of lash straps with antler fittings included. 10’5” long. Some damage to front, but overall in good condition. Used in the 1933 film “Eskimo,” the kayak became the property of film star Wallace Beery after he spied the craft in storage in the MGM Heidelberg Wardrobe Building. Beery liked it so much he had the kayak moved to his bungalow on the MGM lot, and procured it as his own.
The motion picture was well received by critics upon release, and received the first-ever Oscar for Best Film Editing, although it didn't fare well at the box office. Though some aspects of it would seem politically incorrect by today’s standards, "Eskimo" was considered a remarkable achievement in film-making and is much beloved in many circles.
Provenance: From the Estate of film star Wallace Beery (1885-1949) through the estate of his nephew Noah Beery, Jr. Includes signed letter from Bucklind Noah Beery (grand nephew of Wallace Beery).
Lot 1, Sold $4,840.
Brian Lebel's Mesa Old West Auction - January 23, 2021. Mesa, AZ.
Eskimo – Metro Goldwyn Mayor
“From the director of “Trader Horn” and “Tarzan the Ape Man” comes this riveting Arctic adventure, the first feature film shot in Alaska and in a Native American tongue. When Mala (Ray Mala) is told there's a White Man's boat harbored in Tjarnak that will barter furs for guns, the Inuk makes the 500-mile trek across the tundra accompanied by his woman, Aba (Lulu Wong Wing). Trading his skins for a rifle, Mala goes out on a hunt, returning to learn Aba was killed while escaping the ship's lecherous captain (Peter Freuchen). Stabbing him dead, Mala goes home, unaware he's broken the White Man's law and that the Mounties are tracking him down. Based on two books by Peter Freuchen, the Danish explorer who plays the role of the captain, Eskimo also featured director W.S. Van Dyke doubling as Inspector White and received the 1934 Film Editing Oscar®, the first ever awarded.” --Warner Bros Archive Collection, 2016
Review: “Drama of the Frozen North” - By Mordaunt Hall, Nov. 15, 1933
“It is an exciting and often grim melodrama that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer launched last night at the Astor under the title of "Eskimo." It was produced by W. S. Van Dyke in Northern Alaska with a cast composed chiefly of Eskimos, and the dialogue, which except for occasional lines spoken by white men, is recorded in the language of the natives and translated for the benefit of the audience by the old-fashioned subtitles. The various incidents are greatly enhanced by the recording of vocal and incidental sounds and noises. The story of the picture is attributed to two books by Peter Freuchen, who also portrays a villainous captain of a trading ship. Mr. Freuchen was among the audience...” --The New York Times, November 15, 1933.