Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction February 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2018
Introduced to the legendary John Wayne by the equally notable composer Elmer Bernstein, Michael Ontkean received a special gift from the Hollywood icon when he was about to leave LA for the on-location filming of Slap Shot in 1975. Kept after filming Universal's Idol of the Crowds in 1937 and a prize in their own right to vintage hockey collectors, the Duke gifted this pair of hockey gloves to Ontkean as a good luck charm, with the gloves placed in a position of prominence by Michael at the foot of his hotel bed, with his room opposite Paul Newman’s. The highest quality for their day, the well-designed gloves remain in wonderful condition, with wardrobe stamps within each, including “Warner Bros” on the right glove. A signed LOA from Michael Ontkean will accompany these historic Hollywood artifacts.
It should foremost be stated that while the gloves were gifted to Ontkean by John Wayne as a pair used in Idol of the Crowds, photos from the film show Wayne using a different type of glove. Featuring a two-tone surface with tan fingers and reeded beige wrist guards, white knuckle accents have also been utilized, with leather “webbing” between each finger, a rare high-quality trait for gloves of the period. "Warner Bros wardrobe", "B" and "1 X4827" are stamped on the interior of the right glove, with “? wardrobe" and an additional pair of “wardrobe” stamps along with "E" on either side of the left glove. It’s interesting to note that both Slap Shot and Idol of the Crowds were released by Universal, with Bernstein composing the scores for nine different Wayne pictures as well as Slap Shot. We should also note that Warner Bros had previously made a hockey film with King of the Ice in 1936, with all of the equipment from the production sold to Universal for Wayne’s Idol of the Crowds.
An added bonus and an absolutely wonderful experience, once this item is received by the winning bidder, Michael Ontkean has agreed to have a telephone conversation with the proud new owner, forever adding to the impressive and unique provenance. We can attest that the winning bidder will thoroughly enjoy this conversation, as Michael has been absolutely delightful in sharing interesting anecdotes and stories regarding his collection, as well as his experience shooting the forever-iconic landmark hockey film Slap Shot.
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The Michael Ontkean “1977 Slap Shot” Movie and Hockey Card Collection
“It’s their rink, it’s their ice, it’s their fu**king town. But tonight we got our fans with us!”
- Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman), Slap Shot 1977
More prophetic words regarding the legacy of the cult classic hockey film have never been spoken. And despite the passing of four decades and a plethora of sub-par hockey and sports films... the fans of Slap Shot have never left.
Yes Reggie, your fans are still with you, and the beloved Charlestown Chiefs.
While both versed-in and blessed-with an endless array of historic and paramount hockey material here at Classic Auctions, some items and collections are special, as are some consignors. We are absolutely thrilled to bring to auction items from the personal collection of legendary actor and Slap Shot star Michael Ontkean! Included we have Michael's screen-worn Slap Shot jersey, gloves worn throughout both filming and his hockey career and numerous vintage hockey card sets collected by the star. We even have hockey gloves that were taken home by John Wayne after filming Idol of the Crowds in 1937 and gifted to Michael in 1975!
Born in Vancouver and coming from an acting family, it’s no surprise that Michael entered the profession as a youth, first appearing on the Canadian show Hudson’s Bay in 1959. Later coming to prominence in the early-1970s TV series The Rookies, Michael was ideal for the role of Ned Braden in Slap Shot, as the especially gifted actor was no slouch on the ice. At the University of New Hampshire, Ontkean played on the Wildcats first line with the same linemates for their entire college year. In their junior year, 1967-68, this trio was the highest scoring line in the nation with 163 points. Ontkean averaged a little better than a-goal-a-game that season (30 goals in 29 games). This goal-a-game pace has only been done a handful of times in the last forty (40) years. Additional acting roles followed in Willie and Phil (1980), The Blood of Others (1984) and Maid to Order (1987), with his role as Sheriff Harry S. Truman in the critically acclaimed 1990 series Twin Peaks especially notable, with fans disappointed that Michael chose not to reprise his role with the 2017 revival of the series.
While the landmark film has never left the public’s consciousness, it’s difficult to contemplate the sheer importance Slap Shot has had on the hockey world at large. Now belonging to the ages, new and enthusiastic generations of young skaters to come will embrace the film, sharing in the rich history of both the game as well as the film’s accurate and comedic depiction of “old-time hockey”.
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