An 18 Karat Gold, Sapphire and Diamond Ring, Georg Jensen mounted in 18k gold; size: 6 3/4; signed: Georg Jensen; numbered: 818注脚Property from the Collection of Edward and Mildred Lewis, Los Angeles, CA

Bonhams is honored to offer property from the collection of Hollywood legends Edward and Mildred Lewis during the Spring of 2020.

A producer, writer and screenwriter, Edward Lewis is perhaps best known as producer of the blockbuster Universal Pictures production Spartacus, which was nominated for six Academy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA Award. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film's all-star cast included Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons and Charles Laughton. To write the screenplay, Lewis secretly enlisted Dalton Trumbo, one of the Hollywood Ten who had been blacklisted as part of Senator Joseph McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee investigations into communism among members of the entertainment industry. Although Trumbo had written other screenplays under pseudonyms while blacklisted, Spartacus was among the first to break the stigma of the Hollywood Ten, as Lewis insisted on including Trumbo in the film credits.

Edward Lewis had produced Spartacus at the suggestion of his wife, Mildred, who was a producer and writer in her own right. Mildred Lewis was largely responsible for bringing a film to life that captured the zeitgeist of 1970s experimentation and defined both the "dark comedy" and the "sleeper". That film was Harold and Maude, written by Colin Higgins, who at the time was the Lewis' pool boy. Higgins introduced the script to Mildred Lewis, who ultimately served as the film's executive producer.

Edward and Mildred were partners in both work and life. During their 73 year marriage, they collaborated on numerous film, theater and literary projects. Together, the couple produced the 1982 film Missing, which received four Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations and seven BAFTA nominations, and shared the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. They also co-wrote the ground-breaking 1977 film Brothers.

In addition to their work in entertainment, Edward and Mildred were active in civil rights causes and were passionate art collectors.

Bonhams is delighted to offer a selection of pieces from the Lewis' collection throughout the coming months.