Dear Mr Harris,
I'am a belgian film historian and I'm working about some aspects of Vertigo, especially about the european sources of the film and its relationship with the arts. Having consult the Hitchcock's papers at the Margaret Herrick Library, I learned there was two versions of the Carlotta's portrait. The first was painted in Italy by a painter named Manlio Sarra, who received somes photos of a young girl posing for the portrait, and another of Vera Miles with the bun she should have borne in the film. Two ektachromes of the achieved painting had been sent to Coleman before the shipping of the portrait to Hollywood, in the aim it could be accepted by Hitchcock. I don't know what Hitch thought about this painting but it had been shipped in February 1957. I don't know why this first portrait had been given up at the end and why another had been ordered to another artist. According Dan Auiler and other critics, the second portrait had been painted by John Ferren but anybody can't prove it and I didn't find any archives about this fact.
I learned too that you are now the owner of the first version of the portrait. That's why I would like to ask you some questions about this problem :
1. Have you other informations about Manlio Sarra ?
2. Do you know why the first portrait hadn't been used for the film ?
3. Do you know where are the photos sent to Sarra ? Are they conserved somewhere ?
4. Can you confirm that the second portrait had been painted by Ferren ? Have you some informations about that ? Do you know where is this painting now ?
5. Is it possible to get a reproduction of the first portrait ? Do you agree I reproduce it in the book I'm writting at this moment ?
I apologize for the mistakes of language. My english is not very good.
Thank you for your attention to this message and your help. And congratulations for your wonderful restoration of Vertigo.
Best regards,
Marc-Emmanuel Mélon,
University of Liège (Belgium)
ME.Melon@ulg.ac.be
I'am a belgian film historian and I'm working about some aspects of Vertigo, especially about the european sources of the film and its relationship with the arts. Having consult the Hitchcock's papers at the Margaret Herrick Library, I learned there was two versions of the Carlotta's portrait. The first was painted in Italy by a painter named Manlio Sarra, who received somes photos of a young girl posing for the portrait, and another of Vera Miles with the bun she should have borne in the film. Two ektachromes of the achieved painting had been sent to Coleman before the shipping of the portrait to Hollywood, in the aim it could be accepted by Hitchcock. I don't know what Hitch thought about this painting but it had been shipped in February 1957. I don't know why this first portrait had been given up at the end and why another had been ordered to another artist. According Dan Auiler and other critics, the second portrait had been painted by John Ferren but anybody can't prove it and I didn't find any archives about this fact.
I learned too that you are now the owner of the first version of the portrait. That's why I would like to ask you some questions about this problem :
1. Have you other informations about Manlio Sarra ?
2. Do you know why the first portrait hadn't been used for the film ?
3. Do you know where are the photos sent to Sarra ? Are they conserved somewhere ?
4. Can you confirm that the second portrait had been painted by Ferren ? Have you some informations about that ? Do you know where is this painting now ?
5. Is it possible to get a reproduction of the first portrait ? Do you agree I reproduce it in the book I'm writting at this moment ?
I apologize for the mistakes of language. My english is not very good.
Thank you for your attention to this message and your help. And congratulations for your wonderful restoration of Vertigo.
Best regards,
Marc-Emmanuel Mélon,
University of Liège (Belgium)
ME.Melon@ulg.ac.be
