Hi Erica: Black and white movies are a real treasure. Pity, nowadays, they don’t make movies anymore like the good old days of Hollywood. Even, the actresses today do not look anymore like real actresses. Many of them lost the sense of  elegant, really elegant glamour and feminism charm.  They became celebrities with a cause. I know you have seen a lot of good black and white movies in your life, after all, you belong to the real golden era of Hollywood. Excuse me, I meant by this, your knowledge and class fit perfectly in that milieu. Now Erica, tell me, if you had to go back in time, which are the three of four super actresses of the silver screen that you like most. And if you do not mind tell me why. By the way, do you have in your movie photos albums any unusual black and white photographs of your favorite actresses that you could share with us, if you do not mind. Thank you. Salvatore Fortini, Roma, Italy.

Look at this poster, it is from the famous motion picture: “Goodbye Mr. Chips”

Salvatore, strange you asked this question. I was just traveling through my golden era album. A very old album. As old as Erica herself. You know, I am 82 year old. Well, I was looking at all those magnificent photos of goddesses of the Hollywood magnificent vanished era. Photos of Kim Novak, Barbara Stanwyck,  Ava Gardner, and so many other super vedettes. It was a magical era. I am still mesmerized by the lighting techniques they had in those old days. They were magicians. For some reason, the black and white movies have a tremendous nostalgic effect on me. Something very magical about them. The setting, the theme, the light, the shadow create an enchanting and hypnotizing effect on me. Of course, the faces of the goddesses of the silver screen had certain definition and conveyed mesmerizing influence on the intellect and visual conception. You brought so many delightful memories to my heart.

Thirty, forty, fifty, even sixty year ago, we had only one major aspect of entertainment; the Movies, the Cinema. Superstars were regarded as super-humans. They had glamour, they looked like supernatural in their beauty, class, fashion, demeanor, wealth, romanticism. It was really a magical era. The film scenarios were well crafted, the dialogue was well balanced and polite, the words well chosen…a certain flair of politeness and refined manners were the contour of the setting and the image of the film. My favorites? Let’s see: Barbara Stanwyck was a great lady. She helped so many aspiring actors to take off. She was the one who launched the career of William Holden. The studio did not want Holden at all. So, she insisted and demanded that Holden would have a fair shake and she succeeded in securing him a starring role because she believed in him. Unfortunately, Hollywood studios’ directors did not really offer her all the opportunities she deserved She had class, beauty, intelligence and a magnetic presence. Only one great director really knew and appreciated her immense talent; Alfred Hitchcock, a real genius. Another great actress was Lana Turner. You know, Hollywood dumped her for a few years. She was out of work for almost four years. Still in my heart, I believe the two greatest American actresses of all times were Kim Novak and Lana Tuner. They had a lot of class and dignity. The camera loved them. The crew on the set adored them. They simply shined. I am really sorry for the great Kim Novak for not being widely recognized as the best of the best. In Europe, the cinema goers just adored Kim Novak. Years later, the great French actress, Marina Vlady  will be compared to Kim Novak. Probably, you should see Kim Novak in “THE EDDY DUCHIN STORY” (1956). She was superb. Absolutely magnificent. In that film, Kim played and depicted the life of the fated wife of the Hungarian pianist virtuoso Eddy Duchin played by Tyrone Power. This is a must see movie. Of course, there are so many roles and so many outstanding performances she gave in immortal films, such as: VERTIGO (1958), THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955), MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT (1959), STRANGERS WHEN WE MEET (1960). I have here a few good photos of her, I will posted them for you. Have a look

LANA TURNER" Lana Turner was a dramatic presence on and off stage. This is what she wrote in her autobiography:” "The thing about happiness is that it doesn't help you to grow; only unhappiness does that. So I'm grateful that my bed of roses was made up equally of blossoms and thorns. I've had a privileged, creative, exciting life, and I think that the parts that were less joyous were preparing me, testing me, strengthening me." -Lana Turner, Lana, The Lady, The Legend, The Truth I was always fascinated by this woman, for her life was a continuous sequence of drama. I want to read this official excerpt from her biographer/historian:” Lana Turner was no stranger to outstanding hardship. She was born Julia Jean Mildred Frances Turner on February 8, 1921 to John and Mildred Turner in Wallace, Idaho. Lana's uneventful birth in itself was relief-her grandmother had died in childbirth due to Rh factor complications-and there was a possibility the condition had been passed to Mildred. Though her mother was spared, Lana would later discover she had inherited the disorder. Science afforded her a daughter, Cheryl, whom doctors saved with a total blood transfusion shortly after birth, but Lana's dreams for a large family were dashed. Lana fondly recalled nights, after dinner, spent dancing and listening to records with her parents. In later years, she attributed her love for music and dance to those evenings. Her father, who spent his days working in the mines, was also an excellent card player. His skills helped to support the family through rough times. However, after a big win at a card game one night, he was robbed and murdered. Lana was heartbroken, and later learned he'd bragged about using the money to buy his daughter a tricycle-a gift she'd been begging him for. Lana loved going to the movies. Every weekday she would save a nickel of her lunch money to put toward the twenty-five cent Saturday matinee. Her appreciation for the elaborate costumes of actresses Kay Frances and Norma Shearer carried over into her own career, and earned her a reputation for wearing some of the most beautiful costumes in film history. In fact, if she hadn't gone into movies, Lana always said she would have become a fashion designer. n search of greater job opportunities, Lana and her mother moved out to California. One school day, shortly after their arrival, fifteen-year-old Lana went for a Coke. Despite the legend, she wasn't at Schwab's Drugstore, but The Top Hat Café, a shop across the street from Hollywood High. When W.R. Wilkerson, publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, happened to be quenching his thirst at the same time, he caught sight of Lana. He introduced himself, gave her his card and asked her to call newly operating talent agent Zeppo Marx. This, in addition to a letter Wilkerson personally wrote, helped team her with director Mervyn LeRoy. He felt her nickname, Judy, was too plain. Julia Jean was also vetoed, so the two had a brainstorming session. LeRoy suggested Leonore, but it didn't seem to fit. "What about-Lana?" she suggested. She spelled it for LeRoy and waited while he said it several times and then finally nodded. "That's it," Leroy told her. "You're Lana Turner." Lana could relate to the role of schoolgirl Mary Clay in They Won't Forget, and found it easy to play. Though the part was relatively small, when the film was released she was immediately noticed. The Hollywood Reporter noted, "Short on playing time is the role of the murdered school girl. But as played by Lana Turner it is worthy of more than passing note. This young lady has vivid beauty, personality and charm." After the film, Lana found herself tagged as "The Sweater Girl," thanks to a tight blue wool sweater she wore in the film. Despite the praise, Lana still didn't think she would become an actress. "I made my first movie without ever considering that my walk-on would be anything more than a one-time job," she said. "If I could have foreseen everything that was going to happen to me, all the headlines my life would make, all the people who would pass through my days, I wouldn't have believed a syllable of it!" But LeRoy cast her in his next film, The Great Garrick, and when it was finished he loaned her to Samuel Goldwyn for The Adventure of Parco Polo. During the filming of Marco Polo, Goldwyn insisted that Lana's eyebrows be shaved off and replaced with straight, fake black ones. They never grew back, and from then on she had to either paste or draw her eyebrows. When LeRoy left Warner Bros for MGM, he took Lana with him. Her salary doubled from $50 to $100 a week. Lana was ecstatic. The first thing she did was buy a house for she and her mother to live in. From that point on, Lana's fame and salary continued to increase. After a year with MGM, it rose to $250, and, by the time she was twenty, Lana was earning $1,500 a week. She enjoyed the fresh atmosphere at MGM, and would often spend time with other young Hollywood newcomers. "We had youth, we had beauty, we had money, we had doors open to us," she recalled. If someone recognized her while they were out, she would laugh and say, "Oh, no, no. I've been told I look like her." When the United States entered WWII, Lana spent time traveling with railroad tours that sold war bonds. She wrote her own speeches and promised "a sweet kiss" to any man who purchased a bond worth $50,000 or more. "And I kept that promise-hundreds of times," she said. "I'm told I increased the defense budget by several million dollars." New contract negotiations with MGM in 1945 netted Lana $4,000 a week. In addition, the studio finally obtained a censor-approved script for "The Postman Always Rings Twice."  She was ecstatic. "Finally the part I had been hoping for did come my way." Lana obtained the part, and Postman's author, James M. Cain, was delighted that she would be playing Cora. It was a perfect fit. Even today, some of her scenes as the adulterous femme fatale are considered among the most seductive and sensuous ever made. In 1948 Lana filmed "The Three Musketeers" her first Technicolor picture. Cast as Lady de Winter, she especially enjoyed the test of playing opposite Vincent Price's Cardinal Richelieu. "I studied him, and it challenged me, and I began to try things I never knew I could do," she said. "I found my own little touches-a certain sly look, the flap of a glove, a tilt of the head." She was allowed to improvise and create moments that weren't originally in the script. The artistic freedom and exquisite costumes made it one of her favorite performances. "Turner was covered with jewels and costumed exquisitely," recalled on review. "The drama of her first appearance on screen is heightened by the effect of having her sit in a darkened carriage... When Turner finally does lean slowly forward into the light-and the Technicolor-audiences are not jerked out of their mood and back to earth. She is unreal. A proper goddess." Lana's already celebrated career was furthered when she co-starred with Kirk Douglas in" The Bad and the Beautiful". The film went on to win 5 Academy Awards, including best screenplay and best costumes. "It is superb theater, one of the greatest moments of despair shown in cinematic terms, and a prime example of the coordination of actress, director and cameraman which can create a perfect visual moment of dramatic poetry on the screen." Unfortunately, it was also during this time that she began receiving telephone calls and flowers from a man named John Steele. Steele's romantic gifts and surprises eventually swept Lana off her feet. When she found out he was actually dangerous mob associate Johnny Stompanato, the two had dated for several months. Lana fought to end the relationship and regain a normal life, but Stompanato became abusive, vowing she would never leave him and live. During one such violent argument, daughter Cheryl walked in and feared Stompanato would kill her mother. In an effort to protect Lana, she attacked and fatally stabbed him with a kitchen knife. The death was ruled a justifiable homicide, and Cheryl was not incarcerated. Despite her recent Oscar nomination for Best Actress in "Peyton Place" , Lana was aware that "the happening," as she would later refer to it, could very well cripple her career. She fought back, dealt with reporter's head on and accepted the lead role of Lora Meredith in "Imitation of Life." Lana gambled both her career and finances the film. She accepted a meager salary and instead agreed to work for half the profits. Lana's innate and learned acting ability, combined with pent up emotions from the tumultuous year, resulted in one of the finest performances of her career. Movie theaters reported that, during the closing scene, "even strong men are crying." When Lana turned fifty she tackled yet another challenge-the theater. Though apprehensive, Lana couldn't pass up the role of Ann Stanley, a glamorous forty-year-old divorcee, in Forty Carats. As usual, the show and Lana, were a hit. Forty Carats played in numerous cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago and Baltimore. "Ironically," she said, "live theater, the medium I had so dreaded, became the new backbone of my working life." On October 25, 1981 the National Film Society presented Lana with an Artistry in Cinema award. Also busy with a reoccurring role as Jacqueline Perrault on TV's Falcon's Crest, she found herself immersed in almost all entertainment facets. Lana's active lifestyle continued until 1995. On June 29th, with Cheryl by her side, Lana Turner yielded to throat cancer. Her remains were cremated and given to her daughter. Probably, I should add another outstanding actress and lady: Greer Garson!! One of MGM’s most popular and successful leading ladies of the 1940s.The MGM archives and historical bio go like this: English-born Greer Garson received her first Best Actress nomination in 1939, an incredible five nominations in a row between 1941 and 1945, and a seventh before her career was through. She also acted in six Best Picture-nominated films.  But even more important than all her honors, Garson's films are a joy to watch. 

 Although at times the material she had to work with was not up to par, and audiences seemed unable to accept her in low-brow roles after the noble women that made her famous, Garson never gives a bad performance -- ever.  Each of her characters is marked with a sincerity which never betrays to the audience that Garson is just acting, and many-a mediocre script was rescued by her extensive talents. It is from her film debut, the Best Picture-nominated GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (1939) for which Garson received the first of her seven Academy Award nominations. (Her co-star, Robert Donat, won for Best Actor that year.)  Although not appearing until forty-five minutes into this story of a shy Latin professor at an English boys school, Garson steals the heart of the picture as she brings a touch of romance into Mr. Chipping's lonely life.  And in testament to the power of her performance in such a small role, Garson received her Oscar nomination in the Best Actress category, rather than the Best Supporting Actress category, as would have been more appropriate for a role of this size. Encouraged about Garson's prospects, MGM quickly cast her opposite Robert Taylor (left) and Lew Ayres in the half-baked romantic comedy REMEMBER? (1939) about a husband and wife who are given a memory-erasing medication when their marriage goes on the rocks.  The poor writing and direction as well as the slapstick antics (such as the mud puddle at left) did not sit well with critics or audiences, and the film flopped badly. Eager to reestablish Garson's respectability and reputation, MGM next cast her as Elizabeth Bennett opposite Laurence Olivier’s Fitzwilliam Darcy in the studio's prestigious 1940 adaptation of Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Though not a huge box-office success, the critical reviews of the film were favorable and Garson and Olivier’s open-mouthed kiss created quite a sensation. Today, although Garson and Olivier’s performances still stand up, the film's short-comings are amplified by a script which attempts to condense all the novel's characters and episodes into a two-hour screenplay. In my opinion, old fashion or avant-garde performances have nothing to do with the cinematographic beauty and quality. Well, those are some of my favorites: Greer Garson, Lana Turner, Kim Novak, Barbara Stanwyck.... I hope you have enjoyed this journey into the vanished golden era of Hollywood.

 

LEO BRAUER, BEETHOVEN AND MOHAMAD ABDEL WAHAB. Hello Erica, I was listening this morning to a great performance by Leo Brauer on the American national public radio. A friend of mine who was listening too mentioned the name of Mohamad Abdel Wahab, most certainly you have heard of, but I didn’t. Apparently Abdel Wahab was a great composer who was highly honored and admired by millions in the Arab world. My friend added a very interesting remark pertaining to the compositions of Abdel Wahab. He mentioned to me that several of  this great Egyptian composer’s songs and orchestral arrangements/compositions resembled musical compositions by Leo Brauer and Beethoven’s symphonies. Strange, how much we do know when it comes to foreign music and foreign culture. Especially Arab music. I looked Abdel Wahab up on the internet, but unfortunately, there is not much about him and about his biography.  Fred, the friend I mentioned earlier threw in an other interesting note on Abdel Wahab; apparently this composer was honored by the late President Anwar Al Sadat who bestowed upon him the rank of general. Cool! Can you shed more light on him, please? Thanks. Dave Beneditto, New York, USA.

The Great composer Mohamad Abdel Awab. Most certainly. I knew personally Mohamad Abdel Wahab. Indeed, he was a great composer, one of the 20^th century greatest composers, arrangers and musicologists.  I met him three times. The most memorable one was in the city of Al Zamalek during the reign of King Farouk when he was still in power, a few months before he was deposed  by Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt.  We had a great time. Another great artist of the era was with us a that meeting. A great friend of mine, Nour Al Houda, one of the most talented actresses of the Arab cinema and, most certainly one of the most attractive super vedettes. She was very dear to me. Her real name was Alexandra Bedran and she came from Lebanon. Funny, you mentioned Leo Brauer, a composer I highly admired. I have attended many of his concerts. The most memorable event was  the concert which was performed in Israel under the baton of conductor Yaron Gottfried. Yes, to a certain degree, I do agree with you. Some of the Egyptian Abdel Wahab's  compositions resembled those of Leo Brauer and Guido Lopez. Some movements and overtures, if not preludes of his were deeply influenced by Beethoven. This was evident in his melodic symphony “ Anthony and Cleopatra”, known as “Cleopatra” for short. Mohammed Abdel Wahab was the most prolific and impressive Arabic composer of the 20^th century. He wrote more than one thousand songs. It is true, he received the rank of general from the late president Sadat of Egypt as a token of respect and sign of gratitude for writing the orchestration of the Egyptian national anthem. He was born in 1907 in Cairo and died on May, 4, 1991. I believe on February 2nd, 1978 he received the Platinum Record Award, from the E.M.I. Music Group. Another famous recipient was Maurice Chevalier of France. Abdel Wahab made his first recording at the age of 13.

Soon after, he became the protégé of Ahmad Shawky  a.k.a “Amir Al Shoua’rah, meaning the prince of poets of the Arab world. This of course gave a big boost to Abdel Wahab. In 1924, Abdel Wahab and Shawky intensified their professional cooperation and collaborated on the creation of many songs. He exclusively composed music and songs for famous singers like Oum Koulthoum, Najat Al Sagira, Nour Al Houda, etc. Oh Dear Dave, you are bringing so much memories to my heart. I am almost in tears. Now, I remember an important event. I think the last time I met Abdel Wahab was possibly two weeks before the singer Najat Al Sghira sang the famous song “A Ya Zounnou,Anny Lou’baton Bayna Yadayhi” meaning “Does he think that I am a doll between his hands.” Song written by a great Syrian poet Nazar Kabbani. The music was composed by Abdel Wahab and performed at Casino du Liban. This was in the sixties, the good old golden years of Lebanon. In the forties, Abdel Wahab visited France and was introduced to French composers and arrangers. Meeting and conferring with French composers and films score writers left a deep impression on his musical career and creativity. Upon his return to Egypt, he created the first original musical score for an Arab film. Yes, he did write quite extensively for Oum Koulthoum considered to be “KAWKAB AL SHARK” meaning the Star of the Orient. Even though, I did not understand one word in Arabic, I enjoyed listening to Oum Koulthoum. The last  Oum Koulthoum performance I attended was in the early seventies of late sixties which took place in a beautiful mountainous area of Lebanon called ALLEY. The concert was performed at an open air stage, sort of, and called “Al Piscine”. Abdel Wahab was the absolute king of Arab music. Fans of  the great Farid Al Atrash, another greatArab composer, singer and movie star think otherwise. Abdel Wahab and Al Atrach were rivals. Abdel Wahab was conservative, while Al Atrach was flamboyant with an extensive wardrobe of Parisian couture. He loved to dress up in white silk. I met Al Atrach on two occasions. The last one was at his suite at the Phoenicia Inter-Continental Hotel in Beyrouth. He invited me to a martini at the “Cabana swimming pool terrace” of the Phoenicia Hotel and we had a blast. Final word on Abdel Wahab: He is considered as the pioneer of the modern era of Arab music, for he introduced Western quasi-symphonic movements to the Arab world of music and incorporated many of the classical overtures and classical arrangements in his own compositions. I will seize this opportunity to say a few words about my beloved friend the great late Nour Al Houda who worked for years with Abdel Awab in Cairo.

NOUR AL HOUDA (1924-1998)

One of the greatest singers of the Arab world. She recorded more than 100 songs with several international hits. She had a long and illustrious singing career which flourished for 60 years. She died at the age of 74 at Saint Georges Hospital in Lebanon, her native homeland. She was born in 1924 in the Mazraa  quarter in Beyrouth, Lebanon. More exactly in the quarter or crossroad section area of Mazraa which was called “Badraan” named after her family name. So if you had to take a taxi to go to that area, you simply tell the taxi driver, take me to “Al Badran”.!! She was born as Alexandra Nicholas Badran. She was asked by movies studio directors in Egypt to change her name as did her compatriot Omar Sharif, also a native of Zahle in Lebanon, who changed his name from  Michel Chalhoob to Omar Sharif.  Upon meeting Mr. Youssef Wehbe, the dean of the Arab theater,  and following his suggestion, Alexandra changed her name to Nour Al Houda. There is something very unique and very special about this great lady: She was the only silver screen super star who categorically refused to kiss or be kissed on the screen and to wear revealing or risqué clothes!! She was a silver screen superstar and one of the greatest singers of her times. I miss her a lot.  Every time, I think about Alexandra, I start to cry. She was a very dear friend of mine. God bless her soul. I still for time to time hum one of her greatest songs and international hits she recorded around 1958: “Ya Sahiba Al’Ouyoun Al Gariha, Albi Bi Houbak…” meaning, you who has those  bleeding eyes, in your love, my heart  is…. "

 

 

Dear Dr. Erica: Please, can you tell me which are the top 10 most expensive paintings in the world? And how much they were sold for. I am sure you know. Thanks. Melanie Brasso, Sao Paolo, Brazil

Yes, Melanie dear, I know. I wish I didn’t. Got my drill? Here is the Infamous list. The World’s Top Ten Most Expensive Paintings of all Time! 1. IRISES by Vincent Van Gogh. Sold for $49,000.000 at Sotheby's in New York on November 11^th ,1987. Van Gogh lived and died in misery, absolute poverty and disgrace. Yet, his paintings nowadays (only after his death) fetch astronomical amounts of money ranging from $49,000.000 to $71,000.000. Can you explain this phenomenon? That is the irony of destiny and the absurdity of the world of art!! IRISES brought $49,000.000. And this just one piece of a series of paintings. Art critics called it a masterpiece. Just look at it. What do you think?  It is really a masterpiece or a deranged artistic form of a mentally deranged man? Who cares and what difference it makes. There are two more Van Gogh paintings from the same series which are expected to fetch more than $80,000.000. They called him the obsessed and mad artist. But, who in reality is the obsessed and artistically deranged, the artist who created this painting, or the art collector with an ego bigger than the world is the “real” deranged and obsessed maniac?! You figure it out. Probably, you already did. "Irises" marked just he tip of the iceberg. for one of Van Gogh's many obsessions. This yellow one on the right brought $ 47,000.000. Hard to believe! 2. Woman Seated in a Garden. Femme Assise Dans un Jardin by Pablo Picasso. Sold for $49,500,000 at Sotheby’s in New York on November 10^th, 1999.

This melancholic woman is Dora Maar, one of Picasso's numerous mistresses and paramours during the pre-war era. Picasso painted it in one day! In other words, if it took Pablo Picasso 12 to 16 hours to finish this piece, his hourly wage would exceed $3,000.000 an hour!! But, who would dare to pretend at Sotheby’s or in a ritzy social salon that, art, great or mediocre is rated or priced by the hour? It does not matter whether the produced piece is a great piece or just a mockery or, how long it took the artist to finish his painting, as long as it is done by a famous artist. Fame sells. Fame means money, big time money  and not necessarily quality. Read below a report by Phil Hirschkorn. It is self-explanatory. Picasso painting sells for nearly $50 million by Phil Hirschkorn. A colorful mid-career masterpiece by painter Pablo Picasso sold Wednesday for $49.5 million -- the second-highest price ever paid for the artist's work at a public sale.The sale also marked the second time in two days a Picasso piece has fetched more than $40 million. The painting, "Woman Seated in a Garden," depicts Picasso's pre-war mistress, Dora Maar. He painted the 55-x-38 inch oil on canvas in a single day, December 10, 1938.

The work was sold at a Sotheby's auction Wednesday evening to a telephone bidder, whose name was not immediately released. The price includes Sotheby's commission. On Tuesday, at a Christie's auction, Picasso's "Nude On a Black Couch" (1932) sold for $45.1 million, now the fifth-highest price ever paid for a Picasso. "Woman Seated in a Garden" came from the collection of Eleanore and Daniel Saidenberg, Manhattan gallery owners who were Picasso's American representatives from 1955 until the artist's death in 1973. A total of 46 works from the Saidenberg estate were on the auctioning block Wednesday. Sotheby's will be selling additional modern and impressionist art on Thursday. The highest price ever paid for a Picasso painting is $51.7 million. "Woman Seated in a Garden" sold for a $1 million more than a similar Picasso work, "The Dream," auctioned for $48.4 million by Christie's exactly two years ago. 3. Les Noces de Pierrette by Pablo Picasso. Sold for $51,671.920 at Binoche et Godeau, Paris on November 30^th, 1989. This painting is from his early works painted in 1905 during a period of poverty and despair in his life. According to so-called art experts and top auctioneers, paintings from this period generally sell for more money than the later works. Ridiculous. Usually, it is the opposite with masterpieces done by masters of the Renaissance and Baroque eras.  Christopher Burge, the honorary chairman of Christie’s America, said the sale revealed to the world that “for top quality, the market is as strong as it has ever been,” as ascertained  by the record-breaking Picasso. 4. Self-Portrait: Yo Picasso by Pablo Picasso. Sold for $47,850.000 at  Sotheby's in 1989. This self-portrait was painted in 1901. It is said that this painting was inspired and influenced by the suicide of Casagemas, Picasso's friend. Frankly, I don’t believe it. The man had no heart. Tough like a nail, especially with women and children. This painting inaugurated the BLUE PERIOD of Pablo Picasso. 5. Still Life with Curtain, Pitcher, and Bowl of Fruit by Paul Cezanne. Sold for $60,500,000 at Sotheby’s, New York on May 10^th, 1999. Still Life with Curtain and Flowered Pitcher (Nature morte avec rideau et pichet fleuri) circa 1899. Oil on canvas 21 1/2 x 29 1/8 in (54.7 X 74 cm). 6. Portrait de l'artiste sans barbe by Vincent Van Gogh. Sold for $71,500.000 at Christie's, New York on November 19^th, 1998 According to Stewart Waltzer, a noted art market expert and writer, Christie’s  originally estimated this painting at $20,000.000. And look what they got!! Even so-called art experts and art appraisers don’t know the real value of a piece, simply because, there are no rules and no LOGIC for this sort of business. Highest bidders are always the world’s greatest egoists, show-off arrogant big time money shrewd people with a few drops of “real class” and art knowledge. They look upon as piece as an investment, an ego trip, an international vehicle for world fame!!. That’s fine, let’s them pay for it. The ego is expensive but, their ignorance is much more expensive that they think or admit!! 7. Au Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Sold for $78,100.000 at Sotheby's, New York on May 17^th, 1990, Buyer: Ryoei Saito from Japan. 8. Nude in a Black Armchair. Nu au fauteil noir (Portrait of Marie-Therese Walter, one of Picasso’s mistresses)  by Pablo Picasso. Sold for $45,102.500 at Christie's, New York on November 9^th, 1999.Three months later, it was re-sold to an anonymous idiot from Japan for $47,500.000. 9. The Dream. Le rêve, circa 1932 by Pablo Picasso. Sold for $48,400.500 at Christie's, New York on November 10^th, 1997. THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE PAINTING. A WORLD RECORD IN THE HISTORY OF ART! 10. Portrait of Dr. Gachet by Vincent Van Gogh. Sold for $82,500.000 at Christie's, New York on May 15^th, 1990. And of course, lately, Le garcon a la pile sold for 104 Million Dollars! The world is crazy.