Most people know that a massive blue gemstone – known as “The Heart of the Ocean” – plays an essential part in the 1997 movie “Titanic,” and no one who’s seen “The Princess Diaries” can forget when awkward teen Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) gets her first tiara, but do you know the shape of Professor X (Patrick Stewart’s) cufflinks in “X2” or what kind of watch Tom Hanks wore when he portrayed Walt Disney in “Saving Mr. Banks”? Thanks to an exhibition called “All That Glitters: The Crown Jewels of the Walt Disney Archives” at the Bowers Museum near Disneyland, you can find out.
Movie costumes may get the glory, but the crowns, watches, rings, necklaces, and other costume jewelry actors wear are also important in telling their character’s story, and the all-new Walt Disney Archives exhibition at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, Calif. features over 200 of them.
After all, explains Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline, “everything at Disney is about storytelling,” so her goals when curating the exhibition were to explore what costume jewelry is, why (and how) moviemakers use it, and what it tells the audience about the character. Then she selected pieces that best represented and showcased those stories.
“We have so many wonderful things in our collection – and now that 20th Century Fox has joined the Walt Disney Company, we have the assets from their archives – so we have this enormous collection of beautiful things that represent not only the vast history of the Walt Disney Company but Fox as well, so picking which ones to show was the hardest part,” Cline says.
Among the treasures Cline selected are not only the crowns worn by Princess Mia and her grandmother Queen Clarisse Renaldi (Julie Andrews) in “The Princess Diaries” movies, but also by the four young kings and queens of Narnia – Peter (William Mosely), Susan (Anna Popplewell), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), and Lucy (Georgie Henley) – in “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” (2005), by Oscar-winner Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018), and the golden horned crown worn by Marvel trickster Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in the 2021 Disney+ “Loki” series.
Marvel fans will also be able to see The Eye of Agamotto pendant worn by Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and a neckpiece worn by Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther” (2018). Are you a Star Wars fan? Check out Chewbacca’s Medal of Yavin from “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker” (2019).
From a storytelling perspective, Cline also included several pieces that play critical roles in their respective films, most notably the spectacular “Heart of the Ocean,” but equally important, the cursed gold Aztec coin medallion worn by Kiera Knightly in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) and the plot-twisty ruby necklace from “Cruella” (2021). A personal favorite of mine is the magical dragon “Merlin Ring” worn by Nicholas Cage’s character in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (2010) that I half expected to come to life in the display case.
The crowns and pendants are show-stoppers for sure, but visitors definitely should not skip the extensive collection of movie watches. I particularly like the charming pocket watch used by Ian McKellen as the human version of Cogsworth in the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” (2017). In addition to Hanks’ Walt Disney wristwatch, a pair of pocket watches used by Johnny Depp in “Murder on the Orient Express” (2017) is also worth looking for. Bowers Museum President Peter Keller shared that a bullet shatters Depp’s watch in the movie, so that’s why filmmakers needed two.
And Dr. X’s cufflinks? Those X-shaped beauties can be found in a case along with rings worn by Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) in “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018), extremely cool Rebel rings worn by Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017), and Jim Carrey’s cufflinks from “Mr. Poppers Penguins” (2011) that are (of course) mini penguins.
Although “All That Glitters: The Crown Jewels of the Walt Disney Archives” is not a costume exhibit – for that, I encourage a visit to Seattle, Wash. where “Heroes & Villains – The Art of the Disney Costume” is currently open at the Museum of Pop Culture – visitors can still see several never-before-displayed costumes along with their accessories, including a gown and crown worn by Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith in “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” (2019), Will Smith’s Genie costume and lamp from “Aladdin”(2019), and Mulan’s matchmaking outfit from Disney’s 2020 live-action film.
Disney Magic Shines at MoPop Heroes & Villains Costume Exhibit
Every Disney fan knows you should always exit through the gift shop, and the Bowers Museum Gallery Store is among my favorites. The shop carries unique home, jewelry, and gift items (some that are exhibition-specific), as well as an extensive selection of Disney-related books for both kids and adults – and if you’re looking to maximize your Disney experience, the shops and restaurants at Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District are only about 15 minutes away.
“All that Glitters: Crown Jewels of the Walt Disney Archives” will continue through June 19, 2022. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for students age12+ and seniors age 62+, and $10 for children age 3-11.
Merry and Bright Theme Park Ticket and Travel Deals
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The World-Famous MiceChat Gumball Rally Returns!
After a long hiatus, it’s time for the big return of the MiceChat Gumball Rally at Disneyland. The event is a competition to see who can ride the most attractions at Disneyland in a single day. Guests compete in small groups of 2 to 4 members and spend the day doing what Disney fans love most… riding the attractions!
So, say goodby to those nice people on the dock… because the Gumball Rally is rolling your way on February 12th.
Book your theme park reservations NOW and then sign up for the Rally! We are also offering discounted theme park admission and discounted hotel rooms this year via our partners at Get Away Today. Don’t miss out!
Gumball Rally Event information * HERE *
Let’s Hear From You
Which Disney movie gems are your favorites? Will you be visiting this special exhibition from the Disney Archives? Let us know in the comments!
Special thanks to Suzanne Lee and Dusty Sage for the photos in this article!
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