These iconic bits of cinematic history fetched a pretty penny at auction.
Most
movie props are entirely forgettable everyday objects that will likely be used and reused in countless productions. Some, however, get enough screen time to become famous in their own right.
1
Alien (1979)- Alien Chestbuster. The strange creature that bursts from John Hurt’s chest is actually made of plaster, plastic, and epoxy doll that Ridely Scott designed himself. It was sold for $43,000 in 2004 to a British musician named Chris de Burgh.
2
Blade Runner (1982)- Rick Deckard’s Blaster Pistol. The prop used by Harrison Ford sold for $270,000 in 2009. The film’s cast didn’t know the gun was being sold and tried to get some of the money to be donated but it was not.
3
The Seven Year Itch (1955)- Marilyn Monroe’s White Dress. The dress that helped make Marilyn Monroe an icon is the most expensive movie costume ever sold. It went for $4.6 million back in 2011 and was bought by actress Debbie Reynolds.
4
Star Wars (1977)- Luke Skywalker’s Lightsaber. During filming for the first movie, the team didn’t have a big enough budget to get a custom lightsaber made. Instead, they scrapped a fake one together using camera parts. Three different lightsaber hilts were used throughout the first film. One sold for $240,000 in 2008 and another for $450,000 in 2017. The third was donated to Ripley’s Believe it or Not!
5
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)- The Working Script. After the death of Audrey Hepburn, many of her items went to auction. Her original script complete with notes, interesting information, and write-ins sold for $811,615 in 2018.
6
King Kong (1933)- King Kong’s Original Model. This small model was actually only 22 inches tall and covered in rabbit fur. Over the years the fur rotted away, leaving only plastic and the wire skeleton. In 2009, it was sold to a collector for around $200,000.
7
The Wizard of Oz (1939)- Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers. There are three pairs of famous ruby slippers floating around. One pair is owned by The Smithsonian and is valued at $1 million. The second pair went to auction for $2 million but never sold. The third pair (which was the least used) went for $666,000.
8
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)- Aragorn’s Sword. The franchise has sold several props for large sums of money, including Frodo’s sword, Sting, for $161,000, and Gandalf’s wizard staff for $325,000. However, Aragorn’s sword, known as Anduril, sold for a whopping $437,000.
9
Forbidden Planet (1956)- Robby the Robot. The robot first appeared in the 1956 sci-fi film Forbidden Planet and gained serious popularity with sci-fi enthusiasts. Robby sold for $5.3 million.
10
The Maltese Falcon (1941)- The Maltese Falcon. There were two falcon props used during production, but only one made it onto the big screen. The reason auctioneers knew the difference was because Bogart’s secretary dropped the statue on his foot and broke two of his toes as well as smashed the tail. The little guy went for $4.1 million.
11
Goldfinger (1964) & Thunderball (1965)- James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5. Two custom-made Aston Martins were made for the films. One was owned by a Florida man, but the car was stolen in 1997 and never recovered. The other car sold for $4.6 million back in 2010.
12
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)- Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Spherical Space Shuttle. Stanley Kubric ordered all of the miniatures from the film to be destroyed, but the Aries 1B survived. For over 40 years it sat in the home of an art teacher in England. It was eventually sold for $344,000 to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who have it displayed in a museum in Los Angeles.
13
Ghostbusters (1984)- Proton Pack. The proton pack worn by Harold Ramis in the first and second films sold for $160,000 back in 2012.
14
My Fair Lady (1964)- Audrey Hepburn’s Ascot Dress. Though not a typical horse race type of dress, the piece became loved by many moviegoers. It was designed by Cecil Beaton, who won an Oscar for best costume design. The piece sold for $3.7 million in 2014.
15
Casablanca (1942)- Sam’s Piano. Sam famously sings the song “As Time Goes By” on a small piano, which sold for $3.4 million in 2014.
16
Grease (1978)- Sandy’s Leather Pants. The iconic look rocked by Olivia Newton-John will never be forgotten. When Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, found out the pants were for sale she bought them at auction for $162,000.
17
Star Wars- Darth Vader’s Helmet. The original auction for the famous helmet had a cap of $400,000, but was resold at a private auction later on for $898,420.
