Film Memorabilia - Examples

Examples

• Several pairs of the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz are known to exist. One pair is on permanent display at the National Museum of American History, several others are in the hands of private collectors, and one pair was stolen in 2005. The last auction price, in 2000, was $666,000. Also, the black hat belonging to the Wicked Witch of the West sold for $33,000 in 1988 and $197,400 in 2008.

• There were several statuettes made for the 1941 The Maltese Falcon — two lead figures weighing 47 pounds (21 kg) each, and a seven pound (3.2 kg), more finely crafted, resin model — all handled by Humphrey Bogart. Christie's auctioned one of the lead figures, part of the estate of actor William Conrad, on December 6, 1994; it was purchased for $398,500 by Ronald Winston, president of Harry Winston, Inc.

• In 1988, a Japanese company, on behalf of an unnamed client, outbid Donald Trump for the piano used in the Paris flashback in Casablanca (another one was used to play "As Time Goes By" in a later scene), paying $154,000.

• Audrey Hepburn was not only a celebrated actress, but also a fashion icon. In 2006, her "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's (plus a few other minor items) fetched £467,200 ($923,187) for the City of Joy Foundation. Three years later, another Hepburn dress, this time from How to Steal a Million, reaped $97,700.

• Steven Spielberg paid $60,500 (including 10% commission) in June 1982 for a "Rosebud" sled from Citizen Kane. Orson Welles stated in a telephone interview that there were three made of balsa (as is Spielberg's purchase) that were intended to be burned in the final scene, and one made of hardwood for the beginning of the film. Welles commented, "I'm sure it could be true" of a retired pilot's claim to have the hardwood one.

• The white suit worn by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever was purchased by film critic Gene Siskel in a charity auction. In June 1995 it was auctioned at Christie's for $145,500.