E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL Mechatronic Model Sold For $2,560,000 and There are More Auction Results
Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies recently held a movie prop auction called Icons and Idols: Hollywood, and the results of that auction have been revealed. As you’ll see, some movie fans paid a lot of freakin’ money for some of these props!
The mechatronic model of E.T. from Steven Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial sold for an incredible $2,560,000! That’s just insane to me that there are people out there with that kind of money to drop on a movie collectible. Some of the other props that sold include:
Charlton Heston's iconic The Ten Commandments "Holy Staff" sold for $448,000, twenty-two times its Original Estimate.
Marilyn Monroe's Famous 1950s Wardrobe Worn in Photographs with Arthur Miller and Yves Montand-her Classic Black Wool Dress and White Sleeveless Sundress Sold for $256,000 Each and Photo-Matched Pearl Gray Silk Dress Sold for $224,000.
Marilyn Monroe's Personal Handwritten Documents-Black "Record" Journal with Handwritten Personal Notes Sold for $87,500, Personal Gucci Brown Leather Address Book Sold for $64,000 and Her Only Known Communication with Father, Greeting Card from Stanley C. Gifford, Sold for $31,250, Fifteen Times its Original Estimate.
Harry Potter's Nimbus 2000 Hero Prop Broom Sold for $128,000 and Ralph Fiennes' "Lord Voldemort" Hero Elder Wand Realized $76,800
Chris Hemsworth's Thor: The Dark World "Mjolnir" Hero Hammer Prop Sold for $115,200
Chris Evans's Captain America: The First Avenger Hero Prop "Vibranium" Shield Sold for $102,400
Pedro Pascal's The Mandalorian Helmet from the Star Wars Disney+ Series Sold for $75,000
Hayley Atwell's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness "Captain Carter" Shield Prop Sold for $64,000
Don Cheadle's Iron Man 3 Original Iron Patriot Helmet Sold for $51,200
Bruce Lee's Personally Owned and Used Pair of Black Nunchakus Sold for $64,000 and Enter the Dragon Pen on Paper Signed Drawing Sold for $51,200
Robert DeNiro's Raging Bull Everlast Boxing Gloves and Shorts Brought $44,800
Darth Maul's Dueling Lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Sold for $44,800
There were over 1,300 artifacts from the greatest films of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the biggest and most popular present day contemporary films spanning Sci-Fi, Action and Fantasy classics and beyond. Here’s the press release with additional details:
The auction's most highly anticipated moment of the event was the sale of the headlining item, the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Hero "#1" Mechatronic filming model "actor" that brought the eponymous character to life in Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial which sold for an outstanding $2,560,000. Pre-dating modern CGI technology and effects, the one-of-a-kind cinematographic relic (constructed in 1981) features 85 points of movement and is regarded as an engineering masterpiece, created by "The Father of E.T.," Carlo Rambaldi, the Oscar-winning Italian special effects master, designer and mechatronics expert. Another highlight from the 1982 masterpiece that sold this weekend was the original E.T. maquette model made for Steven Spielberg to approve the E.T. design which sold for $125,000, A Kuwahara BMX bike used by the character "Greg" from the film sold for $115,200, over three times its original estimate of $30,000.
Another exciting moment from the auction was the reappearance of an original "holy staff" from the Cecille B. DeMille classic The Ten Commandments, used by Charlton Heston in his portrayal of Moses, which brought an astonishing $448,000, over twenty times its original estimate of $20,000. Heston used this prop in the iconic parting of the Red Sea scene, a special effects marvel of the era.
Over 175 rare and unique items from the personal archives of Marilyn Monroe hit the auction block on Saturday, including wardrobe, personal care items, receipts, documents and beauty products. Among the many iconic items sold was a black wool dress with spaghetti straps and back zipper worn in several photographs shot by her friend and business partner Milton Greene on January 28, 1955, which brought a staggering $256,000. Another significant piece, a white textured cotton sleeveless sundress worn by Marilyn in the series of photographs taken of her and Arthur Miller in New York City in 1956, sold for an impressive $256,000. A pearl gray silk dress that was personally owned by Marilyn and was a prototype for the dress made for her film Let's Make Love, with a photo-matched stain on the right breast, as evident in a photograph showing Marilyn sitting next to co-star Yves Montand brought $224,000. Marilyn Monroe's Mae West inspired black "cellophane effect" evening gown from her classic film, The Seven Year Itch also sold for $56,250.
An astonishing highlight uncovered in this auction of Marilyn Monroe's personal archives was the discovery of a get-well greeting card from Marilyn Monroe's father, Stanley C. Gifford that sold for $31,250, fifteen times its original estimate of $2,000. The card is the only known communication written by the star's long-lost parent to his famous daughter from their first and only known meeting. Marilyn's other personal handwritten documents sold include her black "record" journal with hand-written personal notes sold for $87,500, four times its original estimate of $20,000 and personal Gucci brown leather address book sold for $64,000.
Some of the most recognizable pop culture relics of the 21st century come from today's biggest film franchises. Props from the Marvel Cinematic Universe sold for numbers as legendary as their heroes including: an original "Mjolnir" hero hammer prop used by "Thor" played by Chris Hemsworth in Thor: The Dark World, shattering the auction podium at $115,200; Chris Evans's Captain America: The First Avenger hero prop "Vibranium" shield that sold for $102,400 as well as his other prop shield in the film which sold for $38,400; Hayley Atwell's shield prop used as her character Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which sold for $64,000; Don Cheadle's original Iron Patriot helmet used in Iron Man 3 that sold for $51,200; a repulsor glove hero prop worn by Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man 2 that sold for $32,000; and more.
Flying in from the magical and fantasy Harry Potter film series was the hero prop "Nimbus 2000" broom made for "Harry Potter" in the film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which sold for a stunning $128,000. Other top highlights included Ralph Fiennes' "Lord Voldemort" hero elder wand sold for $76,800; a pair of eye-glasses procured for the film's star Daniel Radcliffe for the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone sold for $35,200 and an original Gryffindor wool overcoat and iconic red and yellow Gryffindor scarf worn by Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets sold for $32,000.
"It is always a privilege to put together our annual year end Hollywood auction and this year's was one of our best and most spectacular yet, said Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien's Auctions. "This weekend was truly a career defining chapter of our auction house's history with a marquee lineup curated with TCM of over 1,300 Hollywood props, artifacts and memorabilia from the greatest films of all time and most especially this first and once in a lifetime sale of the original film used E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Hero "#1" Mechatronic filming model.”