When I was eight years old my father and I stood in line for two hours on opening night to to see a much anticipated sci-fi film known as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The first few minutes of the movie in the South Shore Twin Cinemas were without sound due to a technical glitch. There were loud boos and yelling from the audience. I had to wait until the second viewing to actually find out what Princess Leia and Darth Vader were talking about in those initial key moments in what became the franchise that my generation remembers most fondly.
When Obi Wan Kenobi gave Luke Skywalker the lightsaber that had belonged to Luke’s father I thought, “I want that!”
Now, if I had $150,000 to $180,000 to spare, I could have it. The exact one. It’s being auctioned off:
Mark Hamill hero “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. (TCF, 1983) This lightsaber was used by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in both Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. It is the non-fighting version of the famous Jedi weapon. This particular version is constructed from an existing Graflex flashgun from the 1930s, and is fitted with black grips around the base attached with adhesive and rivets. This lightsaber is in quite good condition for its age, but is missing the circuit board detailing usually attached to the clasp. The silver tape, which originally covered the Graflex name, has also been removed. An important and now-iconic piece of Star Wars lore, this hero lightsaber used by Luke comes directly from the archive of Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, and is accompanied with a letter of authenticity signed by Gary Kurtz. An incredible piece of film history used for the very first appearance of the spectacular “lightsaber” which thrilled audiences the world over. $150,000 – $180,000
Wow!
Coming to us from Profiles in History via Major Spoilers comes the auction every geek with tons of disposal cash longs for, among other things, props and costumes from iconic Hollywood films.
There’s something for all kinds of film fans.
If James Dean is your thing you can have his screen worn vest from Giant:
James Dean signature screen-worn “Jett Rink” vest From Giant. (Warner Bros., 1956) This black pinstriped vest is worn by James Dean as “Jett Rink”, the cowboy turned oil tycoon, throughout much of this classic epic film. The vest has five buttonholes (buttons missing as seen in the film), four frontal pockets, brown backing with waist strap tied in knot (1/2 clasp missing). There are a pair of white twine strings, one tied on the left side buttonhole, the other tied on the right, as worn by Jett on-screen. Interior Warner Bros. label handwritten “James Dean 4/27/55 Prod. 403 3 vests Chg. #1 3-7646”. James Dean film-worn costumes are exceedingly rare, and this iconic piece is also seenin numerous promotional photographs from Giant. $30,000 – $40,000
Indiana Jones bullwhip from The Temple of Doom would look great in a shadow box above our mantle:
Harrison Ford signature “Indiana Jones” Bullwhip from Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. (Paramount, 1984) This bullwhip, along with the fedora and distressed leather jacket, personify the Indiana Jones character. Indy’s use of the whip enabled him to fend off the bad guys as well as get him out of tight spots by using it as an acrobatic tether. It is one of the most highly recognized pieces in modern film history. The kangaroo hide whip was hand-made by David Morgan measures 10 ft. long (measuring from the butt of the handle to the end of the braid). The foundation of the handle is made of steel weighted with lead tape for proper balance. This whip comes with a letter of provenance from Jane Page, whose father Malcolm Page was Works Manager at Norank Engineering (based at Elstree Studios) during the production of the film. During the filming of the rope bridge sequence at Elstree, Malcolm, being a standby engineer, was given this whip by a member of the crew. Subsequently, Malcolm took the Indy whip to numerous charitable speaking engagements and roundtable discussions over the years. The whip comes with a stainless steel tag engraved Norank 18-1-85” which Malcolm attached to the loop on the handle following the production. Virtually every publicity image of Indy depicts him with either whip in-hand or strapped to his side. This is the first Indy bullwhip we have ever handled. $40,000 – $60,000
I might just wear this Jor-el costume, worn by Marlon Brando in Superman, to work:
Marlon Brando complete signature “Jor-el” costume from Superman: The Movie. (Warner Bros., 1978) This amazing costume was worn by Marlon Brando in his memorable role as Jor-El, the father of Superman. The costume consists of tunic with iconic “S” insignia with faux jewel detailing, sleeveless full-length robe with faux jewel detailing on the shoulders, pants and boots. The entire costume is layered with a luminous silver/gray reflective material which appears to glow when subjected to strong light. This ingenious costume effect was first innovated in this production and used on all of the inhabitants of the planet Krypton providing a fantastic other-worldly appearance. Tunic, robe and boots have Bermans and Nathans labels typewritten “Marlon Brando Superman”. Comes with a Warner Bros. certificate of authenticity. Truly an iconic garment, worthy of inclusion in the finest collections. $30,000 – $50,000
The above items are kind of pricey. If you’re on a bit of a budget you may just want to pick up a Wonka bar:
Prop “Wonka Bar” from Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. (Paramount, 1971) This prop “Wonka Bar” measures 6 ¼ in. x 3 ½ in. and is made of cardboard exceeding 1/8 in. thick. Precious few artifacts survived from this classic film–the day after shooting wrapped at the Bavarian studios, Cabaret started shooting. The vast majority of the Wonka props were tossed in a dumpster and only a few pieces were taken home by cast and crew. This bar was obtained from the film’s editor, David Saxon, and signed by him on the backside of the bar. $3,000 – $5,000
Coolness, and maybe O.K. investments. Now to convince the wife to take out some loans or sell the car. Or perhaps you want to pick something up for your favorite MovieSet blogger (me, not Patrick) just in time for Christmas.
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