Things that appear in famous films, or are used in their creation, often gain their own popularity. The main character's dress, the main character's car or even a lead statue can go under the hammer for huge amounts of money.
Here are the top 10 most expensive props in the history of world cinema.
10. Flying car
- Musical "Pif-Paf Oy-Oy-Oy" (1968)
- Price: $805,000
While Mary Poppins (1964) is better known to the public, Bang Bang is another British musical that can evoke childhood nostalgia, especially for those fascinated by its flying car.
According to the plot, inventor Caractacus Potts, his girlfriend and two children travel in a flying (and also floating and driving) car through a fairy-tale world of ancient castles and escape from the evil Baron Bomburst.
A total of six cars were created for the film, including a non-motorized version, a car for the flying scenes, a car for the transformations, and a smaller version for the driving scenes.
After filming was completed, all six were fitted with engines and used to promote the musical around the world. One model was a fully roadworthy car with a genuine UK registration. This car was sold in 2011 to famed director Peter Jackson.
9. Audrey Hepburn's dress
- Movie Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
- Price — $806,000
One of the sexiest dresses in cinema history was created by French designer Hubert de Givenchy (whose clients included celebrities like Jackie Kennedy).
For Breakfast at Tiffany's, Givenchy not only designed the black Italian satin sheath dress, but also selected the accessories for it: a pearl necklace, a cigarette holder, a black hat and long black gloves.
One copy of the dress was sold in 2006 for $806,000. Two other copies of the dress remain: one is in the archives of the House of Givenchy, the other is on display at the Costume Museum in Madrid.
8. James Bond's underwater car, the Lotus Esprit
- Movie The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Price — $860,000
Movie hero James Bond loved supercars, and the Lotus Esprit is no exception. This car could swim underwater, having grown fins, water jets and a periscope instead of wheels. Of course, only in the movies.
During the underwater filming, an Esprits housing was used, which housed a specially designed apparatus.
After filming wrapped, "Wet Nellie," as the car was nicknamed by the crew, was placed in storage in Long Island, New York. Ten years later, it was auctioned off for less than $100, with the buyer initially unaware of its contents.
From 1989 to 2013, he auctioned the car off and on, restoring its exterior. It was eventually sold at auction in London in 2013 to business magnate Elon Musk.
7. Steve McQueen's racing suit
- Movie "Le Mans" (1971)
- Price: $984,000
Although Le Mans was initially a box office flop, it was widely praised for its authenticity: the actual Le Mans circuit, the racing footage from inside the car, and the presence of famous racing drivers in the film. One of them was Steve McQueen, who played the main protagonist, American Michael Delaney, who wants to win Le Mans gold.
McQueen's racing suit was given to British newspaper The Observer after the film's release as a prize for a Le Mans-themed quiz. The winner was 12-year-old Thomas Davis, who later sold the suit in 2011 for $155,000.
Three and a half months later, it sold again, this time at the Hollywood Icons auction in Beverly Hills, for $984,000, making it the most expensive piece of racing memorabilia ever sold.
6. Costumes for the song "Do Re Mi"
- Musical The Sound of Music (1965)
- Price: 1.5 million dollars
The musical was another hit for Julie Andrews after her starring role in Mary Poppins the year before. It is one of the highest-grossing films of all time, along with Gone with the Wind (another film famous for its costume made from curtains).
The costumes that the main character, governess Maria, made for the seven von Trapp children were actually made from curtain material. The Sound of Music designer Dorothy Jekins was nominated for an Oscar for her work on the film.
Despite the fact that the outfit for the song "Do Re Mi" was made of simple material, it was sold for $1.5 million in 2013.
5. Cowardly Lion Costume
- Movie The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Price: 3 million dollars
Actor Bert Lahr's most recognizable role was as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. While he may not have had the most memorable songs or been the most charismatic of the characters, he did wear the most memorable costume. It was made from real lion fur and sold for $3 million in 2014. Ironically, the costume was found abandoned in the old MGM studio building.
The suit was purchased for the Television Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, where it remains on display to this day.
4. Statuette "Maltese Falcon"
- Movie The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Price: 4.1 million dollars
The first representative of the film noir genre was the directorial debut of John Huston, also known for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Moulin Rouge and The African Queen.
The Maltese Falcon stars Humphrey Bogart as world-weary private detective Sam Spade, who is searching for a mysterious statue. The statue was sold in 2013 for $4.1 million to billionaire Steve Wynn.
Some claim that the statue is not the one used in the film, as the actors allegedly used plaster casts rather than the heavy lead original. However, the Maltese Falcon did appear in the film; its curved tail feather can be seen at the end of the film when Spade carries it out of his apartment.
3. Aston Martin car
- Movie "Goldfinger" (1964)
- Price: 4.4 million dollars
This is one of two cars used in the making of Goldfinger. The Aston Martin DB5 convertible driven by Sean Connery's James Bond was sold in 2010.
It was equipped with Bond's signature gadgets left over from filming. Interestingly, Goldfinger was the first film to feature the gadgets, which later became a key part of the Bond franchise.
There was another Aston Martin, outfitted with gadgets like guns that appeared on the taillights. It was stolen in 1997 from a hangar at the Boca Raton airport and has never been found.
2. Eliza Doolittle's Dress
- Movie My Fair Lady (1964)
- Price: 4.5 million dollars
Audrey Hepburn's black and white lace dress, shown above, was designed by renowned English artist and costume designer Cecil Beaton, who won an Academy Award for Costume Design and Art Direction for his efforts.
The dress (and its hat) sold in 2011 for $4.5 million as part of the collection of the late actress Debbie Reynolds. Over the course of her life, she collected more than 3,500 costumes from various Hollywood films — including Gone with the Wind, The Sound of Music, and Casablanca — in hopes of one day creating a museum.
The dress Hepburn wore for the musical number "Ascot Gavotte" remains the most expensive item ever sold by California auction house Profiles in History. Surprisingly, it was not the most expensive dress from Reynolds' collection.
1. Marilyn Monroe's dress
- Movie The Seven Year Itch (1955)
- Price: 4.6 million dollars
The white dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe is one of the most famous dresses and the most expensive piece of prop in film history. It was sold as part of the late Debbie Reynolds' Hollywood collection.
The moment when Marilyn's character stands on a ventilation grill and a gust of air blows her dress up, revealing her legs, has been parodied in many films and cartoons, including Shrek 2, The Boys Like It, and The Woman in Red.
The scene was originally supposed to be filmed outside the 20th Century Fox soundstage, but the cameras and Monroe attracted hundreds of fans, and their noise ruined shot after shot. Director Billy Wilder eventually decided to reshoot the scene in a quiet soundstage setting.
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