auction
Hollywood souvenirs sell for a lot in the USA
A suit worn by US Hollywood star John Travolta (r) in the cult film “Saturday Night Fever” was auctioned for around 235,000 euros. photo
© Christina Horsten/dpa
Things known or significant from films changed hands for tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. One suit in particular was very popular.
There is a lot of money to be made with souvenirs from Hollywood films: almost 1,400 items went under the hammer at the “Hollywood: Classic & Contemporary” auction in the US state of California over the weekend – many achieved far more than their estimate.
A hit was John Travolta’s white suit from the cult film “Saturday Night Fever” (1977). The white polyester suit, which included a jacket, waistcoat and pants, fetched $260,000. The auction house Julien’s Auctions had previously estimated the value at $100,000 to $200,000.
Michael J. Fox’s brightly painted hoverboard – in the role of “Marty McFly” – from the film “Back to the Future 2” (1989) fetched $91,000 yesterday. So did the yellow trench coat (and hat) worn by Warren Beatty in Dick Tracy.
An original clapperboard from day one of the 1978 film “Superman,” starring actor Christopher Reeve, fetched over $45,000 at auction. A movie poster for the Mafia classic “The Godfather”, signed by Al Pacino and Robert Duvall, found a new owner for a good $32,000.
A program signed by Marilyn Monroe and other stars for the birthday celebration of then US President John F. Kennedy in May 1962 brought in almost 89,000 dollars. A bamboo walking stick that once belonged to movie icon Charlie Chaplin has been auctioned for $39,000. Pieces from film series such as “Indiana Jones”, “James Bond”, “Iron Man” and “Terminator” were also in demand.