Things that appear in famous films, or are used to create them, often gain their own popularity. The main character’s dress, the main character’s car or even a lead figurine can go under the hammer for a lot of money.
Here are the top 10 most expensive items in the history of world cinema.
10. flying car
Where appeared: the musical “Puff-puff oh-oh-oh-oh” (1968)
Price: $ 805,000
While Mary Poppins (1964) is better known to the public, Buck-oo-oo-oo-oo-o is another British musical that can cause nostalgia for childhood, especially for those who are fascinated by his flying car.
In the story, the inventor Karaktakus Potts, together with his girlfriend and two children, travels in a flying (and also floating and driving) car through the fairy-tale world of ancient castles and escapes from the evil baron Bomburst.
In total, six cars were created for the film, including a non-motorized version, a car for flying scenes, a machine for transformations, and a smaller version for driving scenes.
After the shooting, all six were equipped with engines and were used to advertise the musical worldwide. One model was a fully operational vehicle with genuine registration in the UK. This car was sold in 2011 to the celebrated director Peter Jackson.
9. Audrey Hepburn Dress
Where appeared: the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1961)
Price - $ 806,000
One of the sexiest dresses in the history of cinema was created by French designer Hubert de Givenchy (his clients included celebrities such as Jackie Kennedy).
For Tiffany's Breakfast, Givenchy developed not only a black Italian satin sheath dress, but also chose accessories for him: a pearl necklace, a mouthpiece, 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 remained: one is in the archive of the Givenchy House, the other is on display in the costume museum in Madrid.
8. The James Bond Underwater Lotus Esprit
Where appeared: the film "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)
Price - $ 860,000
The movie hero James Bond loved supercars, and Lotus Esprit is no exception. This car could swim under water, having “grown” fins, water cannons and a periscope instead of wheels. Of course, only in the movies.
During underwater shooting, the Esprits case was used, in which there was a specially created device.
After filming was completed, Wet Nelly, as the crew called the car, was put into storage at Long Island, New York. Ten years later, it was auctioned for less than one hundred dollars, and the buyer was not initially aware of its contents.
From 1989 to 2013, he occasionally put the car up for auction, restoring its exterior. In the end, it was auctioned in London in 2013 to business tycoon Ilon Mask.
7. Steve McQueen racing suit
Where appeared: Le Mans movie (1971)
Price: $ 984,000
Although the film “Le Mans” initially failed at the box office, it has been praised many times for its realism: the real Le Mans track, race footage captured from the participating cars, and the presence of famous racers in the picture. One of them was Steve McQueen, who played the main protagonist - American Michael Delaney, who wants to win Le Mans gold.
After the release of the film, McQueen's racing suit was handed over to the British newspaper The Observer as a prize quiz on the theme of Le Mans. Twelve-year-old Thomas Davis won it, who subsequently sold the costume in 2011 for $ 155,000.
Three and a half months later it was sold again, this time at the Hollywood Icons auction in Beverly Hills, for $ 984,000, making it the most expensive racing memorabilia ever sold.
6. Costumes for the song "Do Re Mi"
Where appeared: musical “Sounds of Music” (1965)
Price: $ 1.5 million
This musical was another hit by Julie Andrews after her starring role in the movie Mary Poppins a year earlier. He is one of the highest grossing films of all time, like Gone With the Wind (another film known for its costume made from curtains).
The costumes, which the main character, governess Maria, sewed for the seven children of the von Trapp family, are really made of curtain material. The Sound of Music designer Dorothy Jackins was nominated for an Oscar for her work on the film.
Despite the fact that the clothes for the song “Do Re Mi” were made of simple material, it was sold for $ 1.5 million in 2013.
5. Cowardly Lion Costume
Where appeared: The film "The Wizard of Oz" (1939)
Price: 3 million dollars
The most recognizable role of actor Bert Lara was a cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz. Although he may not have sung the most memorable songs and was not the most charismatic of the characters, he wore the most memorable costume. It was made from natural lion fur, and was sold in 2014 for $ 3 million. Ironically, this costume was found abandoned in the old MGM studio building.
The costume was purchased for the Television Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, where it is still on display.
4. Figurine "The Maltese Falcon"
Where appeared: The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Price: $ 4.1 million
The first film noir member was John Houston, also known for the Treasures of the Sierra Madre, Moulin Rouge, and the Queen of Africa.
Humphrey Bogart played the lead role in The Maltese Falcon, playing a private detective, Sam Spade, who is tired of life and searches for a mysterious figurine. This figurine was sold in 2013 for $ 4.1 million to billionaire Steve Wynn.
Some argue that the figurine is not the one used in the film, as the actors allegedly used plaster casts and not a heavy lead original. However, The Maltese Falcon did appear in the film; his curved tail feather can be seen at the end of the film when Spade takes him out of his apartment.
3. Car Aston Martin
Where appeared: film "Goldfinger" (1964)
Price: $ 4.4 million
This is one of two cars that were used to create the Goldfingra. The Aston Martin DB5 Convertible, driven by James Bond by Sean Connery, was sold in 2010.
It was equipped with Bond branded gadgets remaining after the shooting. Interestingly, Goldfinger was the first film to use gadgets, subsequently becoming a key part of the Bond franchise.
There was another Aston Martin, equipped with various gadgets, such as pistols, which appeared on the rear lights. He was abducted in 1997 from a hangar at Boca Raton Airport and has not yet been found.
2. Eliza Doolittle Dress
Where appeared: the film "My Fair Lady" (1964)
Price: $ 4.5 million
Audrey Hepburn's black and white lace dress, shown above, was designed by Cecil Beaton, a renowned English costume and costume designer who received the Academy Award for costume design and artistic direction for his efforts.
The dress (and hat to it) was sold in 2011 for $ 4.5 million as part of the collection of the late actress Debbie Reynolds. Over her life, she has collected more than 3,500 costumes from various Hollywood films - including from Gone With the Wind, Sounds of Music and Casablanca - in the hope of someday creating a museum.
The dress that Hepburn wore for the Ascot Gavotte music number remains the most expensive item ever sold by California-based Profiles in History. Surprisingly, this was not the most expensive dress from the Reynolds collection.
1. Marilyn Monroe Dress
Where appeared: the film "Itching of the Seventh Year" (1955)
Price: $ 4.6 million
The white dress Marilyn Monroe once wore is one of the most famous dresses and the most expensive props in cinema history. It was sold as part of the late Hollywood collection of the late Debbie Reynolds.
The moment when the heroine Marilyn stands on the ventilation grill, and a gust of air lifts her dress up, exposing her legs, has been parodied in many films and cartoons, including such as Shrek 2, Boys Like It and Woman in Red.
Initially, the scene was supposed to be shot outside the 20th Century Fox studio pavilion, but cameras and Monroe attracted the attention of hundreds of fans, and their noise spoiled frame by frame. As a result, director Billy Wilder decided to re-shoot the scene in a calm pavilion setting.
