The Prop Store has another wild auction that ended with some lucky collectors scoring memorabilia that some of us would consider priceless.
One of the coolest items was an authentic H.R. Giger-designed special effects mechanical Xenomorph head from the production of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror masterpiece Alien. The creature stalked the crew of the Nostromo, picking them off one by one after bursting through the chest of executive officer Kane (John Hurt).
“This head was constructed for the production by David Watling, who also previously worked on the mechanical R2-D2 unit on Star Wars,” notes the auction catalog. “Although Carlo Rambaldi was commissioned to make three mechanical alien heads, he was busy working on another film at the time, so Watling was asked to construct a back-up in case Rambaldi’s were delayed or below par.
“Watling’s head was intended to be operated via a radio-control system, whereas Rambaldi’s was operated using hand levers,” they continue. “The head was based on H.R. Giger’s iconic design and, judging by the piece’s airbrushed paintwork, it was also likely to have been hand-painted and finished by Giger himself. Ultimately, Rambaldi delivered his three heads on time as promised, and Watling’s, though well documented in numerous interviews about it being built for production, was never used on camera.
More on the actual prop: “The head is largely made of resin and fiberglass, and has a moveable jaw and toothed ‘tongue’ that can protrude from the mouth. The front of the head is shaped like a human skull, as per Giger’s original design, with resin teeth that are plated to look metallic. The back of the head is missing, with cables protruding, revealing where the controls were attached to manipulate the mouth. A headcap is fitted within, allowing the head to be comfortably worn by the Alien performer. The head shows wear from production use and age. The jaw and ‘tongue’ are both mounted
on a slide mechanism, with the chrome-plated teeth on the tongue spring-loaded and mechanized.
The mechanical head sold for a whopping £62,500 ($83,750).
Another incredible piece of movie memorabilia is the actual Hero Dagger of Megiddo from Richard Donner’s The Omen (1976), which sold for £68,750 ($92,125).
From the catalog: “The sacred Seven Daggers of Megiddo were the only weapons that could be used to destroy the Antichrist Damien Thorn (Harvey Spencer Stephens). In the town of Megiddo, exorcist Carl Bugenhagen (Leo McKern) showed Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) how the seven daggers should be arranged in a cross formation, and explained that the ritual had to be performed on hallowed ground.
“Originally obtained from actor Leo McKern, this dagger was one of 12 made for the production.
“This hero dagger comprises a thin metal hexagonal blade, a curved crossguard and a decorative pommel. A cast emblem of Christ and the letters “IRNI” adorn both sides of the grip, and the majority of the piece is finished in faux-bronze paint. The Latin initials on the dagger are meant to stand for “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”, often initialed “INRI”. However, the production made a mistake with the order of the letters, an error subsequently corrected for the film’s sequels.”
