Memorabilia buffs with big wallets scored this weekend at the Hollywood: Legends & Explorers event at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills. Over 900 pieces were sold, the bulk of which were from film and television history, with some space exploration items mixed in, too.
Among the notable items sold were a space suit and helmet from the 1968 production of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is believed that this is the suit worn by Keir Dullea during the final shut-down sequence of the HAL 9000 computer. The winning bid was $370,000, a substantial amount higher than the estimated listing of $200,000. Original props from 2001 are, according to Julien’s, one of the most sought-after among collectors, owing to many of the screen-used originals having been destroyed after production.
Other big ticket items sold this weekend include a mechanical cape worn by Christopher Reeve in Superman, Superman II, and “most likely” Superman III. (No dice on Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.) The $110,000 item also included wires and “Zoptic”-ready capabilities for front projection shooting. A 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that doubled as KITT from Knight Rider at various promotional events, and signed by David Hasselhoff, sold for $192,000. Also, a pipe used by the recently departed Ian Holm during the production of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring fetched $28,200.
Many items associated with Marilyn Monroe sold for sizable amounts of money, including one of her watercolor still life paintings ($21,875), a black silk evening gown ($28,125), a swimsuit from There’s No Business Like Show Business ($10,240), and, perhaps most strikingly, Joe DiMaggio’s copy of Monroe’s eulogy and funeral service program. This last item sold for $24,320.
From elsewhere around Hollywood, Geena Davis’s T-shirt, Wrangler jean jacket and Guess jeans worn in Thelma & Louise sold for $10,240, and an assortment of items used by Wentworth Miller on Prison Break, including an Acqua brand wristwatch which was estimated at $800 to $1200, but ended up selling for $19,200. Miller’s Princeton University class ring also sold for a surprising $18,750.
Also included was a selection from Steve Martin, the proceeds of which went to The Motion Picture Home in the name of his friend Roddy McDowall. A signed script to The Jerk sold for $25,600 and a banjo gifted to him by Queen Latifah sold for $11,250.