Comrade Saakhov's hat, Jack Nicholson's axe: famous movie props sold at auction for record price

Comrade Saakhov's hat, Jack Nicholson's axe: props from famous films sold at record prices at auction

Behind every successful film, not only talented actors and brilliant directors, but also props from the set play an important role. Below are some of the items from famous films that have sold for huge sums.

Comrade Saakhov's hat waited 37 years for its moment of fame at auction

Do you remember the famous phrase "Take off your hat!" from the beloved comedy "The Prisoner of the Caucasus"? This headdress, characteristic of the bright image of Comrade Saakhov, skillfully performed by Vladimir Etush, became famous even outside the cinema screen.

In December 2003, a charity auction will be held in Moscow for the benefit of retired actors. This hat will become one of the most expensive lots at this event. Vladimir Etush did not want to part with this prop from the 1966 film, but in the end he decided to put it up for sale. The starting price of the hat was only $ 50, but during the auction its price rose to $ 3,600.

Marilyn Monroe's white dress: when the winds of change blew

Marilyn Monroe's legendary white dress from the film "Seventh Year Fever" became a symbol not only of Hollywood glamour, but also of record-breaking auction sales. In 2011, this famous dress was sold for an incredible $ 4.6 million.

Interestingly, Marilyn's husband, baseball player Joe DiMaggio, hated this dress and was very angry about that scene. Three weeks after filming, newspapers reported that they were getting divorced.

The Door from the Titanic: The Wooden Panel That Couldn’t Save Jack

The famous wooden panel from the movie “Titanic” has finally found a new owner. In March 2024, this famous prop was sold at Heritage Auctions for $718,750.

The bidding started at $60,000, but in just six minutes the price had risen to $700,000. This panel, which everyone calls “the door,” is actually part of the door frame in the ship’s cabin. It was made of balsa wood based on a real piece of the Titanic that sank in 1912.

The axe in “The Big Bang Theory”: fans are ready to give up everything for nightmares

The scariest scene in “The Big Bang Theory” is probably when Jack Nicholson breaks through the door and shouts, “Here comes Johnny!” The same axe from Stanley Kubrick's famous film sold for $209,000 at an auction in 2019.

The DeLorean from Back to the Future: A Half-Million-Dollar Time Machine

The DeLorean DMC-12, famous for its wing-like doors and stainless steel body, was the star of the December 2011 auction. The car that Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown rode in, sold for $541,200.

This replica is one of seven DeLoreans built for the trilogy, only three of which survived filming. The car sold was used in the third installment of the franchise, where Marty sets off on a journey to find Doc in 1885. After filming wrapped, the car sat on the grounds of Universal Studios for 14 years before being briefly displayed at the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles.

Part of the proceeds from the sale will go to the Michael J. Fox Parkinson's Disease Research Foundation - the actor who played Marty has been suffering from this disease since 1991.

Audrey Hepburn's little black dress: a million-dollar symbol of elegance

Audrey Hepburn's famous little black dress from the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" was sold at Christie's in December 2006 for a record-breaking 467,200 pounds sterling (about $ 923,187). No one expected such a sensation - the initial estimate was only 50-70 thousand pounds sterling.

Created in 1961 by the legendary Hubert de Givenchy, the elegant sleeveless dress was recognized as a symbol of refined taste. In the film’s famous opening scene, Holly Golightly (Hepburn) steps out of a taxi early in the morning with a coffee and croissant in hand, steps onto an empty Fifth Avenue, and gazes in fascination at the window of a jewelry store.

The touching story behind the auction is that the Givenchy fashion house donated the dress to raise money for the City of Joy Aid charity, which helps underprivileged children in Calcutta.

Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers: A Magical Story, a Heist, and a Record Price

Dorothy’s glittering ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz have caused a real sensation in the auction world. In December 2024, one of the four surviving pairs of these iconic shoes sold for an incredible $28 million.

The history of these shoes is worthy of a separate film. Created in 1939 for 16-year-old Judy Garland, each of the shoes was hand-decorated with 2,300 glittering beads. Interestingly, in the book the shoes are depicted in silver, but in the film they are shown in ruby. This was to make them look even more beautiful against the background of the yellow brick road in the new Technicolor format.

In 2005, these shoes were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota and were found by the FBI 13 years later in 2018. Surprisingly, the thief thought they were decorated with real rubies.

Heritage Auctions estimated the price of the shoes at around $ 3 million, but after a heated 15-minute auction, the magical shoes that took Dorothy home set an absolute record for movie props.