This year’s Turner Classic Movies auction at the Bonham House in New York City set a new record on Tuesday as Forbidden Planet star Robby the Robot, along with the jeep, and alternate custom head created for his appearance in an episode of The Twilight Zone was sold for $5.375 million; with buyer premium the total comes to $5.8 million. That movie prop record was previously held by Marilyn Monroe’s white dress from The Seven Year Itch, (sold for $4.6 million), as well as the original Batmobile from the 1966 Batman (also sold for $4.6 million).
The auction also included a group of lots based around the work of Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve, Guys and Dolls). These lots included his typewriter, director’s chair, awards, correspondence, and custom bound scripts. Out of this, the Golden Globe for All About Eve, sold for the most at $11,250.
Other notably sold lots were a Batman cowl from Joel Schumacher’s 1995 Batman Forever, sold for $8,125. A portrait of Raquel Welch, done in 1965 by the iconic Spanish painter Salvador Dali, went for $57,500. $23,750 was the amount the poster for Gold Diggers Of 1933 sold for, easily the most preserved poster in the auction.
Speaking of posters, quite a sizable portion of this auction was based around promotional materials. Whilst Gold Diggers was the highest selling lot, two others notable posters that were high selling were The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart as well as the Audrey Hepburn starring film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The latter of the two was a six sheet linen backed poster from 1960. Both of these sold for $10, 625. But not all notable posters were high sellers. The 1944 Billy Wilder directed feature Double Indemnity only went for $3,500, which is low in the range which it was valued at. Even more so was three sheet linen backed poster of the 1977’s Star Wars, which only sold $1,250.
