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amous and familiar artifacts from Hollywood’s past continue to Moses’ Robe
attract the attention of fans and collectors. Marquee movie props,
Ficonic costumes, and ephemera-from film scripts to personal The iconic red, white, and black robe worn
correspondence and autographs-were once again hot lots at auction this by Moses (played by Charleston Heston) in The
past year. Here are a few of the highlights: Ten Commandments (1956) went for $447,000
(including buyer's premium) at Heritage Auctions.
Wizard of Oz Hourglass Prop Moses is wearing this robe when he brings down
the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai and
The hourglass used in the scene in which the when parting the Red Sea. While the design of the
Wicked Witch tells Dorothy: “You see that? robe was influenced by many hands in Cecil B.
That’s how much longer you’ve got to be alive! DeMille’s vast creative team and crew of his epic
And it isn’t long, my pretty” sold for $495,000 film, Arnold Friberg was a leading designer of this
through Heritage Auctions. Heritage describes particular garment. The fact that its red, white,
the prop as “the most recognizable signature prop and black color palette was the exact colors of the
from the film.” The hand-blown glass is filled tribe of Levi, the actual tribe of Moses, was com-
with red glitter, which Heritage notes was “added pletely coincidental with the initial design.
later for display, as the glitter does not flow
through the narrow neck of the glass.” The artifact Ferris Bueller’s Friend’s Father’s Ferrari
has been featured in three museum exhibitions
and has been sold at two prior auctions. Remember the famous
scene in Ferris Bueller’s
Cast Away Volleyball Day Off when Matthew
Broderick sends his
A volleyball prop from the 2000 movie Cast friend’s father’s Ferrari
Away sold for $83,828 through Propstore this past crashing through a glass
November in London. Cast Away features Tom wall of the garage as it rolls backward and falls to the ground below?
Hanks as a FedEx employee who is stranded on After the crash, the car, bought for and only used for that one scene,
an uninhabited island in the Pacific following a was rebuilt as a display piece constructed from fiberglass with all the
plane crash. The movie has minimal dialog finishes to resemble the real Ferrari, although there is no engine or
thanks to its isolated setting, and what little drivetrain. This iconic car sold for $337,000 (including buyer’s premium)
conversation there is takes place between at Heritage Auctions this past December.
Hanks’s character Chuck Noland and the blood-
stained Wilson-branded volleyball on which he’s Gone with the Wind Costume
drawn a face. The inanimate object becomes his
friend and accompanies him throughout the The gown worn by Vivien Leigh as Scarlett
movie as he struggles to stay alive. O’Hara in the Honeymoon scene with Clark
Gable as Rhett, sold for $126,375 (including
Betty White’s Director Chair buyer’s premium) by Bonhams this past
December at its Classic Hollywood: Film and
Over 1,500 personal items belonging to Betty Television auction. Whereas multiple copies of
White went up for auction in September at some of Vivien Leigh’s gowns for the film were
Julien’s Auctions as part of a three-day Property known to have been made by award-winning
From The Life and Career of Betty White auction. Hollywood costume designer Walter Plunkett,
The top-selling item was White’s original director’s this dress is the only one of its kind, adding to
chair from The Golden Girls set, which went for its value. The gown, made of two-tone cream
$76,800, 76 times its original estimate. The and beige silk bengaline, with machine
wooden chair’s black cloth seat and chair back cutwork embroidered sleeves in a graduated
read “The Golden Girls” in the title font for the leaf pattern over black accordion pleated silk
name of the series and “BETTY” on the reverse finished with a cream silk cuff and black
side. White, who died in 2021 at the age of 99, starred in The Golden silk ruffle, bears a Selznick International Pictures label inscribed,
Girls as Rose Nylund from 1985 to 1992. “SCARLETT, 20.108 WW 537.”

20 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles