It should come as no surprise that screen legends including Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Julie Andrews, and Elizabeth Taylor are just as popular as ever with one iconic Marilyn Monroe dress selling at auction Saturday for more than $5 million and other unique costumes fetching six and seven figures each. 

Phenomenal hammer prices were all the buzz Saturday in Beverly Hills, CA, at the Debbie Reynolds auction of more than 500 one-of-a-kind classic Hollywood costumes and props.  You could tell just from the second lot this was going to be a memorable auction, with Rudolph Valentino’s matador outfit from Blood and Sand fetching $210,000 ($258,300 including buyer’s premium). 

To follow up on our earlier post, here are the prices realized for the key items I listed, with the first number as the hammer price and for some of the big selling items I have included a second amount showing the actual price considering the buyer’s 23% premium (the mark-up above the hammer price billed by the auction house):

Judy Garland’s early production ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.  Estimated at $120-150,000.  Sold for $510,000 ($627,300 with premium).

Judy Garland’s early production dress from The Wizard of Oz.  Estimated at $60-80,000.  Sold for $910,000 ($1,119,300 with premium).

Edmund Gwenn’s Kris Kringle Santa suit from Miracle on 34th Street.  Estimated at $20-30,000.  Sold for $22,500 ($27,675 with premium).

Ape, gorilla and orangutan costumes from Planet of the Apes, as well as flight suit and Heston costume.  All combined POTA costumes sold for $68,500.

Sean Connery costume from the Highlander films.  Estimated at $12-15,000.   Sold for $18,000.

And the really big stuff:

Marilyn Monroe white subway-blowin’ dress (yep, that one) from Seven Year Itch.  Estimated at $1-2 million.  Sold for a whopping $4.6 million ($5,658,000 with premium).

Marilyn Monroe’s red sequined dress from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.  Estimated at $200-300,000.  Sold for whopping $1.2 million ($1,476,000 with premium).

Audrey Hepburn’s classic white dress from My Fair Lady.  Estimated at $200-300,000.  Sold for a whopping $3.7 million ($4,551,000 with premium).

Julie Andrews’s key mountain singing dress from The Sound of Music.  Estimated at $40-60,000.  Sold for $550,000 ($676,500 with premium).

Charlton Heston’s costume from Ben Hur.  Estimated at $20-30,000.  Sold for $320,000 ($393,600 with premium).

Gary Cooper’s uniform from Sergeant York.  Estimated at $20-30,000.  Sold for $55,000.

Jimmy Stewart’s leather costume from How the West was Won.  Estimated at $8-12,000.  Sold for $17,000.

A huge collection of Elizabeth Taylor costumes, including National Velvet (Estimated at $10-15,000) (sold for $60,000), and her Cleopatra headpiece, estimated at $30-50,000 (sold for $100,000).

Charlie Chaplin’s hat from The Tramp.  Estimated at $20-30,000.  Sold for $110,000 ($135,300 with premium).

Laurel and Hardy’s signature costumes.  Estimated at $15-20,000.  Sold for $16,000.

Harpo Marx’s wig and hat.  Estimated at $20-30,000.  Sold for $45,000.

Gene Kelly’s outfit from Singin’ in the Rain.  Estimated at $12-15,000.  Sold for $14,000.

Rex Harrison’s outfit and doctor bag from Doctor Doolittle.  Estimated at $12-15,000.  Sold for $19,000.

Grace Kelly’s costume (seen below) from Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief.  Estimated at $30-50,000.  Another surprise, selling for $450,000 ($553,500 with premium).

Claude Rains’s uniform as Capt. Renault from Casablanca.  $12-15,000.  Sold for $55,000.

Robert Redford and Katherine Ross costumes from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  Sold for $24,500 combined.

And some other noteworthy sales:

Marilyn Monroe saloon girl outfit from River of No Return.  Sold for $510,000 ($627,300 with premium).

Marilyn Monroe costume from No Business Like Show Business.  Sold for $500,000 ($615,000 with premium).

1952 red MG TD car used in Monkey Business with Marilyn Monroe.  Sold for $210,000 ($258,300 with premium).

Grace Kelly outfit from The Swan.  Sold for $110,000 ($135,300 with premium).

Barbara Streisand gown from Hello Dolly.  Sold for $100,000 ($123,000 with premium).

Basil Rathbone jacket as Sherlock Holmes from Hound of the Baskervilles.  Sold for $50,000.

Richard Burton costume from Cleopatra.  Sold for $85,000.

Marlon Brando uniform from 1962’s Mutiny on the Bounty.  Sold for $90,000.

Charles Laughton uniform as Captain Bligh from the original Mutiny on the Bounty.  Sold for $42,500.

Claudette Colbert gown from the 1934 Cleopatra.  Sold for $40,000.

Great Garbo dress from Anna Karenina.  Sold for $40,000.

Ingrid Bergman suit of armor from Joan of Arc.  Sold for $50,000.

So the big question is whether the creditors in the bankruptcy that required the sale of these items were able to be paid off, or whether Reynolds must continue to sell off her estate.  With about $20 million from Saturday hopefully that will at least make a big dent in amounts owed.  It would be nice if Reynolds had a way to continue with her proposed museum.

C.J. Bunce

Editor

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