LONDON – Film fans beware. This could prove to be an expensive Christmas. Four helmets from the original „Star Wars“ blockbuster 25 years ago will vie for top billing with Jack Nicholson‘s jacket from „The Shining“ and Pierce Brosnan‘s Omega watch from „The World is Not Enough“ at a movie memorabilia sale next week. But they will also have to do battle with a black satin jacket worn by Marilyn Monroe for a 1956 photo shoot, props from the original „Alien“ film and Tom Hanks‘ replica tommy gun from „Saving Private Ryan“ among 217 lots at auction on Tuesday. „The Star Wars material is very rare. These helmets are from the original film and were made by Shepperton Design Studios in London,“ auction house Christie‘s film memorabilia expert Sarah Hodgson said at a sale preview. The four items are a white stormtroopers helmet and an Imperial fighter pilot‘s helmet — both priced at around 3,000 pounds ($4,700) — an Imperial forces helmet and a prototype rebel fighter pilot‘s helmet at around 1,000 pounds each. But they will face stiff competition from the burgundy bomber jacket worn by Nicholson in the 1980 cult movie The Shining, priced at around 3,000 pounds. „Nicholson memorabilia hardly ever comes onto the market, so we are very lucky to have this,“ Hodgson said. „And The Shining has such a strong cult following.“
The stainless steel Omega watch worn by Brosnan as James Bond in the 1999 film is expected to fetch up to 12,000 pounds, while Hanks‘ replica machine gun is a more modest 1,200 pounds. They will have to tough it out against mementoes of hardy perennial Marilyn Monroe including the black jacket, sheer nylon stockings, photographs, letters, a pair of stiletto shoes and a chiffon scarf priced variously between 600 and 7,000 pounds. „The problem with all film memorabilia items is proving their origin,“ Hodgson said. „We turn away 50 percent of the stuff we are offered because of problems with provenance.“ Pictures, paintings, storyboards, props, autographs, scripts and garments from movies through the ages complete the wide array of items on sale on December 17.
Reuters
