Movies
not including Cars in movies and Celebrities by Warhol
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Screen worn Textiles Rolex
Chronology : 1939
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Screen worn Textiles Rolex
Chronology : 1939
1930 Gary Cooper as The Texan by Rockwell
2007 SOLD for $ 5.9M by Sotheby's
In 1930 Norman Rockwell got some issues about a conflict between two contracts. For keeping cool, he accepted an invite for a leisure stay near Hollywood.
Rockwell desired a model for preparing a drawing for the Saturday Evening Post that would mingle the cowboy attire and the movie industry. He imagined an actor dressed in chaps, boots, and spurs having his lips painted by a make-up man in an offstage scene.
Gary Cooper was a nice guy and a handsome man. He accepted. Rockwell pictured him perched on a saddle having his makeup applied, wearing his full Texan costume, including his boots with spurs, leather chaps, holstered gun and embroidered vest. The tools of the assistant are tucked behind his ears, draped on his lap, and dropped at his feet.
The Western film The Texan was released on May 10. The picture was the cover page in color of The Saturday Evening Post on May 24, including a chalkboard inscribed with the movie title and the name of its director John Cromwell.
The oil on canvas 89 x 69 cm was sold for $ 5.9M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Sotheby's on November 28, 2007, lot 36.
On the romantic side, Rockwell met his second wife while he was painting Cooper.
Rockwell desired a model for preparing a drawing for the Saturday Evening Post that would mingle the cowboy attire and the movie industry. He imagined an actor dressed in chaps, boots, and spurs having his lips painted by a make-up man in an offstage scene.
Gary Cooper was a nice guy and a handsome man. He accepted. Rockwell pictured him perched on a saddle having his makeup applied, wearing his full Texan costume, including his boots with spurs, leather chaps, holstered gun and embroidered vest. The tools of the assistant are tucked behind his ears, draped on his lap, and dropped at his feet.
The Western film The Texan was released on May 10. The picture was the cover page in color of The Saturday Evening Post on May 24, including a chalkboard inscribed with the movie title and the name of its director John Cromwell.
The oil on canvas 89 x 69 cm was sold for $ 5.9M from a lower estimate of $ 1.5M by Sotheby's on November 28, 2007, lot 36.
On the romantic side, Rockwell met his second wife while he was painting Cooper.
1939 The Wizard of Oz
1
Ruby Slippers
2024 SOLD for $ 32.5M by Heritage
A dream world can not become obsolete because, since its inception, it is timeless. Released in August 1939, The Wizard of Oz, film adaptation of a children's book, is the most watched film in the history of cinema. The project had been conceived by the Metro Goldwyn Mayer to compete with Disney's growing success.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl.
The ruby slippers have a major role in this story. They are in possession of the teenager Dorothy, but a wicked witch tries to recover them because of their magical power. They are somehow symbolizing home, innocence and childhood. It has been said that the MGM management had refused silver shoes because that color did not demonstrate the Technicolor.
The Ruby Slippers were conceived by the chief custom designer of the MGM. They were assembled over white silk commercial pumps with red silk heels while uppers and heels are covered with hand-sequined silk georgette, lined in white leather, and the leather soles are painted red with orange felt.
Four pairs of screen worn slippers survive. One of them passed at Profiles in History on December 16, 2011 and was brokered in a private sale in February 2012 by that auction house to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Another pair was supposedly used for close up shots where Dorothy was tapping her heels together. It is burgundy colored because ruby red could not be properly caught by the Technicolor. The pair was exhibited in the 1980s and 1990s by Michael Shaw in his Shaw's Hollywood Tour and was nicknamed the Traveling Shoes.
The slippers were stolen in 2005 during a ceremony from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The thief was caught in 2023. He said that he had stolen the shoes only because he thought the sequins were genuine rubies. Unable to sell the slippers on the black market, he ditched them. They had resurfaced in 2018.
That pair was returned to its rightful owner Michael Shaw in 2024 by the FBI supported by Heritage Auctions. Please watch the video shared by Heritage to narrate that restitution. Still in a beautiful condition, the 'traveling shoes' were sold for $ 32.5M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Heritage on December 7, 2024, lot 89182.
One of these pairs of slippers is a highly popular attraction at the Smithsonian. It is mismatched with the pair stolen in 2005. Taken together, the two pairs are the predominant ruby slippers worn in the film.
Another one was sold for $ 670K by Christie's on May 24, 2000, lot 148.
At the first sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a pair of slippers used for test shots was sold for $ 610K, lot 111 here linked to the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. This one is identified as the Arabian pair.
The new Alice is named Dorothy, played by Judy Garland with her long braids of a young girl.
The ruby slippers have a major role in this story. They are in possession of the teenager Dorothy, but a wicked witch tries to recover them because of their magical power. They are somehow symbolizing home, innocence and childhood. It has been said that the MGM management had refused silver shoes because that color did not demonstrate the Technicolor.
The Ruby Slippers were conceived by the chief custom designer of the MGM. They were assembled over white silk commercial pumps with red silk heels while uppers and heels are covered with hand-sequined silk georgette, lined in white leather, and the leather soles are painted red with orange felt.
Four pairs of screen worn slippers survive. One of them passed at Profiles in History on December 16, 2011 and was brokered in a private sale in February 2012 by that auction house to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Another pair was supposedly used for close up shots where Dorothy was tapping her heels together. It is burgundy colored because ruby red could not be properly caught by the Technicolor. The pair was exhibited in the 1980s and 1990s by Michael Shaw in his Shaw's Hollywood Tour and was nicknamed the Traveling Shoes.
The slippers were stolen in 2005 during a ceremony from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The thief was caught in 2023. He said that he had stolen the shoes only because he thought the sequins were genuine rubies. Unable to sell the slippers on the black market, he ditched them. They had resurfaced in 2018.
That pair was returned to its rightful owner Michael Shaw in 2024 by the FBI supported by Heritage Auctions. Please watch the video shared by Heritage to narrate that restitution. Still in a beautiful condition, the 'traveling shoes' were sold for $ 32.5M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Heritage on December 7, 2024, lot 89182.
One of these pairs of slippers is a highly popular attraction at the Smithsonian. It is mismatched with the pair stolen in 2005. Taken together, the two pairs are the predominant ruby slippers worn in the film.
Another one was sold for $ 670K by Christie's on May 24, 2000, lot 148.
At the first sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a pair of slippers used for test shots was sold for $ 610K, lot 111 here linked to the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. This one is identified as the Arabian pair.
2
The Skin of the Cowardly Lion
2014 SOLD for $ 3.1M by Bonhams
Dorothy's blue dress with a tight pattern of small squares, consisting of a schoolgirl apron and a skirt, becomes the thread of the human emotions in a crazy world.
Its light blue color in strong contrast with the costumes of the other characters is intended to demonstrate the recent progress of the Technicolor process that had been criticized for its too saturated rendition of colors.
A dress that was screen worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy was sold for $ 490K by Julien's on November 10, 2012, lot 641. Please watch the video. shared by the auction house. The same piece, identified by a label in seam reading Judy Garland / 4461, was sold for $ 1.56M by Bonhams on November 23, 2015, lot 67. It is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a Dorothy's test dress of the same model as above was sold for $ 1.1M, lot 110 here linked from the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. A handwritten label on the pinafore reads Judy Garland 3955. It was worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in the first two weeks of filming in The Wizard of Oz.
The Cowardly Lion is its most extravagant character of the Wizard of Oz.
This animal is a friend of Dorothy. He sings and dances while dreaming to find some courage and to become the king of the forest. The role was played by the burlesque actor Bert Lahr. He needed some toughness to play within this outfit because the skin is thick and heavy.
The costume was made from a real lion's hide. The realization was difficult because the technicians quickly appreciated that these animals are all different, excluding the possibility to use a spare habit. Two costumes of Cowardly Lion were made, but only one was used in the filming.
The screen used costume was acquired by a specialist who adorned it with a molded head of Bert Lahr's son. It was sold for $ 3.1M by Bonhams on November 24, 2014, lot 128.
A photo of Bert Lahr in the lion's skin is shared by Wikimedia:
Its light blue color in strong contrast with the costumes of the other characters is intended to demonstrate the recent progress of the Technicolor process that had been criticized for its too saturated rendition of colors.
A dress that was screen worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy was sold for $ 490K by Julien's on November 10, 2012, lot 641. Please watch the video. shared by the auction house. The same piece, identified by a label in seam reading Judy Garland / 4461, was sold for $ 1.56M by Bonhams on November 23, 2015, lot 67. It is complete of its apron, bodice and full length skirt.
At the sale of the Debbie Reynolds collection by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, a Dorothy's test dress of the same model as above was sold for $ 1.1M, lot 110 here linked from the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform. A handwritten label on the pinafore reads Judy Garland 3955. It was worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in the first two weeks of filming in The Wizard of Oz.
The Cowardly Lion is its most extravagant character of the Wizard of Oz.
This animal is a friend of Dorothy. He sings and dances while dreaming to find some courage and to become the king of the forest. The role was played by the burlesque actor Bert Lahr. He needed some toughness to play within this outfit because the skin is thick and heavy.
The costume was made from a real lion's hide. The realization was difficult because the technicians quickly appreciated that these animals are all different, excluding the possibility to use a spare habit. Two costumes of Cowardly Lion were made, but only one was used in the filming.
The screen used costume was acquired by a specialist who adorned it with a molded head of Bert Lahr's son. It was sold for $ 3.1M by Bonhams on November 24, 2014, lot 128.
A photo of Bert Lahr in the lion's skin is shared by Wikimedia:
1941 The Maltese Falcon
2013 SOLD for $ 4.1M by Bonhams
In 1941 the Maltese Falcon, produced by Warner Bros. and directed by John Huston, is a milestone in the history of cinema. The public will abandon the horror movies in favor of the film noir displaying a complex detective story.
This evil bird that is succeeding the terrible monsters seldom appears in the film. It is an object of intense desire until it is discovered and provides the evidence that it was not made of precious materials.
The detailed on-screen inspection of the handling of this statuette 30cm high shows that it is very heavy. The version made in lead weighing 20.5 kg is authenticated in two units by Warner.
Only one of them was used in the film. It was sold for $ 4.1M by Bonhams on November 25, 2013, lot 225.
During filming, this heavy prop had fallen from the hands of an actress on the toes of Humphrey Bogart and a lead feather from the tail was bent by the accident. This damage is visible during an action on screen and ensures that the copy for sale by Bonhams is the actual bird of the film.
On November 7, 2013, a Maltese Falcon in gray plaster of same size passed at Guernsey's. It is signed with the initials of the artist : Fred Sexton.
This evil bird that is succeeding the terrible monsters seldom appears in the film. It is an object of intense desire until it is discovered and provides the evidence that it was not made of precious materials.
The detailed on-screen inspection of the handling of this statuette 30cm high shows that it is very heavy. The version made in lead weighing 20.5 kg is authenticated in two units by Warner.
Only one of them was used in the film. It was sold for $ 4.1M by Bonhams on November 25, 2013, lot 225.
During filming, this heavy prop had fallen from the hands of an actress on the toes of Humphrey Bogart and a lead feather from the tail was bent by the accident. This damage is visible during an action on screen and ensures that the copy for sale by Bonhams is the actual bird of the film.
On November 7, 2013, a Maltese Falcon in gray plaster of same size passed at Guernsey's. It is signed with the initials of the artist : Fred Sexton.
(1927)-1942 The Moroccan Piano of Casablanca
2014 SOLD for $ 3.4M by Bonhams
Casablanca, produced by Warner Bros in 1942, is one of the most outstanding and beloved movies of romantic action, offering the emotional meeting of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. A basic part of the scenario is played around the piano in the night club.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool was sold for $ 3.4M by Bonhams on November 24, 2013, lot 83 .
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
The instrument was made in 1927 and stored by the First National Pictures (FNP) of which it bears an inventory mark. When it was chosen for the film, it was painted with orientalist patterns.
This instrument has a unique feature related to the requirements of the film: the lid is detached from the case in order to enable the gesture of the actor who hides inside it some coveted papers.
This piano with its original stool was sold for $ 3.4M by Bonhams on November 24, 2013, lot 83 .
There is another Casablanca piano, screen used in a flashback scene located in Paris. This instrument of the "Belle Aurore" was sold for $ 600K by Sotheby's on December 14, 2012.
1955 Marilyn Monroe's Subway Dress
2011 SOLD for $ 5.6M by Profiles in History
It was the most successful seduction scene in motion picture history. In 1955, Marilyn Monroe plays the role of The Girl in the film by Billy Wilder, The Seven Year Itch. In a burst of laughter, she went to stand on a subway vent. The wind made the dress fly as superb scrolls that reveal her thighs.
This lovely ivory white gown was a technical achievement. It must be heavy enough to stay graceful while walking, and light enough to fly above the wind tunnel. The designer Travilla chose a rayon-based fabric. A photo of the famous scene illustrates the article shared by the Daily Mail.
In 1971, 20th Century Fox sells many of their movie props, due to financial difficulties. The actress Debbie Reynolds, who was the dance partner of Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, acquires prestigious pieces before they are auctioned.
She split her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History. The subway dress was sold for $ 5.6M from a lower estimate of $ 1M on June 18, 2011.
This lovely ivory white gown was a technical achievement. It must be heavy enough to stay graceful while walking, and light enough to fly above the wind tunnel. The designer Travilla chose a rayon-based fabric. A photo of the famous scene illustrates the article shared by the Daily Mail.
In 1971, 20th Century Fox sells many of their movie props, due to financial difficulties. The actress Debbie Reynolds, who was the dance partner of Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, acquires prestigious pieces before they are auctioned.
She split her extraordinary collection, in two sales held by Profiles in History. The subway dress was sold for $ 5.6M from a lower estimate of $ 1M on June 18, 2011.
1956 Robby of Forbidden Planet
2017 SOLD for $ 5.4M by Bonhams
The conquest of space is a poorly guarded secret : in 1954, appealed by early informations in the magazines, Hergé sends the Tintin team to walk on the Moon. In the following year the United States and the Soviet Union announce their competing programs a few days apart one another.
In 1956 the MGM prepares Forbidden Planet. The intelligent humanoid robot named Robby is the star of the movie, especially as the terrible evil monster named Id is invisible. In this Shakespearian drama whose scenario is apparently inspired by The Tempest, the robot dies atrociously : obliged to respond to Asimov's laws that forbids it to harm a human being, it breaks up because it cannot oppose Id which is actually a psychic emanation of the mad scientist.
In the following year Sputnik I is the first artificial satellite of the Earth. Less advanced than the nice Robby it only says "beep beep beep". Meanwhile the real Robby receives a huge popular success and it will then be reused in many science fiction movies.
Robby is a complex machine for its time : talking, walking, reaching out and flashing with all its lights. It is activated incognito by a small man hidden inside. The rubber hands and the dome have not survived the test of time and were changed in the early 1980s by a careful collector. Accompanied by its Jeep, remote control console and some spare equipment, it was sold for $ 5.4M by Bonhams in association with Turner Classic Movies on November 21, 2017, lot 1070.
Other robots aroused also later the fervor of the public. R2-D2, shaped like a more modern 1 m high electronic equipment mounted on small wheels, has been continuously modified from 1977 for the needs of the Star Wars series. It was sold for $ 2.75M by Profiles in History on June 28, 2017.
In 1956 the MGM prepares Forbidden Planet. The intelligent humanoid robot named Robby is the star of the movie, especially as the terrible evil monster named Id is invisible. In this Shakespearian drama whose scenario is apparently inspired by The Tempest, the robot dies atrociously : obliged to respond to Asimov's laws that forbids it to harm a human being, it breaks up because it cannot oppose Id which is actually a psychic emanation of the mad scientist.
In the following year Sputnik I is the first artificial satellite of the Earth. Less advanced than the nice Robby it only says "beep beep beep". Meanwhile the real Robby receives a huge popular success and it will then be reused in many science fiction movies.
Robby is a complex machine for its time : talking, walking, reaching out and flashing with all its lights. It is activated incognito by a small man hidden inside. The rubber hands and the dome have not survived the test of time and were changed in the early 1980s by a careful collector. Accompanied by its Jeep, remote control console and some spare equipment, it was sold for $ 5.4M by Bonhams in association with Turner Classic Movies on November 21, 2017, lot 1070.
Other robots aroused also later the fervor of the public. R2-D2, shaped like a more modern 1 m high electronic equipment mounted on small wheels, has been continuously modified from 1977 for the needs of the Star Wars series. It was sold for $ 2.75M by Profiles in History on June 28, 2017.
1964 The Ascot Dress of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady
2011 SOLD for $ 4.4M by Profiles in History
Adapted directly from the musical of the same title, My Fair Lady, produced in 1964 by Warner Bros., is one of the greatest successes in cinema. Spectators loved the story of the young cockney woman, played with great charm by Audrey Hepburn, who would like to be taken for a duchess.
Cecil Beaton was commissioned with the sets and costumes for the film as he had done for the play. His work was rewarded with one of the six Tony Awards attributed in 1957 to the Broadway version and with one of the eight Oscars awarded to the film in 1965.
Horse racing is a pretext for the ladies to exhibit the most showy clothing. The great scene of the film takes place during the Royal Ascot in 1910. In that crowd from which 400 women have been individually costumed, Audrey's dress shall be the most beautiful.
Audrey wears for this action a very tight clear dress in silk, velvet and embroidery, with a few ornaments, a short train and a gigantic hat decorated with ostrich feathers. The scene in which this sumptuously dressed young woman instinctively resumes her cockney accent to encourage a horse is one of the most comical in the history of cinema.
This Ascot dress belonged to Debbie Reynolds. It was sold for $ 4.4M by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform.
Cecil Beaton was commissioned with the sets and costumes for the film as he had done for the play. His work was rewarded with one of the six Tony Awards attributed in 1957 to the Broadway version and with one of the eight Oscars awarded to the film in 1965.
Horse racing is a pretext for the ladies to exhibit the most showy clothing. The great scene of the film takes place during the Royal Ascot in 1910. In that crowd from which 400 women have been individually costumed, Audrey's dress shall be the most beautiful.
Audrey wears for this action a very tight clear dress in silk, velvet and embroidery, with a few ornaments, a short train and a gigantic hat decorated with ostrich feathers. The scene in which this sumptuously dressed young woman instinctively resumes her cockney accent to encourage a horse is one of the most comical in the history of cinema.
This Ascot dress belonged to Debbie Reynolds. It was sold for $ 4.4M by Profiles in History on June 18, 2011, lot 506 linked here on the LiveAuctioneers bidding platform.
1977 Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter
2023 SOLD for $ 3.14M by Heritage
The X-Wing starfighter is a leading spacecraft of the Star Wars, appearing from the very first movie of the franchise, A New Hope, in 1977. It is so named for its shape with its wings in attack position. It was designed by Industrial Light & Magic from a concept by the producer George Lucas. It comes in battle with the Y-Wing and the TIE.
Several 1:24 scale models were built in two varieties, Hero and Pyro. Some high quality examples had to match all details for the credibility of the effect. Colored wing markings identified the position within the squadron. Variants included the inclusion of lightings and of pyrotechnics. The Pyro model was flown on thin wires to achieve the shot. The explosion was not always destructive so that some Pyro models could be re-used.
A recently surfaced example 56 x 46 x 20 cm was sold for $ 2.38M by Propstore on June 21, 2022, lot 386. It was considered at that time as the last X-Wing model of the New Hope still in private hands. The auction house shared two videos, for a general presentation and for a detailed analysis.
This item was originally a screen matched high quality Pyro model without lighting associated with the Red One fictional leader of the Red Squadron of the final space battle. Additional wing stripes were applied for the use of the Red Three pilot but is was not screen used in that later configuration. It is kept in superb condition including its solid foam.
For that first film the Hero was made in only 4 units for close up shootings. A Hero X-Wing Starfighter with servo controlled articulated wings and lights operated in turn with Red leaders One, Two and Five surfaced from the collection of the late Chinese American model designer Greg Jein, one of the best designers of miniatures for special effects. It was sold for $ 3.14M by Heritage on October 15, 2023, lot 89464.
Several 1:24 scale models were built in two varieties, Hero and Pyro. Some high quality examples had to match all details for the credibility of the effect. Colored wing markings identified the position within the squadron. Variants included the inclusion of lightings and of pyrotechnics. The Pyro model was flown on thin wires to achieve the shot. The explosion was not always destructive so that some Pyro models could be re-used.
A recently surfaced example 56 x 46 x 20 cm was sold for $ 2.38M by Propstore on June 21, 2022, lot 386. It was considered at that time as the last X-Wing model of the New Hope still in private hands. The auction house shared two videos, for a general presentation and for a detailed analysis.
This item was originally a screen matched high quality Pyro model without lighting associated with the Red One fictional leader of the Red Squadron of the final space battle. Additional wing stripes were applied for the use of the Red Three pilot but is was not screen used in that later configuration. It is kept in superb condition including its solid foam.
For that first film the Hero was made in only 4 units for close up shootings. A Hero X-Wing Starfighter with servo controlled articulated wings and lights operated in turn with Red leaders One, Two and Five surfaced from the collection of the late Chinese American model designer Greg Jein, one of the best designers of miniatures for special effects. It was sold for $ 3.14M by Heritage on October 15, 2023, lot 89464.
(1972)-1979 Rolex ex Brando in Apocalypse Now
2023 SOLD for CHF 4.6M by Christie's
Rolex launches in 1955 its GMT-Master range of products for the use of airplane pilots and frequent travelers. An adjustable bezel makes it possible to simultaneously read the time in two different time slots.
Rolex watches are loved by adventurers of all kinds who recognize their robustness. Marlon Brando wears a Rolex in several films : a Moonphase in The Fugitive Kind, a Datejust in Last Tango in Paris.
The actor had owned two GMT-Masters reference 1675. In 1976 he is working on the set of Apocalypse Now, which will be released in 1979. He refuses to leave his second GMT which thus will be visible on the screen. Brando was too indispensable for his demands to be denied, and moreover the director was more preoccupied with hiding the obesity of the actor.
His argument about the watch is known : If spectators are looking at my watch, it means that I am not doing properly my acting job. He nevertheless agrees to remove the bezel that is useless for his character of the crazy colonel spreading the terror in the depths of the jungle.
After Apocalypse Now, this GMT-Master is strictly kept by the family. Brando presents it in 1995 to his adoptive daughter Petra as a reward for a graduation. It has just resurfaced before being sold for $ 1.95M by Phillips on December 10, 2019, lot 30. It was sold for CHF 4.6M by Christie's on November 6, 2023, lot 2052.
This stainless steel watch made in 1972 is in its original state excepted the bracelet, the name of the actor clumsily incised by himself on the back case, and of course the absence of the bezel.
Rolex watches are loved by adventurers of all kinds who recognize their robustness. Marlon Brando wears a Rolex in several films : a Moonphase in The Fugitive Kind, a Datejust in Last Tango in Paris.
The actor had owned two GMT-Masters reference 1675. In 1976 he is working on the set of Apocalypse Now, which will be released in 1979. He refuses to leave his second GMT which thus will be visible on the screen. Brando was too indispensable for his demands to be denied, and moreover the director was more preoccupied with hiding the obesity of the actor.
His argument about the watch is known : If spectators are looking at my watch, it means that I am not doing properly my acting job. He nevertheless agrees to remove the bezel that is useless for his character of the crazy colonel spreading the terror in the depths of the jungle.
After Apocalypse Now, this GMT-Master is strictly kept by the family. Brando presents it in 1995 to his adoptive daughter Petra as a reward for a graduation. It has just resurfaced before being sold for $ 1.95M by Phillips on December 10, 2019, lot 30. It was sold for CHF 4.6M by Christie's on November 6, 2023, lot 2052.
This stainless steel watch made in 1972 is in its original state excepted the bracelet, the name of the actor clumsily incised by himself on the back case, and of course the absence of the bezel.
