GORGEOUS PIECE OF TITANIC DOOR SELLS FOR OVER $700,000 ON AUCTION
It's likely that if you've seen Titanic, you've participated in the most passionate discussion regarding the star-crossed lovers in the film. Was there space on that fateful floating door for both Jack and Rose? Whichever side you take, there's no denying that this movie prop plays a significant role in one of the biggest films to date. When the door was put up for auction as part of a movie-themed sale, more than 20 years after it first gained notoriety, it brought in the highest amount of money—$718,750—of any other item.
Heritage Auctions was in charge of the Treasures From Planet Hollywood auction. Even though nearly 1,600 items were listed for sale, the Titanic piece generated the greatest amount of interest. According to Heritage Auctions, "the elaborate structure was a portion of the door frame just above the first-class lounge entrance." Even though it's just a shattered door slab, the movie and its fans place a lot of importance on it.
In addition, Tobey Maguire's black symbiote suit from Spider-Man 3 and Indiana Jones' whip from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom sold for $125,000 and $525,000, respectively, at the auction. Regarding Titanic, other items sold for thousands of dollars besides the door. The brass engine order telegraph sold for $81,250, the ship's helm wheel for $200,000, and Rose's white chiffon dress for $118,750.The Titanic door, despite its fabricated distress, is a testament to the film's meticulous production design. The movie prop in the Louis XV style has scrolling curves and floral accents, exactly replicating the original H.M.S. Titanic designs. However, there is a plaque on the back explaining that the prop is a "floating panel that he uses to save her life in the sinking sequence of the film." "The salvaged piece of debris and the film prop both reflect the opulent design scheme of original shipbuilder Harland and Wolff," continues Heritage Auctions.
Director James Cameron conducted a scientific investigation long before he had to intervene to save a collector from testing their $718,750 purchase to determine whether or not both characters could have survived because of that fateful door. What was the outcome? If they had been on the door together, it would have toppled over, but if they had shared it and only kept their upper halves out of the water, they might have had hours before help arrived. Rose also had the option to give him her life jacket. In the end, the director was aware of Jack's plans. "It's entirely in character for him to have thought, 'I'm not going to do one thing that jeopardised her."