When one door closes, a decades-long debate begins. 1997’s Titanic featured one iconic scene after another, yet perhaps the most memorable prop – aside from the titular vessel itself – was the wood panel Rose used to stay afloat after the disaster at sea.
Now, that famous prop has sold for over $700,000. The slab is often called a door, though actually, it is a piece of wood paneling inspired by a real detail from the Titanic. To this day, director James Cameron receives calls and letters about that prop, and its price tag at auction reflects its continued stardom alongside the two leads Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The wooden slab prop from ‘Titanic’ has sold at auction for over $700,000
A wood panel from the movie “Titanic” sold at auction for $718,750, part of a trove of memorabilia from Planet Hollywood. About 1,600 items brought in $15.7 million, according to Heritage Auctions, the auction house that handled the sales. https://t.co/9N7NVRxkVM
— New York Times Arts (@nytimesarts) March 27, 2024
The Titanic prop is a balsa wood slab that sold at an auction by the restaurant and resort chain Planet Hollywood. “Based on the most famous complete piece of debris salvaged from the 1912 tragedy, this intricately carved prop bears a striking resemblance to the Louis XV-style panel housed in the Maritime Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia,” its listing describes.
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The panel itself was part of the doorframe to the entrance to the first-class lounge. The detailing was derived from the Rococo architectural style. The final price tag that the Titanic superfan had to pay at auction for this prop was $718,750.
A treasure trove of cinematic history
To own this piece of Cameron’s Titanic is to own a bit of cinematic history and a part of one of the most famous disasters in recent memory. That’s because the sets in Titanic were devotedly recreated almost precisely from how the real sunken ship looked, right down to the patterns on the glassware. This slab, according to Heritage Auctions, is based directly on a complete piece of debris salvaged from the 1912 wreckage.
$15.7 Million in Total Sales Across 1,500+ Total Lots
Movie memorabilia sold during the Treasures from Planet Hollywood Auction hosted by @HeritageAuction delivered 16 six-figure sales.
Items that sold for at least $100K included:
• The wood plank used in Titanic
— Altan Insights (@AltanInsights) March 25, 2024
But other buyers went home with some remarkable props that day too. Other items up for auction included Harrison Ford’s whip from 1984’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which sold for $525,000.
Meanwhile, the axe wielded by Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining sold for $125,000. Additionally, a Spider-Man suit worn by Toby Maguire netted the same amount.
Which of these film props would you want to own the most?
