Titanic ‘door’ prop that kept Rose alive sells for $718,750
The floating wooden debris that ensured the survival of Rose from the Titanic has been auctioned off for $718,750 (£569,739).
Since the release of the 1997 film, fans have been speculating whether the panel was large enough to accommodate Rose’s love interest, Jack, potentially saving him from a frigid demise. The auction listing highlighted that the prop has sparked significant debate among fans.
The sale occurred during an auction of props and costumes owned by the restaurant and resort chain Planet Hollywood. In the movie, Jack, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, insists that the panel, part of a door frame, could only support his lover, Rose, played by Kate Winslet. Consequently, he tragically perishes in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
In a 2012 episode of Mythbusters, Titanic director James Cameron disclosed that he receives numerous emails daily criticizing Rose as “selfish” and labeling Jack as an “idiot” for the scene. However, he clarified that Jack’s demise was scripted and necessary for the storyline.
“Maybe we screwed up and the board should have been a tiny bit smaller, but the dude’s going down,” he said.
The item, frequently misinterpreted as a door, was actually fashioned from a whole fragment of debris recovered from the 1912 tragedy, as indicated by the auctioneers at Heritage Auctions.
And addressing the debate over whether the panel could have accommodate both, the listing states: “The prop measures approx. 8′ long (2.4m) and 41″ (1m) wide.”
Among the other items up for auction were the whip from “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” which fetched $525,000.
Additionally, a Spiderman suit worn by Toby Maguire was sold for $125,000, and an axe wielded by Jack Nicholson in “The Shining” to break through a bathroom door while famously declaring “Here’s Johnny!” also fetched the same amount.
The auction concluded on Sunday evening, accumulating a total of $15.68 million, according to Heritage Auctions, making it one of the most lucrative sales of prop and costume collections.
“There were countless bidding wars… so many we lost track,” Joseph Maddalena, of Heritage, said.