The floating piece of wood that kept Rose alive in the iconic film ‘Titanic’ has been sold for $718,750 at an auction held recently in Dallas in the US.
The panel of wood has been a source of controversy ever since the film was released in 1997. Fans have wondered whether it was large enough to accommodate both Rose and Jack to save them from drowning.
In fact, the listing at the auction noted the prop “has caused much debate from fans”. The prop was sold by restaurant and resort chain Planet Hollywood.
In the film, Jack, played by Leonardo Di Caprio, believes that the panel, part of a door frame, is only large enough for his lady love Rose, played by Kate Winslet. Jack died in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
In a 2012 episode of Mythbusters, Titanic director James Cameron revealed that he received several emails a day calling Rose “selfish” and Jack an “idiot”. But Cameron maintained that Jack had to die as per the script. “Maybe we screwed up and the board should have been a tiny bit smaller…,” he said.
The prop measures around 2.4 m in length and 1m in width, according to the auctioneers. The ornate detailing on the prop was inspired by debris salvaged from the real Titanic.
Other props featured in the auction included the whip from ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’, which sold for $525,000. A Spiderman suit worn by Toby Maguire sold for $125,000.
The auction, which ended last Sunday evening, raised $15.68m, making it the one of the most successful sales of a prop and costume collection, the auctioneers said.
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