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FALCON TAKES FLIGHT: FAME BOOSTED PRICE FOR OLD MOVIE PROP |
The Maltese Falcon fetched $398,500. Photo courtesy of Christie's
If there is a common denominator in our hectic lives, it has to be movies. Call it entertainment. Call it daydreaming. When you lean back in an easy chair to watch “Casablanca” or stand in line to buy tickets for “Forrest Gump,” movies will give you that few hours break from the endless list of things to do in life.
The props from these movies are now commanding attention too. For the last-20 years, one of the most recognizable pieces of film history, “The Maltese Falcon,” rested on a bookshelf in the den of actor, director and producer William Conrad’s West Coast home. (Conrad starred in the TV show “Cannon.”)
A close friend of studio chief Jack Warner, Conrad received the Falcon during his tenure on the Warner Bros. lot in the 1960s as a gesture of thanks for the many films he made for the studio.
Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon,” a mystery novel, first appeared in 1930 and was the forerunner of a school of detective fiction that became popular. The screen rights belonged to Jack Warner and according to Bosley Crowther in his book, “Fifty Years of Motion Pictures,” Warner made two films based on the story that received little attention.
Not until director John Huston wrote his own screen version of the novel did the movie we know today take shape. George Raft, the studio’s favorite tough guy was offered the lead but turned it down saying the role was too much on the wishy-washy side. Bogart stepped in as the leading character and motion picture history happened.
If you remember the scene in the movie, Bogart delivers the Falcon he obtained mysteriously from the dying captain of a newly arrived ship, to the sinister Fat Man and his henchmen at their hotel.
The gangsters unwrap the Falcon thinking it’s full of jewels. They chip away at the head and shoulders. “It’s lead! It’s lead! It’s a fake,” the Fat Man screams and then leaves the room in horror. For the bird, the story begins here.
The Maltese Falcon went on the auction block on Dec. 6, 1994, at Christie’s in New York and fetched $398,500 at the Film and Television memorabilia sale, setting a record for a movie prop. Offered from the estate of William Conrad, the bird was estimated to fetch $30,000-$50,000.
“The Falcon is one of the most iconic, recognizable pieces of Hollywood history and a rare case where the prop is also the title of a classic film,” said Nancy Cerbone, Christie’s Entertainment Memorabilia specialist. The successful bidder was jeweler Ronald Winston, President of Harry Winston Inc.
The Falcon weighs nearly-50 pounds and stands 11 1/2 inches tall. A Warner Bros. serial number is inscribed on the Falcon in three places, twice on the underside and once on the back.
Ten years ago, the market for movie memorabilia sales barely existed. Sotheby’s and Christie’s now both have two sales a year. Butterfield & Butterfield holds three to four sales annually.
It all started in the ‘70s when MGM decided they could no longer store the thousands of costumes and memorabilia they owned and hired a country auctioneer to put the memorabilia on the block.
Nowadays, it’s the props and the movies that make history.
Q. I read your column and hope you can help value my pair of bronze statues. They are family heirlooms, measure 25 by 31 inches and are signed Aug Moreau. Enclosed is a photo. Barbara Buck, Pittsburgh.
A. Auguste Moreau was a popular French sculptor. His elegant bronze works of art were fashioned to sit on pianos and adorn the mantelpieces of 19th century homes.
There is a solidness and grace about these old sculptures that defy explanation. I see very few painting collections that don’t include at least one statue.
From the wear on the patina (surface) of your artwork I’m going to say it looks like your piece is made of white metal (spelter) and not bronze. This will make a difference in value.
Depending on how much you wanted to spend when these statues were originally cast, you would go to a distributor and choose your artwork in either white-metal or bronze.
Bronze was the more expensive model, but in today’s market there is a solid demand for the white-metal as well.
Fine statues like this will be finished in every visible corner, including the backside. This attention to detail is characteristic of 19th century sculpture.
Generally, the larger the statue, the more valuable it will be. Also, a signature, founder’s seal, number or any type of special marking will increase value.
I would estimate your pair to be worth $3,000-$5,000 if they are spelter. In bronze the pair would average $6,000-$8,000.
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