A reader directed my attention to an active eBay auction listing in which the the description can lead one to believe that the Donnie Darko “Frank” bunny mask for public sale is the same “one of a kind” mask that was seen in an interview conducted by the Original Prop Blog with actor James Duval at Comic Con International in July 2008. Based on my review of the photos included in the eBay auction listings, this is not the same mask. The auction description states: “The mask was gifted to me by actor James Duval, who played the role of ‘Frank’.” The following sentence states: “Please see the youtube video with James talking about the mask below.” Along with the link to the Original Prop Blog video on YouTube, this implies that the mask offered for sale is the same mask that appears in and is discussed in the interview. It is not. The mask offered at auction is a different mask and a photo comparison reveals many discrepancies with the masks used as seen in the film.
The Donnie Darko “Frank” mask seen in the interview with James Duval, who portrayed “Frank” in the film, originated from Mr. Marc J. Wuertemburg, Vice President, Post Production, Pandora Inc. Pandora, Inc. was the producing entity responsible for Donnie Darko. The mask seen in the video included a Certificate of Authenticity from Pandora, signed by Mr. Wuertemburg. It had a secondary COA from ScreenUsed. It was sold by Profiles in History at public auction in late 2008.
The interview with James Duval was originally published by the Original Prop Blog on July 27, 2008, as part of the Comic Con International coverage for that year:
The mask featured in the video was a “full” hooded mask – one of only two known to exist (with the second also coming from Pandora). To my knowledge, no other full, hooded masks have surfaced since the release of the film. Both full, hooded masks included paperwork from Mr. Wuertemburg from Pandora, on Pandora letterhead.
I have over the years seen other face masks offered for sale on eBay – none with hoods, none with any paperwork from Pandora or any other principal from the production.
All of these other masks have also exhibited substantive differences in shape, paint work, materials, etc.
Below is an archive of the current eBay listing offering a mask for sale which is attributed to Donnie Darko, described as “original”, “from the movie Donnie Darko”, and listed in the “Movie Memorabilia > Props > Original” category:
Below is the full text description from the auction:
Up for bid is an exceptional original ‘Frank’ the bunny mask/prop from the movie Donnie Darko. The mask was gifted to me by actor James Duval, who played the role of ‘Frank’. Please see the youtube video with James talking about the mask below. There were only 12 of these masks made from the original mold. I love this piece as memorabilia but also as a work of art in itself, but alas need the funds for other projects. The mask is about 1ft 8 inches tall, from base to top of the longest ear and 9 inches wide from temple to temple. The mask is in the same condition as when it was gifted to me four years ago. There are a couple of minor scuffs, barely visible, but no sign of ANY other wear. Shipping will be determined based on the location of the buyer and I will gladly ship insured and/or with tracking for an additional cost. I will make sure the mask is wrapped tight in bubble wrap and will completely fill the box with foam packaging peanuts to ensure safe delivery. I will happily ship any method offered within the U.S. and will gladly provide quotes to the winner for USPS Ground, UPS, FedEx etc, depending on the buyers preference.
Attention Comic Con Attendees: I am based in North County San Deigo and will gladly hold on to the mask and deliver it to you at the convention center if desired.
This mask would make an exceptional addition to any collection of movie memorabilia and as James states in the video, it is truly one of a kind. Please feel free to ask me any questions. Happy Bidding!
Below is a comparison between the mask offered for sale on eBay, the mask featured in the video interview I published in 2008 (which the auction links to), and an assortment of images of the mask from publicity photos and screencaps from the film:
While the mask featured in the interview matches those seen in the production photos/caps, the eBay mask differs in appearance. Though the eBay auction photos are low resolution, the left ear is clearly different in length and shape, and at the point in particular (and also appears to be unpainted in the inner ear, which was done with a very special paint on the confirmed authentic example). Other differences include the size of the eyes, nose, the distance between the bottom of the nose and top of the mouth, the shape of the teeth, etc.
Below is a higher resolution comparison between the eBay mask and the one featured in the Comic Con video:
The eBay auction also features a photo of the interior of that mask, as seen below:
Given the number of masks I’ve seen marketed as original and attributed to this film, I don’t think it would be productive to share detailed photos of the interior of the confirmed authentic mask that was featured in the Comic Con interview. However, the mask above is fundamentally different in a a number of ways.
Jason DeBord