Movie Prop Collecting with Jason DeBord's Original Prop Blog Film & TV Prop, Costume, Hollywood Memorablia Pop Culture Resource

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YouTube Update – “Darth Vader Lightsaber Prop from ‘Return of the Jedi'” from 2010 Auction

This is part of my new, ongoing series of YouTube videos, with this one serving as a direct update to an article published here on the Original Prop Blog back in May of 2010.  At that time, there were questions about a prop lightsaber up for auction attributed to the character of Darth Vader in the film, Return of the Jedi.  Some of these questions were raised in my article published on May 31, 2010 (Profiles in History ‘Hollywood Auction 40′ Video Preview: Darth Vader Lightsaber Prop from ‘Return of the Jedi’).  Don Bies, former curator of the Lucasfilm Archives, has provided some information relevant to those outstanding questions, which is shared in this latest YouTube video. [Read more…]

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YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 5: Profiles in History Withdraws Lightsaber From Auction

This is a Part 5 follow-up my Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 close-up looks at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. This latest video features news of the lightsaber being withdrawn from auction by Profiles in History, per a report from Reuters. [Read more…]

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YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 4: Roger Christian Responds

This is a Part 4 follow-up my Part 1 , Part 2 and Part 3 close-up looks at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th (the lightsaber specifically is scheduled to go under the hammer on December 13th). This latest video highlights a “Reader Comment” made today by Roger Christian himself.  As he took the time to respond to some of my questions in my prior videos as well as correct a few mistakes made by me, I wanted to bring attention to the comment that he published in order to share it with anyone who might have watched prior videos on YouTube and/or read prior articles here on the Original Prop Blog.  One of my primary questions was whether or not the prop lightsaber seen in the photos on the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) is the same lightsaber or a different lightsaber from the one up for auction and as seen in the photos published by Profiles in History in their auction catalog and in the online listing at iCollector.  Today, Roger Christian says that: “[t]he two photos immediately below my signature in my COA depict the exact same lightsaber that is being sold by Profiles in History”. [Read more…]

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YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 3: Which Lightsaber Is Original?

This is a Part 3 follow-up my Part 1 and Part 2 close-up looks at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. This latest video primarily looks into additional discrepancies between the lightsaber depicted in the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) and the lightsaber depicted in the auction catalog, in the online iCollector listing, and that was on display at San Diego Comic Con earlier this year, as well as Roger Christian’s own characterization of the same in various interviews over the years. [Read more…]

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YouTube Close-Up Look – Luke Lightsaber Auction Part 2: Is The Lightsaber In The LOA Different From The One Up For Auction?

This is a Part 2 follow-up to my last YouTube video taking a close-up look at the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian” featured in the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th.  This latest video primarily looks at the discrepancies between the lightsaber depicted in the Letter of Authenticity (LOA) and the lightsaber depicted in the auction catalog, in the online iCollector listing, and that was on display at San Diego Comic Con earlier this year. [Read more…]

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YouTube Close-Up Look – Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” Luke Skywalker Lightsaber from Star Wars: A New Hope

This is part of my new, ongoing series of YouTube videos, with this one taking a close-up look at the upcoming Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 96” taking place on December 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th.  As a follow-up to the previously posted overall preview of the auction, this latest video editorial specifically takes a closer look at Lot 1479 described as the “[o]riginal production used “Luke Skywalker” lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope from the collection of Oscar-winning set decorator Roger Christian”.  [Read more…]

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WITHDRAWN: Bonhams Pulls “A Luke Skywalker Lightsaber used in Return of the Jedi” from “TCM Presents… Out Of This World!” Auction

Last week The Original Prop Blog published an article about the “A Luke Skywalker Lightsaber used in Return of the Jedi” prop up for public auction in their current “TCM Presents … Out of This World!” event scheduled to conclude on November 21st.  The description in the online catalog had been edited to remove the (vague) details about the provenance, and the piece in question seems to match a “Return of the Jedi” lightsaber prop that I wrote about in 2013 that was offered for sale on eBay and seemed to have a connection with Elstree Props.  Today, the lot is marked as “WITHDRAWN” on the item page. [Read more…]

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“A Luke Skywalker Lightsaber used in Return of the Jedi” in Current Bonhams Auction Raises Questions

Bonhams has put up a piece for public auction in their current “TCM Presents … Out of This World!” event scheduled to conclude on November 21st – a prop which they describe as “A Luke Skywalker Lightsaber used in Return of the Jedi”.  The description in the online catalog has been edited to remove the (vague) details about the provenance, and the piece in question seems to match a “Return of the Jedi” lightsaber prop that I wrote about in 2013 that was offered for sale on eBay and seemed to have a connection with Elstree Props (and went unsold with a high bid of $5,101 not reaching the reserve).  The 2013 article about that “Return of the Jedi” lightsaber was one of a series of features published on the Original Prop Blog specifically about Elstree Props and lightsaber props attributed to Return of the Jedi (I even had an opportunity to ask Mark Hamill himself about one of these props at San Diego Comic Con in 2009). [Read more…]