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 This latest video features news of the lightsaber being withdrawn from auction by Profiles in History, per a report from Reuters.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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(A Sort of) Movie Review: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

A year ago I received a lot of nasty hate mail over my “sort of” movie review for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  In short, I completely hated it (really even more than I let on in my review).  In addition to hating what they did with the classic characters, it kind of ruined the Original Trilogy, in that by Han and Leia having a child and doing such an awful job of raising him (along with Uncle Luke), they created a monster and basically undid all of what they accomplished in saving the universe in the original films.  So it kind of just made the entire Star Wars odyssey all pointless.  But there were plenty of other things wrong with it as well (in my subjective opinion), and you can read all about it in my full review of The Force Awakens.  But this review is different.  Finally, since 1983, there is a legitimate fourth Star Wars film.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.  And I absolutely loved it. [Read more…]

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(A Sort of) Movie Review: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, A Problematic Film That Could Never Live Up To The Hype

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I didn’t plan on seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens on opening day, let alone write a review about it afterwards, so this is a bit off topic.  I couldn’t find a critical review searching Google, so I wonder if I maybe saw an alternate cut of the film (some hailing it as the best or near best Star Wars film ever)?  As readers of the Original Prop Blog know, I am a huge Star Wars fan, and seeing the original in 1977 at 4 years old was a life-changing event.  Collectively, the first three films (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi) are my favorite films of all-time.  Didn’t care for much in the Prequels (loved the Maul lightsaber scenes the best).  So how does the J.J. Abrams/Disney relaunch/update/merchandising empire measure up?  It’s a mixed bag, honestly, and as the hours passed from seeing it unfold on screen (about 12 hours ago), it’s the negatives that stick with me most, though I mostly enjoyed it while it was happening, if that makes sense.  I can’t say it’s a complete disappointment, since I went into it with low expectations; there are some excellent elements within the work (I’m also an Abrams fan).  But overall, there are some serious flaws that leave me feeling a bit down on it, because they transcend this film and the characters work against the characters I have grown up to know and love to make them worse.  I kept waiting for that rush of adrenaline to run down my spine, but it never came.  Out of context from the original films, it’s a well-made, entertaining film.  But context is everything.  Search “disappoint” and #starwarstheforceawakens on Twitter, and “does not” or “doesn’t” always precedes “disappoint”, so maybe it is just me, or maybe people just went in willing it to be what they wanted.  [Read more…]

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Profiles in History “Peer Review” on George Reeves Superman Cape; More on 12/29/75 Western Costume Letters

As noted in recent articles (see Profiles in History Pledges More Transparency; Open Q&A On Website Regarding Provenance, Authenticity, Other Questions and Profiles in History Pledges More Transparency: Update & Response to “What We Are Currently Working On”), Profiles in History’s General Manager, Fong Sam, has written about embracing what they call “the concept of auctions as peer review” with regards to “verifying provenance” of material listed for public sale in their auction catalogs on his haxbee.com site.  With their upcoming sale, The Dreier Collection, Part 1, a few principals in our art market have raised questions with me privately with regards to one of the items listed for auction, Lot 106 GEORGE REEVES “SUPERMAN” CAPE FROM THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN.  Since the suggested resource on the Profiles in History website has yet to be created, I thought I would publish those questions raised with me in this article as part of the public “peer review” process with Profiles in History. [Read more…]