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The wooden panel that helped keep Rose alive in the Titanic Movie has been auctioned off for $718,750 (£569,739).
Since the release of the Titanic 1997 film, fans have debated whether the panel was large enough to fit both Rose and her love interest, Jack, saving him from the cold waters.
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The auction listing highlighted that the prop “has sparked much discussion among fans.”
The sale took place during an auction of props and costumes from the restaurant and resort chain Planet Hollywood.
In the movie, Jack, portrayed by Leonardo Di Caprio, argues that the panel – a part of a door frame – could only accommodate his lover Rose, played by Kate Winslet. Unfortunately, he perishes in the freezing Atlantic, with his body sinking into the depths of the ocean.
During a 2012 episode of Mythbusters, Titanic director James Cameron addressed the ongoing debate, stating that he receives numerous emails daily criticizing Rose as “selfish” and Jack as an “idiot” over the scene. Cameron clarified that according to the script, Jack had to die.
The prop, often mistaken for a door, was based on a complete piece of debris recovered from the 1912 disaster, according to auctioneers Heritage Auctions.
Regarding the debate on whether both characters could have fit on the panel, the auction listing specifies: “The prop measures approximately 8 feet long (2.4m) and 41 inches (1m) wide.”
The auction also featured other notable props, such as the whip from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, which sold for $525,000. Additionally, a Spiderman suit worn by Toby Maguire fetched $125,000, while an axe used by Jack Nicholson in The Shining sold for the same amount.
The auction, which concluded on Sunday evening, raised $15.68 million, making it one of the most successful sales of prop and costume collections, as per Heritage Auctions.
Joseph Maddalena of Heritage remarked, “There were numerous bidding wars… so many that we lost count.”
