‘Metropolis’ Poster Sells For $1.2 Million At Auction
A valuable one sheet for director Fritz Lang’s 1927 masterpiece Metropolis recently fetched $1.2 million at auction, according to The Wrap.
The US Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles auctioned off the poster on Thursday. Movie memorabilia collector and Metropolis fan Ralph DeLuca beat out three other bidders to bring the item home.
“I was expecting to pay $1.5 to 1.6 million at least,” DeLuca said. “Had this been a proper auction, the Metropolis alone would have been bought for $1.6 million.”
The bidder also explained that the Metropolis poster is the equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” in his eyes. DeLuca said he was more than willing to pay more than $1.2 million for the one sheet if push came to shove.
In addition to the aforementioned Metropolis poster, the winner also received artwork from such notable motion pictures as King Kong and The Invisible Man. Additionally, DeLuca brought home an original painting of Elvis Presley used for the Jailhouse Rock one sheet.
DeLuca also said that he has one of the biggest movie poster collections in the entire world. The Metropolis one sheet seems to be one of the jewels in his private gallery.
The Hollywood Reporter explains that the Metropolis one sheet in question is one of only four in existence. Although the price DeLuca paid for the piece is nothing short of astounding, the figure didn’t break records since the poster was bundled with other items.
Fritz Lang’s classic film Metropolis is considered to be groundbreaking due to it incredible use of special effects. Leonardo DiCaprio, who is rumored to be a fan of the film, owns one of the posters DeLuca paid $1.2 million for at auction. The other copies are currently housed at the Museum of Modern Art and the Austrian National Library museum.
This isn’t the only auction to take place in Los Angeles as of late. Lady Gaga reportedly took home quite a few pieces of Michael Jackson memorabilia at a recent sale.
Are you a fan of the 1927 film Metropolis? Would you be willing to pay $1.2 million for a movie poster?
