As one of the most famous props in movie history, it should come as no surprise that Indiana Jones’ famous fedora hat comes with an astronomical price tag.
But even die-hard fans might be surprised to learn that the hat Harrison Ford wore to play the adventurous archaeologist in the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was bought for £488,464 at auction.
Incredibly, the anonymous buyer paid almost £500,000 for the title despite it only appearing in the opening scenes of the film, with a different one being used for one of the film’s most memorable moments, when Jones risks his hand to retrieve it before a trap door slams shut.
The sable rabbit felt hat, also worn by Ford’s stunt double, was an update of the original version worn in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise, and featured a more conical crown.
A hat worn by Harrison Ford in the 1984 film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has sold at auction for just under £500,000
Hold on to your hat: The prop was used in many of the film’s iconic scenes, including when Jones risks his hand to retrieve it before a trap door slams shut.
Inside is the blue crest of the famous London hatter Herbert Johnson, who made it.
The hat is said to have been worn in the river sequence at the beginning of the film, in which Jones jumps from a plane onto a raft.
Also sold at the live entertainment memorabilia auction in Los Angeles were props from Batman, Star Wars, Alien, James Bond and Gladiator.
Brandon Alinger, COO of auction house Propstore, said he was “thrilled with the incredible success” of the event, adding that “not only did it exceed our expectations, it also highlighted the timeless appeal of franchises such as Batman, Star Wars, Alien and Indiana Jones, as well as iconic locations such as Forrest Gump and cult classics such as Happy Gilmore.”
A 6ft model of a Batwing plane used in the 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton sold for £314,000, while a Skyfall suit worn by Daniel Craig for a chase on the London Underground sold for £24,400.
A stormtrooper helmet from the 1983 Star Wars film Return of the Jedi sold for almost £250,000, and a Darth Vader suit from The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 sold for £120,000.
On top of the props: An auctioneer holds the famous fedora hat at the sale in Los Angeles
Hats off to the creators: despite being an accessory, the sable rabbit felt hat exudes quality and was created by renowned hat maker Herbert Johnson.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the second installment in the blockbuster series, which began more than 44 years ago with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).
Directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, the first film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, was based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman.
The Raiders was a huge hit with fans and raised £301 million.
Temple of Doom (1984) would be the first sequel and was again a huge box office hit, grossing £256 million.
It would be five years before The Last Crusade (1989) was released, and fans responded by outselling the previous two versions, grossing £366 million.
More than 19 years passed until the fourth installment, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), was released.
Indy’s first outing: The blockbuster series began with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981
It was a box office smash with all three instalments, grossing a whopping £611m.
Last year, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was released.
“The Indiana Jones movies are about fantasy and mystery, but they’re also about heart. We’ve got a really cool story to tell, and a movie that will kick your butt,” Harrison, now 82, said at a screening of the fifth and hopefully final Indiana Jones film.