They’ll never let go … of this priceless prop.
The controversial door from James Cameron’s “Titanic” was officially sold at the Treasures From Planet Hollywood auction last week for a whopping $718,750.
According to Heritage Auctions, the prop was the most bid-upon item despite being surrounded by other iconic pieces of Hollywood’s legacy.
The controversial door from James Cameron’s “Titanic” was officially sold at that Treasures From Planet Hollywood auction last week for a whopping $718,750. Jam Press/Heritage Auctions The door was also not the only piece of the “Titanic” to hit the auction block. In addition to the piece of wood, Heritage Auctions also placed a pink, lavender and white dress worn by Rose up for sale. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett CollectionIn the film, the door is used when Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) attempt to lie on the piece of wood while awaiting rescue shortly after the RMS Titanic sinks.
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Not being able to sustain the weight of both people, Jack elects to stay in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, resulting in his death.
The door was also not the only piece of the “Titanic” film to hit the auction block. In addition to the piece of wood, Heritage Auctions placed a pink, lavender and white dress worn by Rose up for sale.
Additionally, the auction included Harrison Ford‘s whip from the 1984 film “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” — which sold for a startling $525,000 — a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe, Jack Nicholson‘s ax from “The Shining” and a blaster wielded by Carrie Fisher in 1983’s “Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi.”
In the film, the door makes its appearance toward the end of the film when Rose (Kate Winslet) and Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) attempt to lie on the piece of wood while awaiting rescue shortly after the RMS Titanic sinks. ParamountSeveral users on social media near, far or wherever they are were conflicted on how to feel about the news.
“The buyer just wants to test if two people could’ve fit,” one person posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“Rich people will buy anything as long as you put some value to it,” a user commented.
Not being able to sustain the weight of both people, Jack elects to stay in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, resulting in his death. Jam Press/Heritage Auctions Winslet herself has weighed in on the ongoing debate. ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection“How did they even find it in the ocean,” a third user joked.
Despite the mixed responses, a fourth user pointed out that the door was a “piece of cinematic history” and that “there are some passionate collectors out there.”
Cameron’s controversial prop has been a divisive point among viewers of the 1997 film, with one group stating that the door could have held both people while others have disagreed.
The debate has gotten so bad that even the stars of the film have weighed in.
“I don’t f–king know. That’s the answer. I don’t f–king know,” an exasperated Winslet, 48, said during an interview on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in December 2022. “Look, all I can tell you is, I do have a decent understanding of water and how it behaves.
“If you put two adults on a stand-up paddleboard, it becomes immediately, extremely unstable. That is for sure,” explained the “Avatar: The Way of Water” actress.
The English star — who previously noted she and DiCaprio could have fit on the door — said it came down to keeping the raft afloat.
“I have to be honest: I actually don’t believe that we would have survived if we had both gotten on that door,” Winslet ruminated. “I think he would have fit, but it would have tipped and it would not have been a sustainable idea.”
Cameron, 69, later launched his own experiment as to whether or not the door could hold two people in the National Geographic documentary “Titanic: 25 Years Later.”
According to the “Terminator” director, only one person could ultimately fit.
“We took two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo and we put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water,” he told the Toronto Sun. “We tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods and the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived. Only one could survive.”
