The famous Dark Vader light saber, which was used to cut the hand of Luke Skywalker in the episode of Star Wars The Empire of the CounterataqueIt was exhibited this Wednesday, August 6 in London, before being auctioned in Los Angeles in early September.
It is likely that this “holy grail” costs its future buyer an arm: up to three million dollars (2.6 million euros) are estimated.
“It is simply an incredible work in the history of cinema,” said Brandon Alderger, director of Operations of the Propstore Sales Center, during a presentation in the most important lots of sale.
“We were surprised”
The weapon was handled by Dark Vader during the legendary combat scenes in The Empire of the Counterataque (1980) and Jedi’s return (1983). David Prowse, the actor behind the black mask, and the specialist in Bob Anderson actually used two models. One, without a blade, attached to the evil belt, and the other, for the combat scenes, with a wooden blade.
This is the version used to fight, but devoid of its wooden blade, which is for sale, after being maintained for 40 years by an American individual.
“Someone (…) came to see us and said: ‘I have that to sell,’ he surprised us,” said the founder of Propstore, Stephen Lane, comparing the importance of this piece with that of the red shoes carried by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz.
Experts have authenticated the object by comparing their potholes and scratches with those visible in movies. “Look at the big blow to the back, it probably comes from the laser knowledge blade (Luke Skywalker actor) Mark Hamill,” said Brandon Alderger.
Several other cult film objects in the sale
Despite its value, the object consists in part of an old flash of the camera, to which recovery pieces were added, which resulted in particular from a calculator.
Among the other parts offered during this auction that will take place from September 4 to 6, are the whip, the belt and the case used by Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the last crusade (1989).
But also a “Nearyzer” used by agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) to erase memory in Men in black (1997). The light object, whose LED screen still works, could reach $ 150,000 (around $ 129,700)
Source: BFM TV
