Tragic Fates of Famous Movie Memorabilia
Once filming wraps, many of the objects that inspired or starred in a movie are cast aside unless they’re deemed more valuable as relics, much like many of its actors. Also like actors, sometimes they’re just lost in unclaimed baggage storage. This metaphor got away from us. The point is, directors, don’t let your babies grow up to be…
Scrooge’s Tombstone
Once it was no longer needed for 1984’s definitive adaptation of A Christmas Carol starring George C. Scott, the tombstone Scrooge freaks out over was planted in the grounds of St. Chad’s Church in Shrewsbury, England. Isn’t that fun? (The existence of a St. Chad, that is.) Well, just before Christmas on the 40th anniversary of the film, some jerk decided to smash it into so many pieces, you can’t even tell it’s Scrooge’s anymore. Do you want ghosts of Christmas tenses? Because that’s how you get ghosts of Christmas tenses.
Hoggle
Everyone who grew up within a reasonable distance from the ‘80s has a soft spot for the goblin antihero of Labyrinth, but apparently, Jim Henson was less sentimental toward his own creation. He checked Hoggle as luggage when he flew back to the States, where the airport promptly lost him. He was found decades later in unclaimed baggage storage, with much of his face and body rotted away. At least he outlived Henson.
Leonardo
Meanwhile, it’s not at all clear just what horrors the Leonardo costume from 1993’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III endured. Perhaps it’s the end result of ooze poisoning, because the way his skin is peeling off definitely looks like radiation sickness. In fact, he looks so horrific that he didn’t get a single bid in a 2019 auction even though one paltry Donatello mask from the same movie fetched $1,700. Maybe people just like him more?
The Love Boat
Hey, did you know that the cruise ship that inspired The Love Boat doubled as Blofeld’s yacht in From Russia With Love? People contain multitudes, and so do boats. Not everyone appreciated the MS Aurora’s, though. Over the years, it passed through the hands of various owners who failed to maintain it, and by 2023, it was decaying in a California river. Just when things looked like they might turn around for the Love Boat, when it was sold to a new owner, it took off for that great guest-star-studded spectacular in the sky. Well, the ground. We’re saying it sank. Is the Love Boat in hell?
The Scarlet Drop
Cinephiles, we’re begging you: If you have something valuable in your collection, write it down. Put it in your will. Tell your favorite niece. Whatever you do, don’t just die and let it waste away in a warehouse for 40 years. That’s what happened to The Scarlet Drop, a 1918 John Ford film that was thought to be lost for more than 100 years before a copy surfaced in a Chilean warehouse whose contents were nearly demolished before an expert stepped in. The film was damaged, but it was salvageable, so seriously, document even your most scratched-up out-of-print DVDs. We cannot let this happen to Airheads.
