There have been some truly iconic movie props, from the DeLorean in Back To The Future to the Lightsabers in the Star Wars saga:
These items spawn replicas and toys that are bought by millions of movie fanatics every year and often the original props are auctioned off after the productions have wrapped, sometimes netting millions of dollars.
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And we all know, where there is money involved, there can be crimes, and movie props are no exception. Amazingly, famous movie props are stolen by opportunistic individuals or simply go missing in transit.
Here are 5 of the most amazing movie props that went missing:
5. Spider-Man Suit, Spider-Man
Perhaps the first truly great superhero movie, Sam Raimi’s web-slinging masterpiece Spider-Man won over critics and fans alike.
The friendly neighborhood hero was played by Tobey Maguire, who showed up in Marvel’s 2021 multiverse movie Spider-Man: No Way Home. But what many didn’t know is that four of the iconic red and blue suits were stolen from the set in 2002.
These suits cost $50,000 dollars each to make and were recovered after an 18-month investigation found that a security guard stole them from the set. Before they were recovered, Sony actually offered a $25,000 bounty for their return, which the thief never capitalized on.
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4. Iron Man Suit, Iron Man
Iron Man kicked off the multi-billion dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and revived the career of the previously troubled leading actor Robert Downey Jr.
Iron Man’s red and gold suit is incredibly iconic and was perfectly crafted to recreate the look of the playboy comic book hero. Amazingly, the original suit used in the filming of the first movie was stolen from a movie prop storage facility in Los Angeles.
It is estimated to be worth up to $325,000 and since it was taken in 2018, it still has not been located!
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3. Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger
James Bond is a classic literary character that made his way onto the big screen. He became synonymous with a variety of things such as sipping Martinis, wooing women, and driving Aston Martins.
The Aston Martin DB5 used in the filming of Goldfinger, starring the late, great Sean Connery went missing in the late 90s from an airport hangar in Florida. For 25 years the car was not found.
However, it was later discovered by an investigator in the Middle East who claimed the owner had no idea it was stolen when they acquired it.
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2. Deckard’s Blaster, Blade Runner
Blade Runner is Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece based on the novel ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?’, by the legendary author Philip K. Dick.
With incredible visuals and set design, the production holds up to this day and the 2017 follow-up drew massive inspiration from this approach. One of the most iconic elements of the original movie was the main character Deckard’s blaster pistol:
A rubber copy of the gun used in the filming of Blade Runner went missing from the set and was never found, although some suspected that replicas were produced and sold after the film’s release, using the stolen prop to make molds.
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1. Dorothy’s Dress, Wizard Of Oz
Arguably one of the greatest movies of all time, the Wizard Of Oz was incredibly innovative, inspirational, and successful.
The movie starred Judy Garland as Dorothy as she found herself transported to the fantastical world of Oz, based on the book series by author L. Frank Baum.
Multiple iconic props were used in this production, including the magical ruby slippers worn by Dorothy. But one prop from the movie that went missing for decades was Dorothy’s blue and white checkered dress.
It was eventually discovered wrapped in a trash bag in the Catholic University of America (CUA) drama department.