Indiana Jones' iconic fedora sells for almost £500,000 at auction... despite only appearing in a few scenes
- The sable rabbit-felt hat was worn by Harrison Ford in the second Indiana film
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom raked in a whopping £257million
- The fifth - and likely final - outing for Indiana was released in cinemas last year
As one of the most famous props in cinema history, it should come as no surprise that Indiana Jones's famous fedora comes with a blockbuster price tag.
But even diehard fans may be amazed to learn that the hat, which Harrison Ford wore to play the swashbuckling archeologist in the 1984 film Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom has been bought for £488,464 at auction.
Amazingly, the anonymous buyer paid almost £500,000 for the titfer even though it only appeared in early 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 grab it back before a trap door slammed shut.
The sable rabbit-felt hat, which was also used by Ford's stunt double, was an update on the original version used in Raiders Of The Lost Ark, the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise, and featured a more tapered crown.
A hat worn by Harrison Ford in the 1984 film Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom has gone under the hammer for just shy of £500,000
Hold on to your hat: The prop was used in many of the movie's iconic scenes, including when Jones risks his hand to grab it back before a trap door slams shut
Inside there is the blue crest of the famous London hatter Herbert Johnson, which made it.
The hat is said to have been used in the river sequence at the start of the film, in which Jones leaps from a plane on to a raft.
Props from Batman, Star Wars, Alien, James Bond and Gladiator were also sold at the Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction in Los Angeles.
Brandon Alinger, chief operating officer of the auctioneer Propstore, said he was 'thrilled with the incredible success' of the event, adding that it 'not only exceeded our expectations but highlighted the timeless appeal of franchises like Batman, Star Wars, Alien and Indiana Jones – as well as landmarks like Forrest Gump and cult classics like Happy Gilmore'.
A 6ft model of a Batwing plane used in the 1989 film Batman, starring Michael Keaton, went for £314,000, while a Skyfall suit worn by Daniel Craig for a London Tube chase fetched £24,400.
An imperial trooper helmet from the 1983 Star Wars film Return Of The Jedi took nearly £250,000, and a Darth Vader outfit from The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 was sold for £120,000.
Top of the props: An auctioneer holds up the famous fedora at the sale in Los Angeles
Hat's off to the makers: Despite being a prop. the sable rabbit-felt hat oozes quality and was created by famed hat maker Herbert Johnson
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the second in the box office hit 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 movie - Raiders of the Lost Ark - was based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman.
Raiders was a massive hit with fans, grossing £301million.
The Temple of Doom (1984) would serve as the first sequel, and went on to score big at the box office once again, raking in £256m.
It would be five years until the The Last Crusade (1989) dropped, and the fans reciprocated by topping the previous two versions, earning £366m.
More than 19 years passed until the fourth installment, The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008), premiered.
Indy's first outing: The box office smash series began with Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981
It slaughtered all three installments at the box office, grossing a whopping £611m.
Last year Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny was released.
'Indiana Jones movies are about fantasy and mystery, but they're also about heart. 'We have a really great story to tell, as well as a movie that will kick your a**,' Harrison, now 82, said at the time of a screening of the fifth, and what is expected to be final, outing for Indiana Jones.
