Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, 1941, is considered one of the best American films of all time. A number of collectibles related to the director, who died nearly 30 years ago, were auctioned Saturday at Heritage Auctions in New York.
Welles’ daughter, Beatrice, says she did not have the emotional strength to look through her father’s belongings, which were stored in Arizona after his death, until last year. What she found was his camera, scripts for Citizen Kane as well as over 60 other items.
Rather than sending the items to a museum, Beatrice says her father would have preferred that they become available to fans and cinephiles, which is why she decided to place them up for auction.
The Citizen Kane script, just 24 pages, was originally estimated to sell for $2,000 – it was sold for $15,000. Welles’ Bell & Howell camera was also estimated at $2,000 but was sold for $37,500. A silver-plated ashtray given to Welles by author Ernest Hemingway went for $5,000.
In total, the auction brought in $180,000. This strong outcome proves that the director and his work are still admired and appreciated, even 30 years after his death.
Courtesy of AZ Central