Citizen Kane was king this week at Heritage Auction’s Hollywood Entertainment Signature Auction.
A replacement Academy Award for Best Screenplay fetched $645,000. The unidentified seller of the Oscar was not the Estate of Orson Welles. A three-piece suit worn by Welles as Charles Foster Kane sold for $187,500. It was seen in the 1941 film when Kane’s second wife, Susan Alexander, leaves him. It was designed by Edward Stevenson and part of the Western Costume Company collection. A Citizen Kane “Sixth Draft” Typed-Carbon Script, also not held by the Estate, went for $18,750. The buyers of the three pieces were not immediately identified.
All prices include the buyer’s premium fee.
The Welles’s Estate put several personal and professional items up for sale, ranging from signed books to award certificates. Among the more popular items sold by Beatrice Welles were:
- Welles’ manual Royal typewriter from the late 1930s and early 1940s sold for $81,250
- Citizen Kane Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay went for $40,000
- Citizen Kane Academy Award nomination for Best Actor fetched $35,000
- Citizen Kane Academy Award nomination for Best Director sold for $30,000
- Three Grammy Award trophies fetched $30,000 (Citizen Kane); $8,125 (Great American Documents); and $6,250 (Donovan’s Brain).
- Paola Mori’s copy of Confidential Report script fetched $8,125
- Stack of 17 signed, canceled checks went for $3,563
- TWA Gold Card Flier Award from 1939 went for $1,875
- Cuban Best Picture Award for Citizen Kane sold for $1,875
- Orson Welles’ London clapperboard $750
In explaining her decision to part with various personal items and awards, Beatrice Welles recently told Wellesnet: “There is a massive amount of variety, from his books as a child, to his Grammys, Academy nominations and various world awards including Cannes for Othello in 1952. I’m moving on. I had wanted the University of Michigan to have these – one place, one location for his stuff, but they have nowhere to display them. This has been in the making for over a year.”
“So, let someone else who cared about my father display something, that instead under my care have been kept in boxes,” she added.
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