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Many movies are synonymous with their props; for example, who can see a DeLorean and not immediately think of Back to the Future? However, with the iconicity of a prop comes great responsibility...
Often, a prop's monetary or cultural value will make it a target for theft, but on the flip side, a priceless prop will sometimes be forgotten about or even completely lost. From Dorothy's ruby slippers to the treasure map from The Goonies — here are 11 iconic movie props that disappeared under bizarre circumstances:
In October 2023, 76-year-old Terry Jon Martin pleaded guilty to the theft of a major artwork. He confessed that he used a hammer to smash both the museum door and the slippers' display case to gain access.
At his hearing, he revealed the reason behind his theft was that he believed the slippers contained real rubies, and his intention was to remove and sell them. However, before Martin could sell the stolen shoes, he discovered that the "rubies" were not real, so he decided to get rid of the slippers altogether. Due to terminal illness, Martin was sentenced to time served. His accomplice, Jerry Hal Saliterman, was also charged with a felony count of theft of a major artwork.
In March 2024, the FBI returned the ruby slippers to their owner, Michael Shaw, in a private ceremony.
2. Spider-Man (2002) suits:
The search for the suits was expanded to cover both the east and west coasts of the United States and Japan. Three of the costumes were discovered in collectors' homes, and the fourth was found in the house of a man named Robert Hughes, who was later discovered to be Gustafson's co-conspirator.
In an epic franchise crossover, a Batman suit — missing since 1996 — was also found in the search for Spidey's costume.
Caught in a web (pun fully intended) of crime, Gustafson was charged with two counts of receiving stolen property, and Hughes was charged with one count of receiving stolen property.
Gary Martin, the then-president of Columbia Pictures, stated, "We took this seriously from the beginning, and while we had other costumes to use in the production, we were willing to invest the time and money to track down those responsible. We have a zero-tolerance policy for theft and will pursue all violators."
3. The original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer puppets:
After filming wrapped, the figurines were shipped from Tokyo to the Rankin/Bass Productions offices in New York, where they were stored for a decade. In the early '70s, Arthur Rankin Jr. gifted the figures to his secretary, Barbara Adams, who used the dolls as Christmas tree decorations. She later bequeathed the figures to one of her nephews, who, in 2005, brought the puppets to pop culture appraiser Simeon Lipman to be valued on an episode of Antiques Roadshow.
Though most of the figures had melted due to being stored in a hot attic, the two surviving puppets — which just so happened to be Santa and Rudolph — were then valued between $8,000 and $10,000.
Keith Kriess, toy aficionado and owner of Time and Space Toys, purchased the puppets for more than their appraisal and spent another $4,000 to have the dolls meticulously restored.
In 2020, the puppets were auctioned off and sold for a grand total of $368,000.
4. The Death Star from Star Wars: A New Hope:
When Franklin returned home that night, he watched A New Hope to compare notes with the mysterious gray item he saw in the store earlier that day. Happy with his assessment, he returned to the store the following day and spoke with the owners. They told him they had previously owned a storage facility in California where movie studios often housed memorabilia. When they shut the facility down, the movers had wisely decided to save the Star Wars props.
Franklin wanted to buy the Death Star but didn't have the necessary funds, so he decided to do the next best thing: Call Lucasfilm and tell them of their long-lost prop. However, the production company informed him that the prop had been destroyed during filming.
The antique store owners later sold the prop to a short-lived country and western musical show, Star World, which closed in 1993. Franklin took this as a sign and arranged a meeting to buy the prop. When he arrived, the iconic piece of cinematic history was being used as a trashcan.
The piece turned out to be authentic, and Franklin purchased it before later selling it to the Star Wars Collector's Archive website owner. Since then, the prop has undergone major restoration efforts and has been showcased at museums.
5. The Goonies treasure map:
6. The Scrumdiddlyumptious Bars from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory:
7. The bikes from Easy Rider:
8. The Red Ryder BB gun from A Christmas Story:
9. James Bond's 1964 Aston Martin:
Unfortunately, many theories surrounding the sports car's whereabouts throughout the following decades led to dead ends. That is, until early 2022 when Christopher Marinello, Art Recovery International's chief executive, received a tip from a so-called eyewitness who claimed to have seen the Aston Martin in a "private setting" somewhere in the Middle East.
This report led Marinello to focus his investigation on Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. He told reporters, "I'm hopeful the possessor will come forward voluntarily before I have to make an announcement...I don't believe the current possessor knew the car was stolen when he or she acquired it. Now they do know, I think they should make every effort to have a discreet confidential discussion about how we clear the title to this iconic vehicle."
The car is now valued at around $25,000,000.
10. Dozens of firearms from First Blood:
At the time of the theft, the location was guarded by Canadian Army members — who also served as extras in the film itself — and the guns were stored in a locked wooden box inside a truck that held most of the movie's props. According to the Mounted Police report, there were no signs of forced entry despite the truck having two padlocks on the side doors and a combination lock on the back door.
In December 1984 — nearly three years later after the heist occurred — three men from Vancouver and Coquitlam were charged with the theft, and 15 of the stolen firearms were found. A month later, Mounted Police officers discovered more of the weapons near the Vancouver Airport.
Five months later, Richard Edward Gallant — the ringleader — was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $2,500 to the movie's insurance company. His accomplices, John Krahn and Douglas Burgess, were given lighter fines and sentences.
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English (US) ·