LOS ANGELES, CA.- Bonhams and Turner Classic Movies announced that a complete Darth Vader costume from Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (estimate: $1,000,000-2,000,000) will go up for sale on May 14 in the TCM Presents … Wonders of the Galaxy auction of classic movie memorabilia at Bonhams Los Angeles. The 17-piece costume consists of everything from gloves, boots and a pair of capes to a cod piece and a battery pack. A special public exhibition opens on May the 4th and then from May 10-14.
In 1977, Bryce “Kermit” Eller, tall and with a deep and commanding voice, landed himself a gig making personal appearances as Darth Vader all over the country, from premieres, book signings, conventions, and the 1978 Academy Awards®. He wore the original–and only–Darth Vader costume from Star Wars: Episode IV–A New Hope from the film. By 1979, he was provided with one of a few complete costumes produced for The Empire Strikes Back, which is the one currently up for auction. Eller continued to make personal appearances as Vader through 1981, at which point he packed the suit up in its two flight cases and stored it in his garage until the present day.
Dr. Catherine Williamson, Director of Entertainment Memorabilia at Bonhams, said: “Darth Vader is one of the most recognizable and infamous characters in the history of film and we are excited to offer this rare costume in our sale. The suit’s completeness, remarkable condition, and excellent provenance make it a true rarity in the memorabilia marketplace.”
Additional highlights from the sale include:
• The Phantom of the Opera, Universal Pictures, 1925 (estimate: $200,000-300,000)
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Universal Pictures, 1923 (estimate: $150,000-200,000)
• The Day the Earth Stood Still, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951 (estimate: $15,000-20,000)
• A Forbidden Planet prop United Planets Cruiser C-57D, MGM, 1956. (estimate: $30,000-50,000)
• Forbidden Planet, MGM, 1956 (estimate: $10,000-15,000)
• A Walter Pidgeon costume from Forbidden Planet, also worn in Queen of Outer Space, MGM, 1956 (estimate: $25,000-35,000)
