A legendary piece of film history, the wooden sled famously named 'Rosebud’, pivotal to the opening of the classic movie Citizen Kane, has been sold at auction for a remarkable $14.75 million (£11 million). This particular sled, believed to be one of only three known to exist, was rescued from potential destruction when director Joe Dante received it in 1984. Recognizing its significance, Dante later referenced it as a nostalgic Easter egg in his projects, including Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
The sale marks this sled as the second most expensive piece of film memorabilia in auction history, following the sale of a pair of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which went for $32 million (£23.9 million) last December. Joe Maddalena from Heritage Auctions stated, "Along with Dorothy's ruby slippers, the Rosebud sled is a cornerstone of Hollywood history."
The identity of the buyer remains undisclosed, but another sled from Citizen Kane had previously been acquired by renowned filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who donated it to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The recently auctioned sled had been unseen for several years until Dante found it during location work for Explorers, which took place on the former RKO studio lot that produced Citizen Kane.
Reflecting on the significance of owning such a treasured prop, Dante expressed his awe at being able to possess an item that symbolizes a crucial element of one of cinema's most revered narratives, emphasizing its role in revealing the mystery of the film's protagonist, Charles Foster Kane.
