A number of iconic film props and memorabilia from The Big Lebowski hit auction in celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary this year.
In all, the special auction event featured over 250 items from storyboards, costumes, and more, as part of the Julien’s Auctions and TCM Present: Hollywood Legends: The Big Lebowski: The Complete Storyboards Auction.
One of the more coveted costume piece up for grabs was the iconic brown robe and off-white shirt Jeff Bridges wore in the film as Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski. It ended up selling for $169,000, and that’s after being estimated to be $30,000-$50,000.
It took $88,900 for one lucky bidder to land The Dude’s sunglasses, which was predicted to be another hot-item with movie buffs, after being appraised to between $20,000-$30,000.
As the auction went forward, a rather unique piece from the bowling alley set, a signed bowling ball returner, sold for $16,250, despite being estimated at $1,000-$2,000.
More than 250 items from the set of the cult classic film The Big Lebowski went up for auction, as part of the Julien’s Auctions and TCM Present: Hollywood Legends: The Big Lebowski: The Complete Storyboards Auction
Some of the other film props and memorabilia from The, included The Dude’s iconic robe and off-white shirt were up for grabs from The Big Lebowski are set to hit auction, including the iconic brown robe and off-white shirt Jeff Bridges wore in the film
There were a slew of bowling balls signed by Bridges, with some cool artwork from the acclaimed actor, were all up for bid.
One of the more coveted bowling balls that Bridges wrote ‘take er easy’ on the side of it with his autograph brought in $7,620 after being appraised for $300-500.
There were lots of pages from the original storyboard created by J. Todd Anderson ahead of the production of the film that were up for auction. Anderson is famous for laying out the storyboards, scene by scene, for all of the Coen Brothers’ cinematic masterpieces going back to Raising Arizona.
Estimated to go for $500-$700, the official storyboards by J. Todd Anderson sold for $13,000.
The Big Lebowski One Page, scene 21 / set-up 2 / home invasion scene 2 original storyboard fetched $1,170 after being estimated to go for $500-$700.
Some of the other artwork such as the One Page, scene 53 / Set-Up 1 / Larry Sellers End Scene original storyboard was bought for $3,575 after being thought to sell for $500-700.
The One Page, Scene 23 / Set-Up A Bowling Scene 4 original storyboard sold for $1,170 after appraised at $500-$700.
The final bid for the One-Page, Scene 18 / Set-Up 1 / Jesus Quintana Scene sold for $4,550 after being estimated to go for $500-$700.
Bridges, now 74, is pictured rocking the robe, shirt and glasses in a still from the 1998 cult classic Coen brothers movie, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year
It took $88,900 for one lucky bidder to land The Dude’s sunglasses, which was predicted to be another hot-item with movie buffs, after being appraised to between $20,000-$30,000
One of the more coveted bowling balls that Bridges wrote ‘take er easy’ on the side of it with his autograph brought in $7,620 after being appraised for $300-500
In a video on the website for Julien’s Auctions showed Bridges explaining how a portion of the proceeds from this auction goes towards No Kid Hungry By Share Our Strength in the effort to end childhood hunger in America.
Directed by Ethan Coen from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Joel Coen, The Big Lebowski focuses on Bridges as The Dude, a Los Angeles slacker with a passion for bowling, caught in the middle of a mistaken identity crime caper.
The cast also included John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tara Reid, David Thewlis, Peter Stormare, Jon Polito and Ben Gazzara.
A rather unique piece from the bowling alley set, a signed bowling ball returner, sold for $16,250, despite being estimated at $1,000-$2,000
There were a slew of pages from the original storyboards created by J. Todd Anderson up for auction, including the cover art sold for $13,000 after being estimated at $500-$700
The Big Lebowski One Page, scene 21 / set-up 2 / home invasion scene 2 original storyboard fetched $1,170 after being estimated to go for $500-$700
While the crime comedy wasn’t a huge at the the worldwide box office upon its release in theaters in the U.S. in March 1998, grossing $46.7 million against a budget of $15 million, it has become a cult favorite, due its eccentric characters, comedic dream sequences, idiosyncratic dialogue, and eclectic soundtrack.
In January, Bridges and Goodman reunited at the Critics’ Choice Awards where Goodman presented Bridges with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Goodman delivered a heartfelt speech about his longtime friend and revealed all of the ‘camaraderie and friendship’ they felt behind-the-scenes translated to the screen, ‘all because of Bridges.
Steve Buscemi, John Goodman star alongside Bridges as his bowling buddies
Some of the other artwork such as the One Page, scene 53 / Set-Up 1 / Larry Sellers End Scene original storyboard was bought for $3,575 after being thought to sell for $500-700
The One Page, Scene 23 / Set-Up A Bowling Scene 4 original storyboard sold for $1,170 after appraised at $500-$700
The One Page, Scene 23 / Set-Up A Bowling Scene 4 original storyboard sold for $1,170 after appraised at $500-$700
Bridges famously played The Dude – a freewheeling, spliff-smoking Angeleno slacker with a penchant for bowling and White Russians – alongside his buddies; star John Goodman is pictured with Bridges’ The Dude
‘He was so committed and would deliver his hilarious ‘Dude-isms’ so effortlessly that no one ever knew where Jeff ended and the dude began,’ Goodman said, adding he, ‘continues to play such a wide range of characters and tends to lose himself in all of them, before they showed a clip package and Bridges took the stage to accept his award.
‘Thank you, John! Thank you, John. Thank you, critics. The Dude, from Lebowski, he would say, this is just like your opinion, man,’ Bridges joked while accepting the award.
The Academy Award-winning actor, now 74, previously called The Big Lebowski ‘one of my favorite movies I’ve ever been involved in,’ a sentiment echoed years earlier by Goodman, who told Rolling Stone that playing The Dude’s high-strung pal Walter Sobchak was one of his all-time greatest roles, as well.
In 2014, The Big Lebowski was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library Of Congress as being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.’
