Comedy costumes under the hammer

Among the more expensive items auctioned at Bonhams in London yesterday was the Batman and Robin outfits worn by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst in Only Fools and Horses, which sold for £8,500.

And a metal knight’s helmet worn by Terry Jones in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975 went for £10,000.

There were also relative bargains to be had, with one of Benny Hill’s trademark berets selling for a modest £260.

Among the more unusual items was an outfit made for Tommy Cooper to wear in a sketch. It comprised half a British uniform sewn together with half a Nazi uniform, so he could act out an exchange between the two characters by facing left or right – until confusion inevitably set in. The costume was sold as part of a lot of four Cooper outfits for £1,000.

More than 350 lots were sold by leading costume-maker Angels to clear space in its warehouse, which holds more than 1.5 million costumes.

Company chairman Tim Angel said: ‘The flip-side of creating such iconic costumes, that become so very famous and so firmly associated with key movies, is that they can never be used in other productions.

‘With over a century and a half's worth of costumes on the racks, each with ever increasing insurance requirements, and space at a premium, it seemed the right time for us to allow collectors and fans the chance to take home a piece of the movie magic.’

However, some costumes on sale yesterday WERE used in more than one production.

A Roman breast-plated uniform an cape that was worn by Richard Burton in Cleopatra in 1963 was recycled by the frugal producers of Carry On Cleo the following year, when it was worn by Sid James. It raised £6,500 at auction.

And a bright red tunic, as won in Michael Caine’s 1964 film Zulu, was also reused by Eric Sykes to use in his sitcom in 1971. That went for £1,000.

Other items that went under the hammer yesterday included a brown tweed fishing hat as worn by Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies (£2,100); a red and gold brocade jacket as won by David Jason as Del Boy in 1996 (£260); and a number of uniforms from Dad’s Army, the most expensive being those worn by Arthur Lowe and Clive Dunn, which both went for£2,600.

The most expensive lot in the whole auction was the cape Sir Alec Guinness wore as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, which went for a total of £54,000 once buyers’ premium and tax were added.Some of the most memorable costumes in comedy history have been sold off, including outfits worn by Tommy Cooper, Benny Hill and the Monty Python team.

Among the more expensive items auctioned at Bonhams in London yesterday was the Batman and Robin outfits worn by David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst in Only Fools and Horses, which sold for £8,500.

And a metal knight’s helmet worn by Terry Jones in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975 went for £10,000.

There were also relative bargains to be had, with one of Benny Hill’s trademark berets selling for a modest £260.

Among the more unusual items was an outfit made for Tommy Cooper to wear in a sketch. It comprised half a British uniform sewn together with half a Nazi uniform, so he could act out an exchange between the two characters by facing left or right – until confusion inevitably set in. The costume was sold as part of a lot of four Cooper outfits for £1,000.

More than 350 lots were sold by leading costume-maker Angels to clear space in its warehouse, which holds more than 1.5 million costumes.

Company chairman Tim Angel said: ‘The flip-side of creating such iconic costumes, that become so very famous and so firmly associated with key movies, is that they can never be used in other productions.

‘With over a century and a half's worth of costumes on the racks, each with ever increasing insurance requirements, and space at a premium, it seemed the right time for us to allow collectors and fans the chance to take home a piece of the movie magic.’

However, some costumes on sale yesterday WERE used in more than one production.

A Roman breast-plated uniform and cape that was worn by Richard Burton in Cleopatra in 1963 was recycled by the frugal producers of Carry On Cleo the following year, when it was worn by Sid James. It raised £6,500 at auction.

And a bright red tunic, as won in Michael Caine’s 1964 film Zulu, was also reused by Eric Sykes to use in his sitcom in 1971. That went for £1,000.

Other items that went under the hammer yesterday included a brown tweed fishing hat as worn by Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies (£2,100); a red and gold brocade jacket as won by David Jason as Del Boy in 1996 (£260); and a number of uniforms from Dad’s Army, the most expensive being those worn by Arthur Lowe and Clive Dunn, which both went for£2,600.

The most expensive lot in the whole auction was the cape Sir Alec Guinness wore as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, which went for a total of £54,000 once buyers’ premium and tax were added.

Published: 7 Mar 2007