This Highly-Debated Piece of Cinematic History Just Sold For Over $700,000 at Auction The wood panel from "Titanic" is often mistaken as a door. Either way, he couldn't have fit. (Sorry.)
By Emily Rella
"Could Jack have fit on the door" is a highly Googled phrase and there are countless Reddit threads dedicated to one of the most infamously debated scenarios in pop culture.
In the 1997 classic, "Titanic" Jack (spoiler alert) dies in the water, after being unable to climb on the wood panel that Rose is floating on. But whether or not he actually had enough room has had people arguing for decades. Even the movie's writer and director, James Cameron, has weighed in.
Now, that famous, floating piece of wood is still generating buzz nearly 27 years later — but this time for a pricey reason.
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Heritage Auctions announced that it had sold the iconic prop in an auction last week for $718,000 as a part of a five-day long lot that featured costumes and props previously displayed at Planet Hollywood including Indiana Jones' whip and the bowling ball from "Kingpin."
"Often mistakenly referred to as a door, the ornate structure was in reality part of the door frame just above the first-class lounge entrance," Heritage Auctions wrote. "The iconic prop has caused much debate from fans, many of whom have argued that the floating wood panel could have supported both Jack and Rose - making his fateful decision to stay in the frigid water an empty gesture."
The panel is made of balsa wood and contains curves and floral accents that are typical of rococo architecture that would have been popular in 1912 when the ship sank.
The infamous prop was created as a replica of an actual piece of debris found from the Titanic's wreckage.
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The larger lot of Hollywood props, called "Treasures of Planet Hollywood" closed on March 25 and fetched an estimated $15.6 million. It's the second priciest auction of Hollywood props and costumes.
The current reigning champion of Hollywood auctions is Debbie Reynolds' from 2011, which was held by Joe Maddalena, and fetched $22.8 million.
