Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom fedora sells for staggering sum at auction

Harrison Ford in a scene from the film Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, 1984. Photo / Getty Images

A famous piece of movie memorabilia has sold for a staggering sum.

The iconic fedora worn by Harrison Ford in the second instalment of the Indiana Jones film franchise - an accessory the actor allegedly once stapled to his head during filming - has fetched a staggering NZ$1 million at auction.

The brown felt headpiece sold for NZ$1.03 million (US$630,000) at the Los Angeles auction house Propstore last week.

The fedora was made specifically for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the 1984 instalment directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring Ford as the titular protagonist. Harrison Ford is seen wearing the hat when Indiana Jones and his companions use an inflatable raft to escape a crashing plane early in the film.

The hat, a staple of the action-adventure hero’s wardrobe and part of Jones’ signature look, has appeared in much of the franchise’s marketing.

The fedora was also used during additional photography at producer George Lucas’ visual effects facilities, the auction house said.

The hat was also worn on location by Ford’s stunt double, Dean Ferrandini, and had been part of the late stuntman’s personal collection. Ferrandini died last year.

According to Propstore, the fedora was an updated version of the original hat – featuring a “more tapered crown” - seen in 1981′s Raiders of the Lost Ark. The work of London’s Herbert Johnson Hat Company, the inside lining also features Indiana Jones’ gold monogrammed initials.

The hat fetched more than double the winning bid on another Temple of Doom fedora auctioned in 2021, which sold for $493,790 (US$300,000), according to reports.

Other pieces of movie memorabilia were sold at the same auction, including a light-up wand used by Daniel Radcliffe in 2004′s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which fetched US$53,550 ($88,140), and the imperial scout trooper helmet featured in 1983′s Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which was bought for a cool $518,480 (US$315,000). A suit worn by Daniel Craig in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall also sold for $57,560 (US$35,000).

It comes just weeks after a bikini worn by Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi sold for $296,585 (US$175,000) at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas on July 26.

The iconic costume was worn by the late actress when her character, Princess Leia, was captured and chained by Jabba the Hut.

Earlier this month, Lipstick Jungle actress Brooke Shields announced she was selling the iconic Calvin Klein jeans she donned in a controversial 1980 ad campaign, which bore the provocative tagline: “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” She was just 15 at the time.

Also this month, local legend Sir Sam Neill, 76, revealed he is selling his personal collection of autographed Jurassic Park Funko Pops for the non-governmental organisation Save the Children.

Last year, Ford addressed the age-old rumour that he stapled his hat to his head while filming the first Indiana Jones instalment. When asked about the unusual method in an interview with GQ, Ford motioned to his hairline and said: “I still have the [scar], see it?”

“You do what you need to do,” he added.

As of June 2024, the Indiana Jones films have reportedly grossed over US$2.35 billion worldwide collectively.

Ford most recently reprised his role as the archaeology professor in last year′s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the fifth and final instalment in the series and the sequel to 2008′s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.