The Legends of Lost Hollywood Memorabilia

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Yet another iconic piece of film history — the Mustang GT Steve McQueen drove in the famed chase scene in Bullitt — turned up in a scrap yard this week, adding a layer of mystery to the legend of lost Hollywood memorabilia.

Some of the most recognizable cars, props, jewels and outfits featured in famous movies and Hollywood folklore have been lost or stolen. While some of these stories have happy endings, others remain mysteries.

The Bullitt Car

The legendary Mustang GT driven by Steve McQueen in one of Hollywood’s most celebrated car chases disappeared shortly after filming on the movie Bullitt wrapped in 1968. He would spend years trying to find it to add it to his personal car collection, but it vanished without a trace ,and he died without ever seeing it again. This week, however, it came out that the Mustang, considered a Holy Grail for Mustang enthusiasts worldwide, recently turned up in Mexican scrap yard. It landed in the hands of a body shop owner, who is restoring it and can expect to net close to a $1 million if he sells it, according to one historic car expert.

Related: Steve McQueen's 'Bullitt' Car, A Lost Legend, Turns Up In Mexican Scrapyard

Jaws

The Bullitt car isn’t the only Hollywood legend to end up in a scrap yard. The shark from Jaws spent 26 years at Aadlen Brothers Auto Wrecking in Sun Valley until the junkyard closed last year and it was donated to The Academy Museum.

Affectionately dubbed ‘Bruce’ by Jaws Director Steven Spielberg, the shark is actually one of four sharks made for the move. Bruce is the lone survivor. The other three were made of latex and rubber casts and were used in production. Bruce, made of fiberglass, was used for promotion.

The creation of the film’s mechanical shark was undertaken by art director Joe Alves, who designed a prop with a 25-foot long body, 400-pound head and jaws nearly five feet wide. The prop famously malfunctioned frequently during production, resulting in Spielberg trimming the shark’s screen time.

After filming, the three latex sharks were destroyed and Bruce became a popular attraction at Universal Studios until 1990 when it was sent to the scrapyard.

The prop was donated to the Academy Museum by Nathan Adlen, owner of Aadlen Brothers -- which was spelled with two A’s, so it would appear higher in phone books. Bruce was a part of the family while the junkyard was in operation, said owner Nathan Adlen.

“Bruce caught the eye of my father, Sam Adlen, at first glance back in 1990, and for many years he’s been like a member of the family,” said Adlen.

The museum is expected to open next year, and visitors will be able to see Bruce along with a Planet of the Apes mask, a model horse head made for The Godfather, the lion’s mane and ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz and a fin used in Jaws and Jaws II.

Related: Iconic Prop Shark from 'Jaws' Goes from Junkyard to Museum

Ruby Slippers

About those ruby slippers... Judy Garland wore several different ruby red slippers during the filming of The Wizard of Oz and while some are accounted for, one pair was infamously stolen from The Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in 2005. The historic shoes were never found, and there remains a $1 million reward offered for their recovery thanks to an anonymous donor.

According to Vanity Fair, after filming completed, the slippers were cast into MGM’s wardrobe department and forgotten until 1970. In addition to the pair at the Academy Museum, there is a pair in the Smithsonian and two more pairs are believed to be missing along with the pilfered pair.

The Pulp Fiction Malibu

The cherry red vintage Chevy Malibu driven by John Travolta in Pulp Fiction wasn’t just an important part of the cult classic, the car actually belonged to director Quentin Tarantino.

In the film, Travolta rants to his drug dealer about some low-life who keyed his car. What kind of man messes with another man’s vehicle, he asks. Neither can understand how someone would stoop so low. Well, it was not long after filming wrapped when someone stole Malibu when it was parked outside Tarantino’s home.
The car remained stolen for 19 years until a sheriff’s deputy in Victorville happened upon a duo stripping a vintage car. The car was identified and Tarantino was reunited with his vehicle.

Spider-Man

Four of the Spider-Man suits worn by Tobey Maguire in the 2002 film were stolen from Sony Pictures in Culver City. While authorities suspected the theft to be an inside job, it wasn’t until the ex-wife of a studio security guard called in a tip that police got a break in the case. Authorities served a search warrant on security guard Jeffrey Glenn Gustafson and, in the process discovered a Michael Keaton’s $150,000 Batman suit that Gustafson had stolen from his previous employer, Warner Bros, according to the Financial Times.

Still many more famous film props remain missing including three of the iconic motorcycles created for Easy Rider, the falcon statue from The Maltese Falcon, and the handgun carried by Harrison Ford in Blade Runner.

City News Service contributed to this report. Photos: Ruby slippers by Chris Evans via Wikimedia Commons and Youtube screengrabs