CC Collectibles: Buyer Beware!

I was just browsing through _Lyle's Guide to Films and Rock and Roll Collectibles_ the other day, which contains some pictures of Chaplin items.

One of these items, depicted on p.106, is an alleged consume from _Dictator_, which sold at Southeby's for $55,536. Chaplin did not wear this costume in the film. The armbands are a dead giveaway

Hi Connie,

I have a clipping from the Boston Globe from 9/10/94 which states that U2 lead singer Bono purchased the 'Hynckel' shirt from Sotheby's for $56,000. It's got to be the same transaction as the one you cited. However, the photo with the article shows a still from 'The Great Dictator' with Chaplin wearing the shirt with the double-cross insignia. It's possible that your source published the wrong photo (or for that matter that mine did). But it's such a glaring error, I find it hard to believe someone would shell out $56,000 for the wrong shirt! P.S. I love auctions. There are only two rules to follow: set a spending limit for yourself and don't go over it, and only pay what the item is worth TO

I was wondering if this was the Bono purchase. I think he'd better start looking into this matter. Lyle's Guide not only had a picture of the costume, but also a detailed description of the colors, etc., so I don't think they had the wrong picture. More than likely, the editors of the article showed the wrong costume, assuming that it was like what they saw in the still.

The costume depicted looks most like the light colored 'evening uniform' CC wears while he is dancing with Mrs. Napaloni. But in truth, it doesn't look much like that either. To me it looks like an old costume from a production of _The Nutcracker_ to which someone added the swastika arm bands.

Connie K.

( For whatever this is worth...)

A couple years ago I was going through the WONDERFUL computor program we had at my college, which can find any newspaper article from any country and any year (within the last 30 years), and found an article saying that the lead singer from U2 had infact bought that Hynkle costume at an auction. I found it rather amuzing, but also found myself relieved to find out further in the article that the costume now sits up, displayed, in a theme cafe in Ireland ( Either Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe..) I will not even pretend to remember the price it was sold for...I copied the article from the computor, but I don't have half of my stuff yet, in my process of moving....Let me know if it is that important that the price be confirmed and I will find it.

Yours truly, Jodi

' I do ( hate the theatre ). I also hate the sight of blood but it's in my viens.' - Limelight

We're pretty sure this is the costume, and that the price was 55,000+.

The article wouldn't help us much unless it had a picture of the costume in its display case, so that we could compare it to the film and to the picture in Lyle's Guide.

Connie K.