The tuxedo worn by Marlon Brando in the 1972 film "The Godfather" will hit the auction block for the first time this September, carrying a pre-sale estimate of $200,000.
Will the historic auction represent an offer collectors can’t refuse?
Held in a private collection for years, the complete formal tuxedo will be sold by Studio Auctions as part of its “From Bombshells to Blasters: An Auction You Can’t Refuse” sale.
“We are thrilled about the exceptional collection we’ve curated for this upcoming auction,” Brad Teplitsky, a cofounder of Studio Auctions, said in a statement. “Films like 'The Godfather' hold a timeless allure, and we’re excited to offer our audience the chance to own a piece of cinematic history. We look forward to announcing additional showstopping items as we approach the live auction.”
Brando’s tuxedo, which he donned in the film’s wedding scenes as he portrayed the unforgettable Vito Corleone, a role for which he received the Best Actor Oscar, might be making its public auction debut, but it will be far from the first time collectors have had the opportunity to own memorabilia from the beloved film.
Brando’s personally-owned copy of the screenplay for the film sold for $312,800 at Christie’s in 2005 in an auction of the actor’s personal items in New York. The pre-sale estimate was just $10,000-$15,000.
The same auction had a letter from the book’s author, Mario Puzo, to Brando, which sold for $132,000.
Brando’s coat from the film sold for more than $50,000 in 2023 during a Propstore auction.
Another famous tuxedo from the era, worn by Al Pacino in the film "Scarface," sold for $83,200 in April 2021.
The Studio Auctions sale will also include Brando’s personal rolodex (estimate: $40,000) and the hero wand used by Billie Burke in “The Wizard of Oz” (estimate: $100,000).
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.