A unique Metropolis poster – believed to be one of only four in existence – has been auctioned by the US Bankruptcy Court in Los Angeles.

The lot which included the ad for the 1927 classic movie proved to be worth a fistful of dollars fetching $1.2 million. The lot relates to the Fritz Lang classic film and was sold along with other cinema and music memorabilia including posters from the movies King Kong, The Invisible Man and Arsenic and Old Lace, and the original painting of Elvis Presley used for the Jailhouse Rock poster.

A collector and dealer Ralph DeLuca purchased the lot. He started bidding for the posters at $700,000, facing competition from representatives of Heritage Auctions, Profiles in History and British collector Andrew Cohen, The Hollywood Reporter says.

Cohen had owned the Metropolis poster before. In 2005 he sold it for $690,000 setting a world record for a single poster sale.

Collector DeLuca estimates the posters could sell separately for between $1 million and $2 million on the open market. He told The Hollywood Reporter he was pleased with the result of the sale and that he has no intention to sell his purchases immediately. 

Metropolis movie poster lot fetches $1.2 million at auction

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