Has the Dude been duped?
You may have read our recent report about the Dude’s sweater from the Big Lebowski being auctioned off.
After wondering if anyone had the $4,000-$6,000 to make an opening bid, let alone buy the thing, I checked the ‘Net, and it turned out the sweater never actually made it to the auction block.
As the L.A. Times reported, the auction house, Profiles in History, which is located in Calabasas, CA, claimed in a press release there were problems about the “screen usage” of the sweater.
There were several of them made for the film, and they couldn’t determine if it was “screen used,” so the item was pulled. Clearly, long gone are the days when Dustin Hoffman wore the same shirt the entire Midnight Cowboy shoot.
Even if you couldn’t afford the Dude sweater, there will be similar cardigans made for purchase in September that will be much more reasonably priced at $188.
Also at the auction was a jacket James Dean wore in Rebel Without a Cause that went for $63,250, and a legendary letter from Walt Disney to Mickey Mouse creator Ub Iwerks, about starting his own company, Disney Studios, that went for $241,500. In addition, horror fans will probably find it amusing that Damien’s tricycle from The Omen went for a cool $18,400.
It’s hard to imagine even the most die hard Lebowski fans having the money to afford the Dude’s legendary sweater, but the film absolutely has a die-hard, loyal following today with the Lebowski Fest that screens the film, and has a bowling party at their legendary events. (I’m surprised they don’t have the band The Cardigans perform at the fest.)
Perhaps like the Saturday Night Live sketch where Elvis’s jacket went on tour, maybe a bunch of Lebowski fans can pool their money, buy the sweater, have it retired on the wall like a basketball jersey, make some White Russians, and worship at its temple. I’m sure the Dude himself would abide.
