Here’s Johnny! Axe yours for £45k
THE iconic prop axe, right, wielded by Jack Nicholson in cult horror classic The Shining has gone on sale – for a whopping £45,000.
The hard foam axe was used by the actor in the 1980 film, after being substituted for a real wooden axe during filming for safety reasons.
The 35-inch axe, painted with a wood grain effect, would have been used in long shots and when two or more characters were on screen.
It has been fully authenticated by Paul Fraser Collectibles, based in Bristol – which has yesterday put the axe up for sale for £45,000.
The axe comes framed, with an authentic signed photograph of Jack Nicholson in the role of Jack Torrance.
Warner Bros created several axes for the film – with only a “tiny” number of hard foam versions like this one believed to still exist.
Daniel Wade, from Paul Fraser Collectibles, said: “It’s a miracle this exists. Hardly any of the axes used in filming The Shining have survived. Back in 1980, film memorabilia collecting was in its infancy.
“Props were still viewed as props, to be thrown away after shooting. And in any case, The Shining was universally panned when it came out. So there would have been few people interested in owning one.
“This axe connects you to one of the most iconic scenes in cinema. Indeed, you can argue it’s the most iconic prop in film history.”
Just one original wooden axe used in The Shining is thought to remain in existence. It sold for £172,000 ($211,000) in 2019.
To view the axe up for sale, visit www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/ products/the-shining-1980-propstunt-axe?