Auction house Profiles in History filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court last week against one of its customers, Albert Tapper, claiming that the buyer won two items in their “Hollywood Auction 53” sale event last month, but only agreed to pay for one (“Lot 197 | Clark Gable early signed, handwritten letter to his dad”) that sold for $8,000 plus buyer’s premium, and not the more expensive lot (“Lot 422 | Charlton Heston “Moses” prop Ten Commandments tablets from The Ten Commandments”) which realized $60,000 plus buyer’s premium.
In the complaint, Plaintiffs allege that “Defendants carried out an elaborate plan in which they would agree to purchase the substantially less expensive item while keeping the major item for which they were the successful bidder from being sold to anyone else at the auction”, though no motive or reason is provided by way of explanation as to that theory.
More, Plaintiff’s state in the complaint that “Plaintiff is therefore entitled to an award of punitive damages to make an example of Defendants, in an amount to be determined at trail”.
The 15-page complaint outlines four causes of action against Albert Tapper: 1. Fraudulent Concealment, 2. Fraudulent Misrepresentation, 3. Negligent Misrepresentation, and 4. Breach of Written Contract.
By way of background, the complaint states that Defendants were absentee bidders, and that by “registering to bid or placing a bid, said Defendants fully accepts the “Conditions of Sale” printed in Plaintiff’s auction catalog”, and that “by registering or placing a bid, said Defendants entered into a legally binding and enforceable contract with Plaintiff”.
Per the complaint, Plaintiffs sent invoices to Defendants and requested payment weeks following the auction (following Christmas and New Years), and that Defendants “refused to purchase the substantially more expensive Lot 422 but represented that they would purchase the substantially less expensive Lot 197”. Plaintiffs further allege that Defendants’ “asserted basis for picking and choosing what they would pay for was that they did not receive an immediate confirmation that they had won the items but instead had to wait two weeks to find out”.
Interestingly, the auction in which the Ten Commandments tablets were offered for sale took place on December 15, 2012. The lawsuit was filed with Superior Court on January 11, 2013 – less than 30 days from the sale date, and based on the timing described by Plaintiffs within the complaint itself, less than 10 days after Plaintiffs invoiced Defendants (per Plaintiffs, “Plaintiff’s offices were closed for the Christmas/New Years’ holiday period”).
There is also no mention of any efforts to offer the same lot to the underbidder, though the winning bid was $60,000, which was the low estimate, so there is a chance that the winning bid was the only bid on the lot.
As the complaint was filed just this past Friday, there is no response filed with the court on behalf of the Defendants as of the time of this article.
The “Ten Commandments Tablets” are a set of props that have been auctioned by Profiles in History several times in the past (whether it is the same set being sold and resold or multiple sets I cannot say – see images further below). Christie’s claimed in 2001 that six sets in total were made for the 1956 film. Premiere Props claimed in 2011 that replicas were installed in movie theaters and that some sets today may be such replicas.
Below is a side-by-side-by-side comparison of photos of some of the Ten Commandments tablets I have followed being sold at auction over the years (and I’m sure I have missed a few); CLICK FOR HIGHER RESOLUTION:
Some of these examples appear to be the exact same set sold and resold (i.e. the set sold by Christie’s in April 1999 appear to match the set sold by Profiles in History in June 1999), but there is also quite a bit of variety in comparing them all against one another.
Below are more details about these same sets sold over the past several years, going back to 1995.
Ten Commandments Tablets Sold by Profiles in History
Profiles in History “Hollywood Collector’s Ransom 6” – June 26, 1999
Lot 143 “Extraordinary Prop Ten Commandment Tablets from The Ten Commandments”
Estimate $40,000-$60,000, Sold for $55,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 19” – July 30, 2004
Lot 159 “CHARLTON HESTON’S TEN COMMANDMENTS TABLETS FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”
Estimate $40,000-$60,000, Sold for $65,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 32” – August 1, 2008
Lot 839 “Charlton Heston’s Ten Commandments Tablets from The Ten Commandments”
Estimate $30,000-$50,000, Sold for $60,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 44” – May 15, 2011
Lot 1019 “Cecil B. DeMille’s personal pair of red granite display Ten Commandments tablets” [miniature]
Estimate $3,000-$5,000, Sold for $10,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Profiles in History “Drama, Action, Romance: The Hollywood Auction [53]” – December 15, 2012
Lot 442 “Charlton Heston Moses Prop Ten Commandments Tablets from The Ten Commandments”
Estimate $60,000-$80,000, Sold for $60,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Ten Commandments Tablets Sold by Other Auction Houses
Christie’s “Film and Television Memorabilia Including Hollywood Posters” – June 28, 1995
Lot 58 “A pair of Tablets from the Cecile B DeMelle Epic Starring Charlton Heston”
Estimate $30,000-$50,000, Sold for $81,700
Christie’s “Animation Art, Entertainment and Pop Memorabilia” – April 20, 1999
Lot 124 “The Ten Commandments, A pair of Tablets from the Cecil B. DeMille epic starring Charleton Heston and Moses”
Estimate $15,000-$20,000, Sold for $13,800
Christie’s “Entertainment Memorabilia” – November 19, 2001
Lot 26 “Prop Ten Commandments from The Ten Commandments”
Estimate $6,000-$7,000, Sold for $11,750
Julien’s Auctions “Entertainment Legends, History & Pop Culture Auction – September 14, 2003
Lot 613 “Ten Commandments Original Film Tablets”
Estimate $40,000-$80,000, Sold for $30,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Bonhams “Entertainment Memorabilia including Animation Art” – June 16, 2008
Lot 3116 “A set of prop ‘Ten Commandments’ tablets from The Ten Commandments”
Estimate $3,000-$5,000, WITHDRAWN
Guernsey’s “Iconic Objects and Documents” – September 24, 2010
Lot 8 “Tablets from The Ten Commandments”
Estimate $30,000-$40,000, Sold for $15,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Premiere Props “Hollywood Auction Extravaganza II” – July 31, 2011
Lot 974 “The Ten Commandments Tablets”
Estimate $28,000-$34,000, Sold for $16,000 (+ buyer’s premium)
Julien’s Auctions “Hollywood Legends” – March 31-April 1, 2012
Lot 962 “The Ten Commandments Tablets”
Estimate $20,000-$30,000, Sold for $36,250 (+ buyer’s premium)
Per a prior article published on the Original Prop Blog, a set of “stone tablets carried by Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments” is/was also part of the John LeBold collection, based on my research for an unrelated lawsuit (see “Collector/Investor Files Fraud Lawsuit Against John LeBold and Americana Dance Theatre Over Elizabeth Taylor “Cleopatra” Dress and Other Hollywood Movie Costumes”).
Jason DeBord