Bonhams, which conducted the auction, said the price beat the previous prop record of $4 million (RM16.49 million) for the 12-inch falcon statue in the Humphrey Bogart classic “The Maltese Falcon” and topped the $4.6 million (RM18.96 million) for the white dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in “The Seven Year Itch.”
“Robby the Robot is one of those symbols of American culture that is embedded in our DNA,” Catherine Williamson, director of entertainment memorabilia at Bonhams, said in a statement.
Robby, with a glass dome head and functioning limbs that included legs that look like stacked bowling balls, is a devoted servant to Professor Morbius. The robot stole scenes in the movie “Forbidden Planet” with his dry sense of humour and body parts that light up when he speaks.
The three-piece prop was built at a cost of about $100,000 (RM412,250), which, adjusted for inflation, would be nearly $1 million (RM4.12 million) today.
The name of the buyer was not released.