A piece of Maryland moviemaking history has gone on the auction block just in time to benefit from increased publicity surrounding two celebrities to which it’s linked, Johnny Depp and John Waters.
A 1955 Harley Davidson Model K motorcycle — the one Depp rode in Waters’ 1990 movie “Cry-Baby” – is one of the highlights of an auction of “Artifacts of Hollywood and Music” that has begun online and goes live on June 25.
Kruse GWS Auctions of Agoura Hills, California, is the auctioneer. Bidding starts at $250,000 and increases at $25,000 increments.
“This 1955 Harley Davidson Model K was screen used in the production of the cult classic 1990 film Cry-Baby, directed by John Waters and starring Johnny Depp,” the auctioneer states on its website.
“This is an iconic one-of-a-kind cinema vehicle as this was the ‘picture bike’ used throughout filming in principal photography on location in Maryland and in second unit photography in Los Angeles,” the listing states. “The only other was a mock up bike that was crashed and burned at the fight scene at the swim club location, and this is the only one that was fully functional.”
In “Cry Baby,” which was set in Maryland, Depp stars as teen rebel Wade “Cry-Baby” Walker, whose ability to shed a single tear excites all the girls. Walker falls for a “good girl,” played by Amy Locane, and gives her a ride on his bike. Later, he fights her ex-boyfriend when he comes for revenge; that’s the scene in which his bike is destroyed.
The sale comes less than a month after Depp won a U.S. defamation lawsuit against former wife Amber Heard, following a much-publicized court battle.
Waters has been touring the country to promote his first novel, “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance,” and celebrate the 50th anniversary of his movie “Pink Flamingos.”
According to the auctioneer, the bike was acquired at the end of filming by Josh Spring, a member of the film crew. It comes with two letters of provenance from Spring and an open Maryland title in his name.
The bike is currently housed at a museum in Branson, Missouri, and was recently displayed at the Philadelphia Auto Show.
Other items in the auction are linked to Marilyn Monroe; John Lennon; Britney Spears; Elvis Presley and many others. Live bidding starts on June 25 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.
