Perhaps because Johnny Depp has had a recent resurgence in popularity, the iconic motorcycle used by the actor in the 1990 film Cry-Baby is going up for auction with a six-figure opening bid. As TMZ first reported, GWS Auctions currently has Depp’s screen-used 1955 Harley Davidson Model K from the film up for auction with a minimum bid of $250,000. Potential buyers will need to place bids in $25,000 increments if they hope to claim the bike.
In Cry-Baby, Depp plays 1950s teen rebel Wade Walker, a gang leader whose “ability to shed a single tear excites all the girls.” When Walker falls in love with the “good girl” and stands up to her vengeful ex-boyfriends, it results in a climactic scene with the motorcycle getting destroyed. Of course, the motorcycle that’s up for auction is not the one that was crashed and burned but another that was used for the majority of filming. The official listing reads:
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
“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 only other was a mock up bike that was crashed and burned at the fight scene at the swim club location, and this was the only one that was fully functional. This motorcycle was acquired at the end of filming by Josh Spring, who worked as Best Boy Electric on the film (credited) and acquired the bike directly from the picture car coordinator Frank Tamburo (credited). The motorcycle comes with two letters of provenance from Spring and a Maryland title in Spring’s name… The bike is in fantastic, screen used condition.”
It’s up to the winner of the auction to decide what to do with the motorcycle, but it doesn’t necessarily need to stay on display, as it should be ready to be driven. The listing notes that the tachymeter has been changed for a speedometer and a chain guard had been added for the bike to be safely used, with all of the other parts present and in good condition. However, the bike has notably been sitting on display in recent years and has not been tested so its running condition cannot be verified. The winner will need to arrange shipping for the motorcycle from its current location in Missouri.
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Johnny Depp Starred in One of His First Major Roles in Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby was one of Johnny Depp’s first starring roles after he’d broken out as a star by appearing in films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Platoon along with the TV series 21 Jump Street. Cry-Baby was not a box office sensation upon its initial release but wound up becoming a cult classic, garnering greater appreciation in subsequent years and even spawning a Broadway adaptation.
John Waters wrote and directed Cry-Baby. The film also starred Amy Locane, Susan Tyrell, Iggy Pop, Ricki Lake, Traci Lords, and Polly Bergen.
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