Fri Jun 24, 4:28 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The personal effects of Hollywood legend Marlon Brando -- from his driver's licenses to a fake bloody finger -- go on sale next week in an auction that may provide clues to the life of the private, eccentric actor.

The more than 300 lots in Thursday's auction at Christie's are being sold by Brando's estate and are expected to sell for more than $1 million.

Many of the lots feature scripts, pictures, clothing and other materials from Brando's movies, including 36 pages of Brando's notes on "Mutiny On The Bounty." Also included are a note from "The Godfather" author Mario Puzo appealing to Brando to take the starring role in the movie, a telegram to Marilyn Monroe when she was hospitalized for depression, his old wallets, credit cards and a medical alert tag listing his allergy to penicillin.

Brando biographer Peter Manso called the auction "grossly insensitive."

The actor would be "turning over in his grave" to know that his personal possessions were being put up for sale, the author of "Brando: The Biography" told Reuters.

According to Manso, Brando left instructions that his bedroom be sealed with a padlock after his death, saying, "They will steal the buttons off my shirt."

Other items up for auction include correspondence between Brando and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., "Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola, writer Jack Kerouac, singer Joan Baez and actress-singer Barbra Streisand.

Four Japanese lacquer boxes are filled with jokes and magic tricks, including a fake severed finger. Also up for bid are Brando's garden furniture, books, several wide cotton kimonos and awards he won at summer camp in his youth.

On stage and screen, Brando was known for iconic portrayals of brutish male ego in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and of brooding menace as a Mafia kingpin in "The Godfather."

He lived a lifestyle that intrigued his fans, shunning mainstream Hollywood, advocating environmental and Native American causes and buying an atoll in French Polynesia. When he died in July at the age of 80, Brando left an estate valued at more than $20 million split among nine of his children.

Brando won Oscars for his role in "On the Waterfront" in 1954 and his role in "The Godfather" in 1972.

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I don't think this is right... If what Peter Manso says is correct, Marlon obviously didn't want this to happen, and it just seems so disrespectful because of this.

Anyway, whether good or not, I figured it might be of interest to y'all.

WHY are they selling all of the items

If he requested his room be sealed with a padlock, why would they sell them???? I'm sure they'll make a bundle but shouldn't his request be honored, if it was his request?? Doesn't sound right.


TIS

Exactly what I thought. It's a shame they'd do that just for the money (I'm assuming...why else?), when he asked the exact opposite be done.

Even fans of his know he was a very private person. Obviously we didn't know him personally, but I'm not surprised and believe that he wouldn't like the idea of putting his personal items on public display, let alone sell them. I'm assuming his family gave the ok though.


TIS

Well what I meant was are they selling it to profit or are they selling it to pay off debts?

I suppose that could be it DMC. It's hard for the average person to think of someone having $20 million and being in debt. I don't see that many zeros in my paycheck.


TIS

**oh TIS you're making me bite my tongue on this one**

Oh, I understand. Not sure...

We'll just pretend it's debt so it doesn't look so terrible.

I think I remember having read that he was in debt. I'm not sure though.

But I do remember reading about this auction a couple of months ago, and they were saying they're selling even his Price Club card, for God's sake. And it'd get upwards of $500, something like that. Geez, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Pretty crazy.

If they are going to sell his stuff anyway, it would be great if one of our board members get hold of the correspondence between him and Puzo and FFC. That might be interesting!

They're only sellin these for them money $$$ why else would they bother to sell some person's belongings without profit.

Vito you miss the point. If Brando was in debt then they HAVE to sell his belongings to pay off the debt.

Somebody do it!!

Isn't the auction in NYC???? Get busy guys. I'll take that photo in the link you supplied. The young Brando looking good.



TIS

I noticed that picture, too, TIS. I'd be happy to have that!