‘Titanic’ wood panel that saved Rose, not Jack, in movie sells for $700K

Titanic 'door' sells for more than $700,000 at auction

The wood panel is "often mistakenly referred to as a door" by fans of the 1997 movie "Titanic." (Credit: Heritage Auctions via Storyful)

An iconic wood panel, generally thought of as a door, from the 1997 movie "Titanic," has sold for more than half a million dollars at an auction.

According to Heritage Auctions, the piece of wood that saved Rose – but controversially, not Jack – was "the king" of the auction, selling for $718,750.

The wood panel is "often mistakenly referred to as a door" by movie fans, Heritage Auctions said in a press release. "The ornate structure was in reality part of the door frame just above the first-class lounge entrance" on director James Cameron’s reconstruction of the ship that sank in 1912, the auction house said.

New full-scale Titanic images

Research scientists have mapped the Titanic in its entirety as part of the largest underwater 3D capture project ever.

The prop has caused much debate from fans, many of whom have argued that the floating wood panel could have supported both Jack and Rose – making his fateful decision to stay in the frigid water an empty gesture. Cameron later engaged in a scientific study to prove that this plot point was more than just a convenient narrative device.

The five-day auction event included a trove of Hollywood items, among them the whip from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," and Bill Murray’s red-rose bowling ball from "Kingpin."

The movie "Titanic", written and directed by James Cameron. Seen here from left, Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack and Kate Winslet as Rose after the Titanic has sunk. (Credit: CBS via Getty Images)

The auction’s top "Titanic" movie items include the ship’s helm wheel, which steered into a final price of $200,000, Rose’s chiffon dress soaked by the rising waters which realized $118,750, and a large brass engine order telegraph, which called up a final price of $81,250.