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A Tony Cecere-autographed early Palmer-Thing face-splitting mask with a pair of promotional stills from John Carpenter's The Thing. Having destroyed the Norris-Thing, the rest of the team tested their blood, where it was discovered that Palmer's (David Clennon) blood failed the test. Once exposed, the Palmer-Thing transformed and broke free before it was set on fire by R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell). While a different design from the final Palmer-Thing mechanical practical effect head, this mask was used for the exterior burn scene, and believed to have also been used for the interior burn stunt.
Tony Cecere, the stuntman who performed the fire run, possessed the experience and knowledge required for the burn scene and is regarded as a fire run specialist. While the fire was mostly on the body of the performer, and the head itself wasn’t set on fire, but was treated with fire-repellent water-soluble gel before filming, which kept it from being damaged during the shoot, including the hair. After production wrapped, Cecere washed the gel off the mask for preservation purposes.
Upon release, The Thing earned a Saturn Award® nomination for Best Horror Film as well as a prestigious Jupiter Award® nomination for Best International Film. While critically divisive upon release, it is today widely considered a staple title in the horror genre, and has been hugely influential on science-fiction and horror filmmaking over the last five decades. In 2025, The Thing was selected by the Library of Congress for permanent preservation in the National Film Registry for its historic significance to American culture.
This split-face mask originated from the collection of stunt coordinator and stuntman, Tony Cecere, who has kept it in his possession since production wrapped and is coming to auction for the very first time.
Made predominantly of resin with synthetic hair and felted fabric, this detailed mask features Cecere's autograph on the neck in black ink. It comes mounted to a foam head for stability. Also included are a pair of promotional stills of the fire stunt autographed by Cecere with additional scene annotations. Also included is a letter of authenticity from Cecere that details the burn stunt and the mask. This lot shows evidence of cracking and flaked paint in addition to wear consistent with on-set use and handling. Dimensions: 11" x 11" x 11" (28 cm x 28 cm x 28 cm)
Estimate: $75,000 - 150,000
View all lots from THING, THE (1982)
This item comes with a Propstore Certificate of Authenticity.