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SHORT TAKES : Toy Monkey Makes Top Banana

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<i> From Times wire services</i>

There seems to be a good market for TV and movie memorabilia. A toy monkey carried by James Dean in the jail scene of the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause” was expected to bring in no more than $1,500 at the Christie’s auction Wednesday in New York, but it ended up going for $6,800.

An umbrella used by Burgess Meredith’s Penguin villain on the “Batman” television show fetched $8,500, and several other items from the show, such as Commissioner Gordon’s red telephone, Catwoman’s lighter and a Gotham city phone book, also were sold. Such memorabilia is “becoming more and more popular,” said Christie’s spokeswoman Beth Goldberg. “People in their 20s, 30s and 40s grew up on entertainment. This is really a piece of their culture.”

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