Mar 29, 2007, 11:30 GMT
An auction of Marlon Brando's hair has been called off over suspicions it could be fake.
Dallas' Heritage Auction Galleries have cancelled the sale of three envelopes said to contain strands of the late actor's hair after questioning the authenticity of the seller.
The seller claimed to have acquired the locks from Brando's personal assistant Alice Marchak, but she has denied this.
Marchak - who worked closely with Brando for 50 years - told E! Online: "I never took any hair of Marlon's from his hair brush or anything. When he had a haircut at the house, the maid wrapped it up and threw it away."
Doug Norwine, Heritage's director of music and entertainment memorabilia, said: "The only ethical thing to do was to take that hair out of the auction.
"Integrity is our biggest value. If there's one iota of doubt, I want to pull it."
Heritage had planned to sell the first two envelopes - one containing two strands and the other four - in an online auction on Thursday (29.03.07).
The third lot - containing "several" strands - was due to go under the hammer in a live floor and online session on April 21.
Heritage had estimated the first two lots would sell for $175 and the second for $250.
Brandon - who starred in classic gangster film 'The Godfather' - died in 2004, aged 80.
(C) BANG Media International
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