JAMES BOND
NEWS

Many significant James Bond props and costumes are to be auctioned in London by PROPSTORE as part of their Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction from 14-17 November 2024. A four-day live-streamed event will sell iconic film and TV memorabilia including props and costumes from the James Bond films 1962-2021 (and a few non-film related items).

Listed below are some of the more significant James Bond related items, many of which have never been offered in auction before.

DAY 1 - November 14, 2024

Lot #219 - “Little Nellie” Cockpit Nacelle You Only Live Twice (1967)

The “Little Nellie” cockpit nacelle from You Only Live Twice (1967). James Bond (Sean Connery) flew the autogyro dubbed "Little Nellie" to locate Blofeld's (Donald Pleasence) hidden volcano base. During the flight scenes, the autogyro was piloted by Wing Commander Ken Wallis. He swapped seats with Sean Connery straight after the earlier take off sequence featuring Q (Desmond Llewelyn). Production designer Ken Adam had heard Wallis being interviewed about autogyros on the radio one morning, and thought an autogyro would be a great fit for a Bond film.

The autogyro which became “Little Nellie” was already in existence before the production, but it was fitted with weaponry by Adam, Wallis and special effects artist John Stears. Only one autogyro was used for all of the outdoor filming and this is the actual cockpit nacelle from that vehicle. After the production Wallis flew the autogyro for numerous TV shows, public appearances, promotional work and air shows until 1986, when the vehicle crashed during an airshow in Northern Ireland (video footage of the incident is available online). The nacelle was damaged and was subsequently switched over for safety reasons. It is decorated with stickers from events Wallis attended, and he has autographed the nacelle on the left side, with the inscription “This is the original “Little Nellie” cockpit, as flown by me. Ken Wallis 007!”

This is the original filming nacelle damaged on that day. Pieces of “Little Nellie” are not known to ever go into auction, making this an incredibly rare opportunity to own part of Bond's most distinctive vehicle. The nacelle is made primarily of fibreglass and damage from the crash is evident all over, including holes and cracks. A support structure has been added to the nacelle since the production to help keep its shape. It is displayed on a custom-made stand and is also accompanied by a copy of the certificate of transfer between Wallis and the consignor. Dimensions: 154cm X 56cm X 63cm (60.75" X 22" X 24.75")

Estimate: £75,000 - £150,000

Lot #220 - “Little Nellie” Heat-seeking Missile You Only Live Twice (1967)

When James Bond found himself in an aerial battle against Blofeld's henchmen, he used “Little Nellie's” heat-seeking missiles to take down an enemy helicopter. This lot originated from the collection of “Little Nellie's” stunt pilot, Wing Commander Ken Wallis.

The missile was created for the production's battle sequences, which were filmed in Sierra Nevada, Spain (doubling for Japan). The flight sequences were filmed in Japan, however, for the actual battles and firing of missiles, Spain had to be used. The rocket motor and other pyrotechnics have been removed, and the missile has been made safe. Dimensions: 119.5cm X 19cm X 19cm (47" X 7.5" X 7.5")

Estimate: £10,000 - £20,000

Lot #221 - Pair of “Little Nellie” Side Missiles You Only Live Twice (1967)

The missiles were created for the production's battle sequences, which were filmed in Sierra Nevada, Spain (doubling for Japan). The flight sequences were filmed in Japan, however, for the actual battles and firing of missiles, Spain had to be used. Each of “Little Nellie's” missile drums held seven missiles, and due to the large recoil when launching the missiles, they all had to be fired at once.

One missile still has the original electronics attached to the back end and both are still housed in their original dense cardboard protectors. One of the missiles has a handwritten message from Ken Wallis explaining its history. Dimensions (each): 27cm X 4.5 cm X 4.5cm (10.5" X 1.75" X 1.75")

Estimate: £4,000 - £8,000

Lot #222 - “Little Nellie” Heat-seeking Warhead You Only Live Twice (1967)

The warhead was created for the production's battle sequences, which were filmed in Sierra Nevada, Spain (doubling for Japan). The flight sequences were filmed in Japan, however, for the actual battles and firing of missiles, Spain had to be used. The production pyrotechnics have been removed and the missile has been made safe.

Wallis has autographed one side of the missile, with the inscription, “Gary, a ‘heat-seeking missile’ used on the autogyro “Little Nellie” in You Only Live Twice in Japan & Spain, 1966. Best wishes from Ken Wallis, designer & pilot of “Little Nellie” Wallace”. Nellie Wallace was a music hall star who inspired the autogyro's name. Dimensions: 36cm X 7.5cm X 7.5cm (14.25" X 3" X 3")

Estimate: £3,000 - £6,000

Lot #223 - “Little Nellie” Grenade Parachute You Only Live Twice (1967)

Such was their use on the production that it is remarkable that this lot has survived. This parachute is one of only two known to have survived the production, with the other currently on display in the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum. The silk parachute has been inscribed by Little Nellie's stunt pilot, Wing Commander Ken Wallis, with “A grenade parachute from “Little Nellie”. Ken Wallis 007!” It has some staining and creasing from production and storage.

Estimate: £2,000 - £4,000

Lot #225 - Syd Cain Hand-drawn Blofeld Coat of Arms Artwork On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

A Syd Cain hand-drawn design for the Blofeld coat of arms from the production of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). Blofeld (Telly Savalas) was determined to prove his royal lineage and that he should be titled Count Balthazar de Bleuchamp, so Bond (George Lazenby) went undercover as genealogist Sir Hilary Bray to get close to the villain at his Alpine retreat.

Eminent art director and production designer Cain worked on four other James Bond films: Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963), Live And Let Die (1973), and GoldenEye (1995) as well as Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972). This unique piece was hand-drawn and coloured by Cain, who has produced many storyboards for Bond productions but rarely worked in colour, as he has here. Cain has signed the design twice in pencil. Dimensions: 40.5cm X 30.5cm (16" X 12")

Estimate: £5,000 - £10,000

Lot #226 - Hand-painted Robert McGinnis Poster Art Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Poster campaign artwork hand-painted by renowned artist Robert McGinnis for the promotion of Diamonds are Forever (1971). McGinnis' classic art featured in many promotional materials for the film, and he worked on several other Bond projects, including Thunderball (1965), Casino Royale (1967), You Only Live Twice (1967), Live And Let Die (1973) and The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), also producing artwork for other classic films, such as Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and Barbarella (1968).

This hand-painted piece features Bond (Sean Connery) standing, weapon drawn, between two women. When McGinnis first painted the image, Bond was the same height as the two women. When he sent it to the film's marketing department, they insisted Bond should be taller than the women, as he is the main character. With no time to start again, United Artists Marketing Executive Donald Smolen carefully cut Bond out and moved him up, with the cuts still evident on the painting. The artwork is rendered in oil and gouache, and mounted on acid-free card. It has had previous water and mould damage at the centre and more noticeably at the bottom. A section of the bottom of the artwork has also been trimmed. Dimensions: 80cm X 60cm (31.5" X 23.5")

Estimate: £150,000 - £300,000

Lot #227 - Blofeld's (Charles Gray) Lair Missile Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Blofeld's (Charles Gray) lair missile from Diamonds Are Forever (1971). A missile was seen in Blofeld's lair during two key scenes. The first was when James Bond (Sean Connery) broke into the lair to find the SPECTRE head with his double; the second saw Bond returning to the lair with billionaire Willard Whyte (Jimmy Dean) to try and disable Blofeld's satellite laser, which had already destroyed nuclear weapon installations in China, the US and the Soviet Union. Bond was drawn to the missile in both scenes, picking it up in the latter, and being warned by Blofeld, “That missile is not a practical weapon” in the former.

The missile is made from machined aluminium, which at the time of the production was considered a high-quality metal. Dimensions: 105.5cm X 20cm X 20cm (41.5" X 7.75" X 7.75")

Estimate: £5,000 - £10,000

James Bond's (Roger Moore) Rio De Janeiro shirt from Moonraker (1979). Bond wore a brown shirt under a white suit when he arrived in Rio De Janeiro to further investigate Hugo Drax's (Michael Lonsdale) operation. The shirt is made from cotton and has a “Frank Foster Shirtmaker & Hosier London” label inside its collar. Foster was Moore's tailor of choice.

Estimate: £3,000 - £6,000

Lot #230 - Drax Henchman Blaster with Marine Spacesuit Gloves & Cap Moonraker (1979)

A Drax henchman blaster with a pair of Marine spacesuit gloves and a cap from Moonraker (1979). Drax's (Michael Lonsdale) henchmen wielded blasters onboard the villain's space station, which was raided by US Marines wearing spacesuits.

The blaster is made of resin, and has a futuristic acrylic emitter nozzle fixed into the muzzle. Different versions of this blaster are seen in the movie. For example, James Bond (Roger Moore) was held at gunpoint by Drax's henchmen, who wielded a version of the blaster without the acrylic nozzle. Meanwhile, Drax himself and Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) are seen with versions that feature the nozzle, as well as additional greebles and silver-coloured bands. The spacesuit gloves are made of faux leather painted faux silver to represent synthetic material. Each glove has a resin cuff and a red cotton interior. The cap is also made of faux leather with a woollen inner lining that features a “Jean Barthet” label, indicating it has been converted from a hat by the prominent milliner.

The left glove exhibits some minor staining on the knuckle area. Dimensions (blaster): 30cm X 15cm X 5.5cm (11.75"  6"  2.25")

Estimate: £3,000 - £6,000

Lot #231 - James Bond (Roger Moore) Miniature Figure For Your Eyes Only (1981)

A James Bond (Roger Moore) miniature figure from the production of For Your Eyes Only (1981). While climbing the rocky precipice on which St. Cyril's monastery was located, Bond dispatched Kristatos' (Julian Glover) henchman, Apostis (Jack Klaff).

This miniature was designed for this sequence by visual effects supervisor Derek Meddings and his team. Miniatures were used for the wide shots of Bond scaling the precipice, while live-action shots were used for the close-ups. The miniature has a foam torso wrapped in blue plastic tape. The arms and head are made of resin, with the former covered in cotton sleeves, while the legs are made of wood. The arms and legs remain poseable. Dimensions: 16cm X 6cm X 2.25 cm (6.25" X 2.25" X 1")

Estimate: £5,000 - £10,000

Lot #233 - James Bond's (Pierce Brosnan) Stunt Walther PPK Pistol and Suppressor GoldenEye (1995)

James Bond's (Pierce Brosnan) stunt Walther PPK pistol and suppressor from Goldeneye (1995). The Walther PPK was one of Bond's primary weapons throughout the film, and the pistol is synonymous with the character.

This resin pistol was used during the production as a holstered stunt weapon, glued into the holster of Bond's combat vest during the pre-credits sequence. It was also one of two stunt pistols provided by the costume department for Brosnan to use in a photoshoot with photographer Terry O'Neill at Leavesden Film Studios. It can be identified by a lack of detail on the hammer where the lanyard loop is blanked, with flatter grips, magazine finger spur, and cone-shaped magazine release button.

The Goldeneye stunt pistols were refurbished for Brosnan to use as holster stuffers in the next Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). The suppressor included in this lot was incorrectly paired with this particular stunt pistol for the photoshoot, as evidenced by the tooling holes either side of the central bore being at the "10" and "4" positions, rather than the correct "9" and "3" positions. Interestingly, the tooling holes do line up to the correct "9" and "3" positions on the stunt PPK used by Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp. Dimensions (pistol with silencer): 26cm X 11.5cm X 3cm (10.25" X 4.5" X 1.25")

Estimate: £5,000 - £10,000

James Bond's (Pierce Brosnan) gilet from GoldenEye (1995). Bond wore a gilet during the film's final sequence, in which he and Natalya (Izabella Scorupco) travelled to Cuba in search of Goldeneye programmer Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming).

This tan gilet is made from cotton with a nylon inner lining, and features pink threaded trim and a metal zip down the centre of the torso. One edge of the top pocket located on the right side of the chest has detached from the main body of the gilet.

Estimate: £4,000 - £8,000

Lot #235 - James Bond's Blank-Firing Hero Walther P99 Pistol The World Is Not Enough (1999)

James Bond's (Pierce Brosnan) blank-firing hero Walther P99 pistol from The World Is Not Enough (1999). Bond used his P99 throughout the film, and wielded a decoy version in the opening scene, which was revealed to be a stun grenade.

This is a real, deactivated semi-automatic 9mm pistol made of steel with a glass fibre-reinforced polymer frame. Its trigger and slide are still functioning, and a button on the bottom of the trigger guard allows the empty magazine to be extracted and reloaded. The gun's serial number is 011047.

The accompanying display stand comprises a wooden interior covered in several plastic panels that have been expertly painted silver. The lot also includes a letter of authenticity from the original provider to the film, Bapty Limited, and a deactivation certificate issued by Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House. Dimensions 18.5cm X 3cm X 14 cm (7.25" X 1.25" X 5.5")

Estimate: £7,500 - £15,000

A full-size Q-Boat driven by James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) in the opening scenes of The World Is Not Enough (1999). This jet boat was used in the high-speed chase along London's River Thames, regarded as one of the best chase sequences in the series. Designed by Q division, the highly manoeuvrable, computer-controlled boat was a sophisticated, powerful and well-armoured vessel, which featured GPS navigation and a full array of torpedoes and machine guns.

Initially conceived by production designer Peter Lamont, 15 Q Boat shells were constructed for filming by Riddle Marine of Idaho, USA. The shells were shipped to the UK and detailed in the workshops of Pinewood Studios. This and three of the other boats were functioning and operational, powered by enormous 5.7L V8 engines. The rest were designed for specific purposes, including the barrel roll, underwater filming, and SFX cannon shots. Only nine of the boats remain today, and can usually only be found in museums and touring exhibitions.

This particular Q Boat was specifically constructed for use in the pre-title sequence. The original filming canopy was removed after filming, but everything that remains is true to the production, including the driver's green racing seat, steering wheel, basic instrumentation, and watertight Chevy engine. The current owner has made several repairs and restorations, including (but not limited to) a new fuel filter, a new high-pressure fuel pump, a new battery and new spark plugs. A complete list of repairs and replacements can be found in the online description. Dimensions: 5m X 1.6m X 1.6m (16' 4" X 5' 2" X 5' 2")

Estimate: £15,000 - £30,000

Continue to view more James Bond lots from DAY 1 & 3 of the Auction

PROPSTORE Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction 14th - 17th November 2024 - Full Catalogue

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