8 replies to this topic

[Doctor Shatterhand]

Has anyone else been disappointed with the James Bond Boat Show this year? Perhaps many younger fans were impressed with seeing Blofeld's Bath-O-Sub or the speedboat from TWINE. But to me, the show seemed as exciting as watching Rosa Klebb shave her legs.

Most of the boats have been in previous shows such as 1993's spectacular Auto Show which featured twice as many vehicles, real memorabilia and a chance to meet Richard 'Jaws' Kiel.

But to me the biggest let down was this year's diplayed memorabilia -

Electrified wristwatch from The World Is Not Enough
Wrist dart gun from Moonraker (reproduction)
SPECTRE ring from Thunderball (reproduction)
Rocket cigarette from You Only Live Twice (reproduction)
Throwing star from You Only Live Twice
Dr. No photograph from Dr. No
James Bond cell phone from Tomorrow Never Dies
Odd Job death hat from Goldfinger (reproduction)
Brief case from From Russia With Love (reproduction)
Zorin check book from A View To A Kill

Five items were reproductions and not the originals. One is a photograph!!!

Personally I think the Ian Fleming Foundation could have done better in showing their impressive fleet. Where was the Lotus from TSWLM or the Wet Bike? How about the LALD speedboat they salvaged eight years ago?

And why do we have to see reproductions (Oddjob's hat)? I certainly could have enjoyed seeing those from the comfort of my computer screen by linking to Ebay. At the 1993 Auto Show, they had three glass cases filled with rare memorabilia - none which were reproductions.

I'm probably alone in this critique, but the IFF and the public relations team, Himmelrich, could have offered a better show.

On a scale from 1 - 10 (10 being the highest) I give this show a mediocre 4.

[Neil S. Bulk]

I'm going this Sunday to the Atlantic City Boat Show. I'll let you know what I think.

Neil

[TheSaint]

Not all of us have seen all these vehicles. I had seen the Bathosub & Q-boat before but, not the other 3. NY has had a dearth of Bond events since the 1995 Goldeneye con so, I welcome exhibits like this.

[mccartney007]

That doesn't sound too exciting at all, Shatterhand. I imagine that the other items in the IFF colletion were on loan elsewhere.

[Doctor Shatterhand]

That doesn't sound too exciting at all, Shatterhand.  I imagine that the other items in the IFF colletion were on loan elsewhere.

Perhaps, but where? Most of the original props is owned by Eon Productions and locked away in a vault. The memorabilia I witness in 1993 at the Washington, DC Auto Show were not reproductions, and the collection was larger and more interesting to look at.

As for the boats, the Moonraker boat did not have the hang glider. How hard would it be to acquire an old red hang glider and attach it to the roof?

As I said before, younger fans may get a kick out of the show if they have not seen anything like this before. As for me, to travel a good distance to see this show, I would have liked to have seen more than poor reproductions. I mean really, do you think I would be excited to see a photograph of Dr. No when I have originals in my own collection?

[ACE]

I think, if one has seen things before, it is always difficult to recapture the magic.

After attending the 2 day JBIFC Convention in Pinewood, September 1990, NOTHING can compete.

However, I still get a thrill about seeing Bond memorabilia. Most people are not massive Bond fans so they are not as picky as some of us. The question would be did most of the attendees get excited by the Bond exhibit. My guess is, they probably would.

Some IFF stuff is at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, UK:
http://www.beaulieu....base2.cfm?ID=20

I have seen the IFF exhibits here and they are very impressive.

A seasoned Bond fan is always difficult to please.

The question one needs to ask is: would the general public like the exhibit. From what you've described, I think they probably would.

And exhibits like these keep the good work of the IFF going...

[doublenoughtspy]

There are plenty of issues involved. One is insurance. The other is transport. Another is theft (someone stole a piece off the Moonraker boat when it got to NY).

While I agree that SD Studios reproductions don't excite me - think about it from a financial point of view.

Do you really think that the boat show organizers would give more money to the IFF for "real" props than they would for reproductions? I doubt it.

I've got a museum quality James Bond collection - but I've heard so many horror stories about what happens at these exhbitions - that I would really have to have ironclad insurance, guarantees and my own hands to make sure nothing happened to anything that got exhibited.

I for one am very grateful for the work Doug and the IFF do. As you point out, usually the vehicles go into an EON vault or to Cars of the Stars (where you can't take pictures).

[Doctor Shatterhand]

There are plenty of issues involved.  One is insurance.  The other is transport.  Another is theft (someone stole a piece off the Moonraker boat when it got to NY).

What piece got stolen?

While I agree that SD Studios reproductions don't excite me - think about it from a financial point of view.  Do you really think that the boat show organizers would give more money to the IFF for "real" props than they would for reproductions?  I doubt it.

You're probably right.  The PR firm, Himmelrich, had me advertise the event on my website in exchange for free tickets.  Naturally I complied, but was never given the tickets.  So that may be one of the reasons why Himmelrich cannot offer us a better show because they are cheap.

I've got a museum quality James Bond collection - but I've heard so many horror stories about what happens at these exhbitions - that I would really have to have ironclad insurance, guarantees and my own hands to make sure nothing happened to anything that got exhibited.

You may want to get in touch with Bob Burns in LA.  The king of all movie props and displays.  He has many props from the original George Pal TIME MACHINE to the original KING KONG armature.  His contracts always state that there is a security guard on the premises.

I for one am very grateful for the work Doug and the IFF do.  As you point out, usually the vehicles go into an EON vault or to Cars of the Stars (where you can't take pictures).

Don't take me wrong.  The 1993 Auto Show was fantastic.  I know from other fans that the IFF has a larger collection that could have been shown.  IMO - I just feel that this show should have been better.  I just cannot get over the idea that Himmelrich advertised a photograph of Dr. No.

[TheSaint]

Funny you should mention the photo-it's pretty cool, when you think about it. It's the photo of Strangways & Quarrel posing with a fish they caught that Bond spies when he checks out Strangways' home/office. I don't know if it is the ACTUAL photo used in Dr.No or a copy but, I've never seen that particular photo anywhere else, except in that film.

Oh, and the torpedo was the item that was missing from the Moonraker boat.