10 replies to this topic

[AMC Hornet]

My record of posts speaks for itself - I absolutely adore Live and Let Die, but something just occurred to me, forty years on:

No sooner does RogBond arrives in New York than Tee Hee bends his Walther into a piece of useless junk. So Bond hops the next flight to San Monique, where he checks into his hotel, lays out another PPK and takes a bath, then discovers it missing after Whisper delivers "yo' champagne." The next day, after smoozling Rosie again, he threatens her with yet another PPK.

WTF?

Here's an opportunity for fans to once again fill in the blanks by explaining where this endless supply of Walther ordinance originates - and why it then fails him upon his return to San Monique, forcing him to make do with a nickel-plated .44?

Just for fun - chocks away!

[Dustin]

German war reparations. The Walther Werke Ulm/Donau were forced by the Morgenthau plan to deliver an annual output of 007 million Walther PPK pistols at the doorstep of the Foreign Office. They in turn distributed the weapons over the entire known territories where an SIS operative was ever likely to need one. In Bond's hotel room there were a sum total of 26 loaded Walthers, so Bond needn't have bothered with the aftershave/flamethrower. It's just much more stylish to dispose of the snake in this way. And has the added advantage not to unnecessarily alarm the other guests. 

 

The revolver was a product placement courtesy of Smith & Wesson when they still thought Dirty Harry was going to be 007 in this one. After they learned of the Saint's involvement they turned in a ridiculously high bill that United Artists settled immediately. So the bloody thing was paid for, might as well use it, no?  

[doublenoughtspy]

Every time Roger raises his eyebrow, Q sends him another PPK.

[AMC Hornet]

That's a relief, I was worried about how much Bond's luggage must weigh otherwise.

But seriously - it's doubtful MI6 had a station in San Monique, or that he got his replacement through the CIA (didn't Rosie seemed surprised when Bond produced it while interrogating her?). Perhaps it came with the rental car - no extra charge.

[Dustin]

Could be it just grows on Bond, like fingernails. More useful though.

[AMC Hornet]

I knew when I started this thread that the question didn't bear close scrutiny, but I'm enjoying the responses so far. Keep 'em coming!

 

More likely than fingernails though, perhaps they're excreted through his armpit pores, to drop right into his shoulder holster, likes eggs in a chicken battery? That too doesn't bear much contemplation.

[AMC Hornet]

The James Bond 007 site just posted a picture of Roy Stewart on Facebook today, which reminded me - of course, Quarrel Jr must have had a spare PPK for Bond to use (along with his hairbrush)!

 

Mystery solved.

[Stuart]

I've known guys that'll carry two or three of the same gun at any given time.  I'd imagine that Bond might have had a spare or two (or three??) in his luggage.

 

I'd like to see him try going through JFK now with anything more dangerous than a fountain pen.  I suppose that's what the diplomatic passport is for, after all.

[Grard Bond]

Mabey he got it from Quarrel, who he already contacted before, cause Quarrel was waiting for him with a boat in the harbour. Something like that?

[MajorB]

I always assumed the marina was where he first contacted Quarrel, after having signaled him the night before using the telegraphic hairbrush. (One of the silliest Bond props ever, IMO.) So I doubt the gun came from Quarrel. We don't know how quickly Bond got on the plane to San Monique, so there may have been time for the CIA or the local MI6 station to get him a replacement or two.

 

And I've always been baffled by the missing gun in the hotel scene. Assuming Whisper stole it, why? So Bond wouldn't shoot the snake with it?

 

It's fun to try to puzzle out these logistics, but I do think ultimately we have to shrug off the ones that don't make sense. (For example, the chain of events in CR after the airport scene--how Bond got from Miami back to the Bahamas in a helicopter with Villiers, with clean clothes and his gun--involves an awful lot of complex racing around, far as I can work it out.)

[JimmyBond]

Perhaps less humorous, but still interesting, is that the Producers were actively trying to distance Moore from Connery in his Freshmen outing. Yes he still has a PPK in several scenes, but as pointed out he loses it a few times and actually uses a Magnum for the final assault sequence.