15 replies to this topic

[Simon]

http://www.invaluabl...0d-c-9fb4f92a47

 

First I have heard about this - which may say more about me than the veracity of the above, I admit.

 

Anyway, thoughts?

[Dustin]

Welcome to the club, neither have I heard about this thingy. Possible, I'd say - although in terms of vehicles the film already features an impressive number.*

Could possibly be a prop for the planned end of the PTS with Bond landing on a lake and then waterskiing onwards; that kind of thing would have needed a fast motorboat. But up to now I always read this end was discarded as one step too far. Nor have I ever heard about it supposedly being filmed. Or prepared even.

 

*The Lotus, the water bike Wet Nellie, the armed helicopter, the submarines, the rescue capsule, the armed motorcycle with rocket sidecar. Bet I forgot some...

[Simon]

The underwater sleds...??

 

Also, if true, it is in Hero white, as opposed to Villainous yellow or red.  That said, looks a bit clunky for James to be using.

 

Am sure stuff does get built and not used.  I am reminded there was some reinforced armoured train carriage thing built for Octopussy that never made it into the film.  It was built in plywood, of course.  This from all the magazines I was buying at the time.

 

Anyway, I have asked Invaluable for provenance.  Let's see.

[Dustin]

What baffles me is the claim the scenes didn't make it to the final cut. That would mean they actually shot footage with it. From what I heard about TSWLM it would really only fit to the last part of the pts - which everything I read about leads me to believe was never shot. They were happy enough the parachute opened properly and the Union Flag design looked splendid in the footage. 

 

An alternative would have been to use this instead of the wet bike, also since it looks a bit sturdier for open sea activities than the bike. But the bike was a real vehicle that would sell the following Christmas. While this is a custom made job that only costs the production. 

 

I keep wondering, are they sure it's a TSWLM prop? I think it wouldn't look out of place in TMWTGG - though I have no idea where it would fit in there.  

[Simon]

Not sure anyone is sure.

 

I will pop up whatever Invaluable comes back with.

[Dustin]

Since it was supposedly built in 1975 it seems like an awfully early start to build a prop. Construction of the 007 stage at Pinewood seems to have begun only in March of 1976. If the dates are correct this must have been an absurdly early commission job, long before any final script transpired. The only thing I could think of here would be that one script mentioned such a device and that Eon let it built just in case they could use it.

[Simon]

I doubt anything was happening in '75 to warrant this.

 

All sounds a bit of rubbish really...  Wouldn't be surprised if it all gets retracted.

[Dustin]

Yes, I have a feeling that might easily happen. I won't claim the fanbase by now knows everything that is to know about the films. But a thing like this - which certainly has the look of a 70s Bond vehicle - with actual footage that didn't make it into TSWLM...

Seriously, there is Graham Rye, there are Rubin and Tesche and the James Bond Archives and any number of books on 007's means of transport, a thousand knowledgeable fans, investigative journalists and collectors. Would not one of them, after 40 years, have mentioned this?

Unless there are going to pop up production stills that support the claim I have trouble believing this. All the more since the making of TSWLM apparently was a particularly adventurous production with numerous odds and ends that were related to the press - and thusly to us - before the age of the publicity filter.

[thecasinoroyale]

I have never heard or seen this "prop", in any film or book or documentary about the making of 'TSWLM' or anything regarding it.

 

Total nonsense if you ask me.

[Simon]

And it's not looking any better with the chap's response.  Which makes his 'lot' a hell of a claim for an auction.

 

I have replied saying that Spy went into Pre-Prod around 1976 so it is very unlikely this boat was manufactured For the movie.  I also highlighted the fact he was advertising it as 6 inches in length,,,,

 

All we have is the bill of sale and a manufactures state of origin. We also have pictures of it at the museum and a copy of the flyer when it was original sold at auction. When it was used in the movie we do not have any information on that. 

Thanks Miles 

---Original Message---
From : Firth, Simon (Invaluable)
Sent: Aug 4, 2016, 7:42 AM
To: King, Miles 
Subject: Condition Report: Lot 200D - JAMES BOND MOVIE PROP BOAT "THE SPY WHO LOVED ME"

Hello,

Please can you provide any provenance that this was indeed built for the Bond movie. And if in fact ANY scenes were filmed using it.

Many thanks.

[Dustin]

Yes, picked up on the six inches too.

No, judging by this reply this is not a serious offer. 'Pictures...at the museum...flyer...' - sorry, that doesn't prove anything. A museum can display any kind of stuff, depending on who curates the samples for what purpose. All they are going to put at stake is their reputation. And I'm not sure how much of a loss that can really be. I know of cases where renowned museums bought and sold the weirdest things on flimsy grounds and documentation. For 'weirdest things' read: forgeries.

[Surrie]

Well Miles has been rumbled!

[AMC Hornet]

"Marginal quality from dubious sources..."

[sharpshooter]

Could possibly be a prop for the planned end of the PTS with Bond landing on a lake and then waterskiing onwards; that kind of thing would have needed a fast motorboat.

That's all I can think of, too. I'm inclined to disbelieve these claims.

[Simon]

So this heap of irrelevant flotsam (I feel confident to say this...) sold for $4100.

 

It was estimated rather generously at $10-20,000.

 

I hope it was bought for its uniqueness rather than its Bond connections.

[Dustin]

Can't have been the claimed film connection. Without proper documentation there is no connection to TSWLM - or any other Bond film.