Thursday, December 4, 2014

9 James Bond Gadgets That Can Be Yours for $300,000 or Less


On Friday and Saturday, more than 25 rare collectibles from the James Bond films will be auctioned off in Beverly Hills. Items include autographed photos, scripts, even vehicles from the series.


Bede BD-5J from “Octopussy,” 1983

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This jet was prominently featured in the opening scene of 1983’s “Octopussy,” which depicts Roger Moore, as Agent 007, using it to escape his Cuban captors.Photo: Courtesy of Julian's Auction House
Estimated price: $200,000 to $300,000
The buyer will definitely have to fly solo. This single-seater is listed by Guinness as the world’s lightest airplane, weighing in at just 357 pounds. It’s 12 feet long with a 17-foot wingspan.
“This is a cool item, because it had a significant role in the movie,” Nolan says.
The aircraft was used in the movie’s pre-titles sequence, as Bond (Roger Moore) is trying to evade a heat-seeking missile. He flies the plane through a hangar, turning the craft sideways to just slip through the closing doors as he exits.
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The Bede BD-5J approaches a hanger in 1983’s “Octopussy.”Photo: United Artists
It was built and was previously owned by stunt pilot J.W. “Corkey” Fornof, who inspired the “Octopussy” sequence after he showed the film’s director a Japanese commercial he had made in which he flew a plane through an airplane hangar at 250 miles per hour.
The Bond stunt was accomplished by mounting the plane atop a pole attached to a Jaguar sports car. The plane’s wing hid the pole and objects on the ground shielded the car from the camera’s view. Moore was actually able to sit in the plane as parts of the sequence were shot.
The craft has no engine currently, but Nolan says it can be made to fly again.

“Casino Royale” script, 1967

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A vintage script for the original 1967 James Bond film “Casino Royale”Photo: Courtesy of Julian's Auction House
Estimate price: $400 to $600
Starring David Niven and Peter Sellers, this 007 spoof is outside the official Bond canon — the result of a deal Bond creator Ian Fleming made with a producer in 1955. The filmmakers decided (perhaps foolishly) that instead of making a straight-ahead spy flick, they’d make a comedy parodying Bond — just as “You Only Live Twice” was about to hit.
This “dialogue continuity” script (original owner unknown) comes with a one-page addendum from the studio containing what appears to be added or revised dialogue. Bond’s nephew Jimmy (Woody Allen) surprises his uncle and then cracks, “You can’t shoot me . . . My doctor says I can’t let bullets enter my body at any time.”

Gucci suitcase from “The Man With the Golden Gun,” 1974


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A Gucci brand piece of luggage used by Roger Moore as James Bond in the 1974 film “The Man With the Golden Gun”

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