CHRISTIE'S: JAMES BOND WALTHER AIR GUN

Although Christie's was disappointed that the Darth Vader costume from Empire Strikes Back failed to sell recently, the auction house realized a higher price than was anticipated for what arguably is the most iconic gun in movie history: James Bond's Walther air pistol. Before you stop in confusion, Spy Viber's actually know this piece very well- even if not by name- as the gun used in all of the promotional images for From Russia With Love (1963) starring Sean Connery. How many spy fans have struck that classic pose: one hand tucked under an elbow with pistol (or pistol-fingers) aloft? Christie's sold the original piece in a very lovely Walther gun case on November 25th for $437,501 (estimated value was $23,730-$31,640). Bond really is bigger than ever!



From Christie's: "The original vendor, who was commissioned to shoot the images required for the publicity campaign for the second Bond film From Russia With Love, explains in his accompanying letter that ...it was decided that for the main image in the poster and advertising campaign what was required was a strong portrait of Sean Connery as Bond 007, with his Walther pistol... He explains further that when Connery arrived at his studio for the shoot, it was discovered by publicist Tom Carlile that no one had brought the gun needed for the shoot, the synonymous small Walther automatic [Walther PPK]. By chance the photographer practiced air pistol target shooting as a hobby and had the gun he used for this purpose, also a Walther, at the studio..." For more information about this historic prop, visit Christie's here.

Spy Vibe brief on the fashion of silencers and iconic clips here.