Bits of Bond we'd love to see again
Last updated on: October 21, 2012 20:08 IST
Image: Sean Connery in Dr No
Raja Sen in Mumbai
This year marks 50 years of James Bond -- from Dr No to this year's Skyfall.
As a lifelong 007-worshipper, here's my list of 10 things I'd love to see displayed in a James Bond exhibition:
Sean Connery's suits from Dr No
The first ever Bond film saw Connery wearing immaculately tailored suits, each made by master tailor Anthony Sinclair, of Savile Row. So well were these suits cut for the actor that he never wore a belt with them, so as not to break the top-to-bottom flow of the suit. Neckties from Turnbull & Asser completed Bond's timeless look.
Oddjob's bowler hat from Goldfinger
Image: Oddjob's bowler hat from Goldfinger
Played unforgettably by Harold Sakata, Goldfinger's right hand man Oddjob wore a deceptively plain bowler hat that had a sharpened steel rim on the inside.
Decapitating foes by hurling the hat like a discus, Oddjob could even take a stone statue's head off.
Rosa Klebb's shoes from From Russia With Love
Image: Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love. Inset: Knife flipped shoes
Played by Lotte Lenya in arguably the best Bond film of them all, Rosa Klebb was a SPECTRE double agent with the most lethal pair of shoes.
A poison tipped knife flipped out of Klebb's shoe nearly got the better of Bond before his girl Tatiana shot Klebb.
Honey Ryder's bikini from Dr No
Image: Ursula Andress in Dr No
Julie Christie was the original choice for the iconic part of the first ever Bondgirl, but rejected because she wasn't voluptuous enough.
Enter the Swiss-German Ursula Andress, emerging from the sea in a white bikini -- one of cinema's most memorable visuals.
The Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me
Image: The Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me
The franchise was at its most outlandish with Roger Moore as Bond, and things went certifiably crazy when James drove his Esprit into the sea in TSWLM -- only for the car to turn into a submarine, and one capable of killing people.
Madness, yes, but what a moment.
The Golden Gun from The Man With The Golden Gun
Image: Christopher Lee with the golden from The Man With The Golden Gun
Christopher Lee played famed hitman Francesco Scaramanga, who fired bullets from the titular golden gun.
Referred to as one of the most intricate props in the Bond series, the golden weapon was made by interlocking a fountain pen (that worked as the barrel), a cigarette case (handle), a cigarette lighter (the bullet chamber) and cuff link (trigger), with the golden bullet secured in Scaramanga's belt buckle.
The attache case from From Russia With Love
Image: The attache case from From Russia With Love
Packing in a sniper rifle, 40 rounds of ammunition, a flat throwing knife and a tear-gas grenade (disguised as a bottle of talcum powder) this case was said to be standard equipment from Q branch.
It saved 007's life several times in the film, and, for good measure, also carried 50 gold sovereigns.
The Aston Martin from Goldfinger
Image: Sean Connery with the Aston Martin from Goldfinger
Perhaps the most iconic of all Bond vehicles was the Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger.
A fantastically styled automobile fitted with many a gadget -- smoke-screen, revolving license plates, oil-slick-dispenser, ejector seat, bulletproof shield -- this is every 007 fan's dream vehicle.
And one can never forget the Ben-Hur style wheel spikes it showed off in the film.
The Jet Pack from Thunderball
Image: Sean Connery with the Jet Pack from Thunderball
It might not be considered cutting-edge anymore, but this jetpack allowed James, who had just murdered the vile Colonel Jacques Bouvear, to make quite a getaway, going from a chateau to his waiting Aston Martin (a twin of the Goldfinger car) in grand style.
It's all a bit silly, but Connery pulls it off with characteristic panache.
The Q-Branch Keyring in The Living Daylights
Image: The Q-Branch Keyring in The Living Daylights
A seemingly innocuous key ring, Q packed this little thing with many a lifesaving feature. By whistling the first few bars of Rule Britannia, it would emit a cloud of stun gas, disorienting people for 30 seconds. Plus, there's a lock pick which can open 90 percent of the world's locks.
And finally, when Bond whistles his own tune, the keyring explodes.
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