"No, the red kind..."
---Captain Norman Nash (Red Grant)
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From Russia With Love
THE SD STUDIOS BRIEFCASE
I dare say that, for most collectors, the SD Studios replica of the briefcase in From Russia With Love is their holy grail. The plaque in mine states it is Number 63 of 100. Some question whether 100 were actually produced and sold; others say the number was higher. In any event, this collectible rarely comes up for sale on the open market.
The briefcase was part of a line of high-quality and complex replica props produced by the company. The original purchaser received a package of documentation on the operation of the various tools on the briefcase, as well as a transmittal letter to Bond from Q. The briefcase had all of the gadgetry shown in the film. There are two tubes on the "foot" portion of the case which can hold the proper ammunition for the AR-7 rifle, as well as 20 (not 50) 'gold sovereigns' attached to leather straps, hidden inside the case wall, as part of the keepers for the lid. There was a talc tin magnetically attached to the upper wall of the case, which fortunately does not explode in a burst of tear gas. In my case shown above, I have chosen to replace the talc tin that was original to the briefcase with a far-superior model produced by TheSpyBoys.com. The latch buttons turn as demonstrated in the movie, and last but not least there are two dagger-style knives that will pop out of the case sides when the triggering buttons are pressed. The faithfulness of this working replica to the item seen in the movie accounts for its high desirability factor. I also have the original set of instructions and other materials which were supplied with the replica when originally sold.
I have accessorized my briefcase with a few other replica items seen in From Russia With Love. The AR-7 rifle readily fits inside the case, and uses .22-long ammunition for which the two ammunition tubes are properly sized. Also enclosed is the 'bug detector' and case, which Bond used to discover that the phone in his hotel room in Istanbul was bugged. And Bond carried a British Passport in the name of Mr. David Somerset, his cover identity on this mission.
The briefcase was part of a line of high-quality and complex replica props produced by the company. The original purchaser received a package of documentation on the operation of the various tools on the briefcase, as well as a transmittal letter to Bond from Q. The briefcase had all of the gadgetry shown in the film. There are two tubes on the "foot" portion of the case which can hold the proper ammunition for the AR-7 rifle, as well as 20 (not 50) 'gold sovereigns' attached to leather straps, hidden inside the case wall, as part of the keepers for the lid. There was a talc tin magnetically attached to the upper wall of the case, which fortunately does not explode in a burst of tear gas. In my case shown above, I have chosen to replace the talc tin that was original to the briefcase with a far-superior model produced by TheSpyBoys.com. The latch buttons turn as demonstrated in the movie, and last but not least there are two dagger-style knives that will pop out of the case sides when the triggering buttons are pressed. The faithfulness of this working replica to the item seen in the movie accounts for its high desirability factor. I also have the original set of instructions and other materials which were supplied with the replica when originally sold.
I have accessorized my briefcase with a few other replica items seen in From Russia With Love. The AR-7 rifle readily fits inside the case, and uses .22-long ammunition for which the two ammunition tubes are properly sized. Also enclosed is the 'bug detector' and case, which Bond used to discover that the phone in his hotel room in Istanbul was bugged. And Bond carried a British Passport in the name of Mr. David Somerset, his cover identity on this mission.
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The AR-7 rifle was made by the Armalite Company (the 'AR' stands for Armalite, not assault rifle as some think) and is still readily available for sale in the US, though finding the screen-accurate stock color is difficult. Mine shown here is close to the correct stock color, but it has little bits of gold flake which are not on the model used in the movie. The rifle is far from the "folding sniper's rifle" described in the film. Rather, it is a camper's rifle which can be disassembled for easy transport. It is not a very powerful weapon, shooting .22-caliber long ammunition with a reputation for jamming. The rifle barrel is not designed for, nor capable of attaching, a real 'silencer' (noise suppressor), and a night-vision scope (or scope of any kind) does not readily attach.
Above is the fully-assembled rifle, along with a non-working prop suppressor attached to the end of the barrel. The same rifle was used by Kerim Bay in From Russia With Love and Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger. The 'folded' rifle was also located in the glove box of the Aston Martin driven by George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
The telephone bug detector
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British Passport for Mr. David Somerset
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THE MULTIPLE TOYS ATTACHÉ CASE
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Nearly every young boy in America wanted the 007 attaché case toy from Multiple Toys for Christmas 1965. There were plenty of copycats out there (including ones for the U.N.C.L.E. TV show's fans) but they were all inferior to this one. This toy had a luger which could be assembled into a rifle, a knife which could be pulled from the outside of the case, and could shoot a bullet from the case just by pressing a button! If the case latches were not in the proper position, a cap would detonate upon opening the case. Inside were money, business cards with a color decoder, and a code book for writing coded messages using a 007 pencil. The briefcase was stocked with several plastic bullets.
My collectible shown above is complete, and the blue foam packaging is intact. The toy is in near-pristine condition, and has the original writing paper and the unused 007 pencil. It has been several years since I tried, but at that time the gun would still shoot the plastic bullets. The case is not warped and has all of the original stickers attached. Both hinges are still attached and working properly. The original instruction booklet is enclosed in the box. The box shows very little fading; there is some wear on the corners but it has no tears. It is an outstanding example of this iconic toy.
My collectible shown above is complete, and the blue foam packaging is intact. The toy is in near-pristine condition, and has the original writing paper and the unused 007 pencil. It has been several years since I tried, but at that time the gun would still shoot the plastic bullets. The case is not warped and has all of the original stickers attached. Both hinges are still attached and working properly. The original instruction booklet is enclosed in the box. The box shows very little fading; there is some wear on the corners but it has no tears. It is an outstanding example of this iconic toy.
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Above is a copy of an 8-page humorous promotional catalog for the Multiple Products Attaché Case. Mine is an original from 1965. Be sure to read it - I don't think you'll find children's toys promoted in this way today!
THE AMERICAN CLASSIC TOYS ATTACHÉ CASE
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In 2021, American Classic Toys (a company related to Multiple Toys) released an EON-licensed, numbered special edition remake of the classic 1965 Multiple Toys FRWL attaché case. Although it contains many of the same pieces as were in the 1965 original (you will recognize the message coding device, code book, passport, international currency, and business cards), it does vary in many significant aspects, not the least of which is the substitution of the old James Bond Secret Agent Movie Camera for the gun. The case is very similar in look, feel, and fragility to the original. While not a substitute for owning the 1965 original, it is a nice piece on its own and well worth collecting. I have number 1084, but my Certificate does not disclose the total number produced.
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This flat throwing knife is an exact replica of one of the two knifes that came with the attaché case from 'Q'. This knife is made out of heavier material than the SD Studios' version, and comes with excellent packaging. The picture at left is courtesy of Ed Maggiani at The Spy Boys, and the knife is available for purchase through his website, TheSpyBoys.com.
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A recreation of the picture of Tatiana Romanov upon which Bond wrote 'From Russia With Love' as he was leaving Moneypenny's office to begin his assignment in Istanbul, Turkey.
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Although it has never made an appearance in one of the Bond films, the Walther LP53 air pistol has quite an association with the franchise. The long-barreled gun makes its first appearance in conjunction with advertising for From Russia With Love. At a photo shoot with Connery, no one had thought to provide a Walther PPK for the shots, so the photographer gave Connery his Walther LP53 to use in its place. The rest, as they say, is history. The LP53 was used heavily in the advertising campaigns for 3 of the 5 remaining Connery outings as Agent 007, and some later Bond films.
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A reproduction of the garroting watch used to kill 'James Bond' in the pre-title sequence. On this particular interpretation of the prop, fishing line is used instead of a wire, and it is on a spring recoil to automatically retract.
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In Fleming's novel From Russia With Love, written in 1956, we are told that James Bond likes to have his coffee made in a Chemex coffeemaker. At the right is the Chemex coffeemaker, looking more like chemistry lab glassware. There is nothing mechanical to the process - just insert a filter with fresh-ground beans into the neck, and pour hot water over the ground beans.
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In Fleming's novel From Russia With Love we read that James Bond’s favorite meal of the day is breakfast and that it always remains the same; after two large cups of two cups of coffee brewed in a Chemex coffee maker he eats a boiled egg followed by whole wheat toast with Jersey butter and Tiptree “Little Scarlet” strawberry jam.
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This is a complete set of eight British FOH (Front of House) Cards, circa 1963, for From Russia With Love. The absence of pin-holes, tape marks, etc. suggests these particular FOH Cards have been unused. There is some slight fading but overall they are in very good condition.
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A miniature toy briefcase
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Tania's map of the Russian Embassy, and her compact in which it was hidden.
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Finger cymbals as used by the belly dancer in the Gypsy camp
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Replica drink coaster from the chess match,
by Factory Entertainment. |
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