By johncox on 2004-04-02
What is said to be one of the original Avro Vulcan Bomber plane models from the film THUNDERBALL has been listed for sale on the popular online auction site eBay. The starting bid is $1,500.00 with an unknown reserve.
To view the auction in progress click HERE.
The 7 day auction ends on April 8, 2004 at 20:43:33 PST. The seller has included the following photo and information:
“Offering for bid is 1 of 2 movie props believed to have been used in the making of the film “Thunderball”. It is a reduced scale model of the Avro Vulcan Bomber that was ditched off the coast of Nassau Bahamas. The model stands approximately 6.5 feet tall and has a wingspan of nearly 7 feet. It is constructed in fiberglass and is highly detailed. There are guidewire holes in several locations of the model which were used to suspend the prop from an overhead skate. To better understand how this prop was used, view the special edition DVD of the movie with voice over commentary by special effects genius John Stears. He explains in great detail how they filmed the sequence. This model is 40 years old and it shows it…there are a number of battlescars on the model which were most likely inflicted during test shots of the splashdown sequence. As in most films, the propmasters create not one , but a number of props to guard against damaging the only one. I acquired this prop from a longterm resident of Nassau, Bahamas, who got it from the son of a local engineer who worked on the film in 1965…as the story goes, this engineer became fast friends with the likes of legendary cameraman Lamar Boren as well as other associates on the set. He received the prop as a gesture of gratitude and it has been sitting in a garage ever since. It is truely amazing that it has survived all of these years. It has been quite an adventure investigating the prop for authenticity…most of the people associated with the making of the film have passed away and it is next to impossible to locate any paperwork to verify their use. However, I have made contact with a well known special effects icon who worked on the film that verified the existence of such a prop….at this time, I am not at liberty to divulge his name until I have his written consent….I am still working this one detail out. Personally, there is no doubt in my mind that this prop was used in the production of the film “Thunderball”…I do not claim that this is the actual prop used in the final film sequence of the movie because of minor differences in the camo paint but, nonetheless, it is a very rare piece of cinematic history. Good luck on this one of a kind collectible.”
Thanks to J.J. for the tip.
To discuss this auction visit this thread in the CBn Forums.