| Look out Blofeld... The movie theatre trailer for Diamonds are Forever |
The top lot was a valuable poster for the classic James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever (1971, Eon/United Artists), starring Sean Connery.
The original hand-painted concept artwork by Robert E McGinnis for the poster campaign was signed by the artist. It was expected to do well, carrying a £18,000-24,000 listing, but it easily tripled the top of that range to sell for £79,250 ($129,970) to an American collector.
Not only was this a world record price for any item of James Bond film poster memorabilia, it was also a world record price for a concept artwork at auction, according to Christie's.
Of course Bond memorabilia is valuable in general. Collectors are often interested in collecting all the autographs or a piece of memorabilia from all of the Bond actors, (Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan and Craig) or all the films.
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Whilst the Bond poster was the biggest hit, the other two world records were all the more remarkable as bidders disregarded the prices listed completely.
It was once more a US collector who picked up a single sheet poster for the 1942 celebrated classic Casablanca which had been cautiously listed at just £5,000-7,000 but finally fell for £30,000 ($49,020).
Likewise, a six-sheet, roadshow, poster for the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia starring Peter O'Toole multiplied its £3,000-5,000 estimate to bring £18,750 ($30,638).
Even that was not the end of the records, as Christie's Specialist Rachel Reilly explained:
"We are delighted with the results of the sale," she enthused, "particularly the world record price achieved for the original concept artwork for Diamonds Are Forever, which sold for £79,250.
"It was a busy sale with many bids taken in the auction room and on the telephones, but the majority of vintage film posters were sold online, including the two top lots. 61% of lots were bought or directly underbid via Christie's LIVE.
"The sale achieved world record prices for a number of film posters, including Breakfast at Tiffany's (lot 70) which sold for £12,500, and The Sting (lot 188) which sold for £8,750.
"The sale featured over 30 original James Bond film posters dating from 1962 through to 1985. Offered by various owners the James Bond section totalled £131,546, proving the enduring appeal and popularity of the famous and iconic British secret agent."
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