A bowler hat worn by Bond villain Oddjob has been valued at £30,000 on ‘Antiques Roadshow’.
The headgear was worn by Oddjob in the 1964 film ‘Goldfinger’ and doubled up as a head-slicing weapon for the henchman, played by Harold Sakata, who would famously throw it to decapitate his enemies.
The current owner of the hat told the BBC One TV show that it was given to his brother-in-law – a driver for Aston Martin when the cars featured in the movie, which starred Sir Sean Connery as the suave spy.
Pinewood Studios, where ‘Goldfinger’ was shot, gave him the hat as a keepsake – minus its steel rim.
The owner admitted that he would often copy Oddjob and throw the hat, leading to it suffering wear and tear over the years.
He said: "As a young lad, everybody wanted to throw the Oddjob hat.
"And, if you look at it, everybody did throw the hat because it’s absolutely in pieces.
"Because it didn’t have the steel in it anymore, whenever it landed it was damaged."
Oddjob’s hat was part of a collection of 007 memorabilia brought to the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ when the programme was filmed at the National Botanic Garden of Wales last summer.
Antiques expert Marc Allum said that the hat had left him "shaking with excitement".
It was recently reported that the latest Bond flick, ‘No Time To Die’, could be delayed until next year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The movie has already had its release shifted from April to November as a result of the global health crisis and 007 chiefs feel it will be safer to release it next year, as it is unclear both how and when cinemas will be able to reopen following the pandemic.
A source said: "If it has to wait till next year so be it. There are hundreds of millions of dollars involved here. Release it when audiences feel safe to return. But it’s a nerve-racking call."
Oddjob’s bowler hat valued at £30,000
