Indiana Jones’s bullwhip goes under the hammer for £70,000
BNPS/ GETTY Indiana Jones's whip has emerged for auction and is tipped to sell for £70,000
The 10ft long bullwhip was wielded by Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg's adventure Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) which starred Sir Sean Connery as Indy’s father Henry Jones. The bullwhip was synonymous with the archaeologist who carried one throughout his adventures in all four Indiana Jones films.
This particular whip was created for various scenes including the rescue at Castle Brunwald where Indiana Jones uses it to swing from electric cables to reach the room holding his father. Under the supervision of stunt co-ordinator Glenn Randall in the inaugural film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Ford learned how to use the bullwhip between takes.
There are few movie weapons or hand held props more recognisable than Indiana Jones' bullwhip Stephen Lane, chief executive of London based Prop Store
By the time they came to film the third instalment, he was considered a whip expert which was a major achievement as he injured his wrist in an earlier career as a carpenter. The bullwhip was made by master whip maker David Morgan who also made whips for Catwoman starring Michelle Pfeiffer and The Mask of Zorro which featured Antonio Banderas.
GETTY The whip was wielded by Harrison Ford in adventure Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
It is constructed from 12-plait, natural tan kangaroo hide with a ball-and-loop detail at the end of the handle. After filming wrapped, the whip became a treasured memento of the crew member responsible for the care of props during filming. He traded it personally with Harrison Ford on the set of the film then had it on display in his house for many years. More recently, it has been in the hands of a British private collector.
Stephen Lane, chief executive of London based Prop Store, who are auctioning off the bullwhip, said: "There are few movie weapons or hand held props more recognizable than Indiana Jones' bullwhip. "Its place in Indiana Jones' hand is synonymous with the character. In fact, the audience for the first film is introduced to him through the whip. "Harrison Ford uses it before we even see his face. "The whip saved the intrepid adventurer from countless close calls and near death encounters.
GETTY
GETTY In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ford learned how to use the bullwhip between takes