As many are aware, one of the marquee pieces in the next Profiles in History auction is the hero pistol used by Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard in the Ridley Scott classic, Blade Runner. Profiles in History sent me some incredible photos to share with readers of the Original Prop Blog.
1981
Below are photos taken of the pistol the day it was delivered to the production circa 1981:
2009
Below are photos taken of the pistol in preparation for the auction:
Below is a direct comparison – As It Was and As It Is Today:
Below is the catalog description for the piece for the Hollywood Auction 36 sale event:
LOT #876
Harrison Ford “Rick Deckard” hero blaster from Blade Runner(Warner Bros., 1982) Arguably one of the single most important weapons in Science Fiction history is the hero firing blaster used by Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) to “retire” replicants in Ridley Scott’s timeless Sci-Fi classic Blade Runner. While few rubber stunt guns have surfaced in the collector’s market over the years, this particular Hero-blaster has been thought to have been lost for decades. Purchased by Hollywood Marketing specialist Jeff Walker, in a sale by the film’s production company after filming had wrapped, this iconic piece has been in Walker’s private collection for over 25 years. It was briefly displayed at a convention around the time of Blade Runner’s 25th Anniversary and immediately caused a frenzy among Sci Fi fans, who had never thought to ever see the “holy grail” of Sci-Fi weapons in person.
Only one hero firing weapon was made for the production which was created by mating a Steyr-Mannlicher Model .222 SL receiver on to a Charter Arms .44 police bulldog double-action revolver. It features custom amber grips, dual triggers, and futuristic illuminating LEDs (four red and two green) that can be activated by a small switch mounted beneath the barrel.
Besides its cult-classic status and tremendous re-release success on its 25th Anniversary, Blade Runner is a leading example of the neo-noir genre and is regarded by its director as one of his most complete and personal films. It has been selected by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant”. It is also ranked by the American Film Institute and Time Magazine as one of the “100 All-TIME best movies” and the popular British movie magazine Empire voted it the “Best Science Fiction Film Ever” in 2007. This blaster is most likely the most representative artifact for this important contribution to cinematic history.
$100000 – $150000
A few related publicity stills and artwork (click each for high resolution):
In my opinion, this is one of the most important pieces that Profiles has offered for sale.
More information about this sale can be found at www.ProfilesInHistory.com.
Jason De Bord