The
promotion of a film is a key part of how well it performs at the
box-office. Not only was Little Nellie featured in one of the film’s
posters but she also took part in publicity ‘stunts’
to create awareness of the film at the time of its release. When
asked if he was involved in any of the publicity surrounding the
films release Ken answers: “Yes,
though I don’t
seem to get a mention in the credits! In
June 1967 I had to take Little Nellie to New York, as ‘accompanied
baggage’
in the luggage area of a Boeing
707. I then quickly assembled her as the blades and the weapons
had to be taken off and her legs folded for her to fit into the
707. I then demonstrated her at Morristown New Jersey, for Hugh Moran’s
'Today Show' and Johnnie Carson’s
'The Tonight Show' which I had to attend. Little Nellie drew
much media attention. I then attended the premiere of the film in
New York.”
Following
his time in the States, Ken brought Little Nellie back to England
where a request to demonstrate 007’s
flying arsenal meant the realisation of a dream for her creator: “On
return to the UK on the 20th June, I was requested to
fly Little Nellie to Hove, Sussex to land on Brunswick Lawns and
later that day to take off, demonstrate her and then fly Little
Nellie back to Shoreham Airport. This was for a publicity occasion
for the UK film premiere at the Dudley Hotel, Hove.
It
happened that this was an ambition that came true for me. For some
years after World War Two we had lived in a maisonette in
Brunswick Square, Hove. On a
summer’s
evening I would look at the lovely lawns by the beach and think
how nice it would be to land on them and fly from them. That was
before the Autogyro project and, of course, it would have been
completely illegal. However, with Little Nellie that dream did
indeed come true.”
Following
promotional activities in the U.K., Ken was soon off round Europe
with Little Nellie : “I
was then requested to demonstrate Little Nellie at sites all over
the UK and by August a tour of Germany started at Hamburg,
followed by the Baltic Air Rally at Lubeck. It was here that I
was pleased to meet General Adolf Galdand of the Luftwaff, and to
have him pictured sitting in Little Nellie.
Some
40 demonstrations in Germany and Switzerland soon followed often
at sites that were not airfields, by special arrangement,(such as
the Brunswick Lawns at Hove)."
And
after Europe Little Nellie and her father went further still: “In
December 1967 I started a tour of Australia demonstrating Little
Nellie at sites such as shopping centre car parks, to publicise
the premiere of 'You Only Live Twice', at 14 sites.”
In total, Wing Commander Wallis has demonstrated Little Nellie
more than 800 times.
Like
the Aston Martin DB5 before her, Little Nellie was also the subject
of an Airfix construction model, first released in the 1960’s.
As Ken recalls: “The
first Airfix model was produced quite soon after the film was
made. After the Airfix representatives spent some time studying
Little Nellie and the drawings etc. they made quite an accurate
model of a complex little structure. The models gradually became
scarce and very valuable collectors items. Still in the
box, signed versions could be in the £350-£400 scale!”
“Then
in the 1990’s,
I was consulted about a re-release of essentially the same basic
model, but this time providing for the open framed military
version XR-943 to be made instead of Little Nellie. The re-release
was much like the original but it is in a bigger box, with
information on the XR-943 version and illustrations following
further consultation with me.”
Corgi,
also famed for their numerous models of the Aston Martin DB5, have
recently produced models of Little Nellie as part of their Definitive
Collection, Directors Cut, and Plus 2 ranges. This is
something that Ken is quite happy about: “I
was quite pleased to know that Little Nellie was to be produced as
a die-cast model by Corgi. The last public air display that I had
undertaken with Little Nellie had been at Gaydon at the Heritage
Motor museum on 26th and 27th June 1993, at a special Corgi Toys
Collectors Club event.
“It
was sometime after my display that Corgi thought out the Little
Nellie model. However, both the smaller and larger models are
lacking the compression struts to the undercarriage for some
strange reason. I wrote to Corgi concerning this omission but I
received no response. The models are made in China - maybe it is
difficult to get a correction? Anyway, apart from that I am
pleased to see the Corgi models. Examples signed by me have done
much to help the charities that I support.”
