Movie Props

[dmwg40]

Not sure what section is best for this, I just wondered what percentage of movie props make its way on to the collecting scene and are they tried to be sold as Original or are they that bad it is easy to tell.

Medals, uniforms, weapons etc

[Federico Perez]

Not sure what section is best for this, I just wondered what percentage of movie props make its way on to the collecting scene and are they tried to be sold as Original or are they that bad it is easy to tell.

Medals, uniforms, weapons etc

IF the movie is a success at the box office and critic acclaim like Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers or similar movies, the items by themselves are considered collectables and depending which actor or importance in the history of the movie the item/prop had, the price can be astronomical for a "movie prop" with no historical value in the ''real world" A.K.A. the real relics/historical events.

In todays movie productions the props are usualy cheap rubber/resin examples for weapons/field gear for most of the background extras or cheap medal/awards reproductions to dress up uniforms, they only have to "look good" in camera. unless the item is going to be in a close-up,require working action/ firing or will be a prominent thing to the story, and usualy those high end props end up as a gift from the director/production company to some senior executive of the movie studio or to the lead actor who use it.....but this of course is not always the case.

I for one would love to own the white cap and uniform of "the Captain" in the classic and magnificent movie DAS BOOT....in fact ANY of the uniforms/props of that superb movie BECAUSE they where IN/USED in the movie, but I know that if it ever I have a chance the price tag will be astronomical because of the fame and status of the great movie.

[sscrooge]

I knew these werent genuine para lids but i bought them as they were used in the eagle has landed and a bridge too far, two movies that i loved when i was a kid

[sscrooge]

film clips and cant forget the theme tune to the eagle has landed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_7q9alkcA8

[Federico Perez]

Those two Paratrooper helmets are great....and also of two of my favorite vintage war movies, The Eagle has Landed is the first for me (I have seen it about 80 times!!) followed by A Bridge to Far, also one of the few movies that show that the Allied soldiers where fighting an inteligent,dedicated and well trained and directed enemy...not a bunch of uniformed fools and political fanatics as ALL the German soldiers are portrayed in movies in those times....and even today!!

Those two helmets and the link to those two movies are superb, congratulations!!!

[chrischa]

Very nice helemts.

I seem to remember there was mountain cammo'/white jackets from 'Where Eagles Dare' floating around a couple of years ago for sale.

[bobcam1]

I'd still love to find ANY items from "Combat!", my favorite TV show of all time.....

I understand that the TR uniforms with the "chicken eagle" were available for a while...I'd love to have one of those, or ANY items from the show, American or TR.....

The only props I own from the show, are cartridge casings, that were found in Franklin Canyon, in L.A., where most of the location stuff was shot.

[pzrwest]

At The Front used to have some props from BOB and a few US jackets from SPR. Some of the props were foam rubber gasmask canisters and canteens. But I think they have all been sold off now

[colt45s]

SOLD AN ORIGINAL THAT WAS USED IN MOVIES, took a loss ... they call it a movie prop

[paddywhack]

iv got a spanish li that was in saving private ryan,they banged some fake decals on it and then it was german! but after ryan and braveheart there were TONS of foam props and uniforms going round dublin for about a year!iv got a fake ss grey coat that was supposed to be off the film set again but im not to sure!!!

[AUSGANG]

I bought a genuine WW2 US fleece flight jacket, pants, shoes and helmet from a costume house. They were surplus that the business had bought after the war. I also loaded up with very nice German WW2 uniforms that had been made in the 60's.

[stray_dog]

I wonder how many old movies have been using original stuff... This is an old greek one, filmed during the dictatorship, when real soldiers were filling the scenes and US tanks were being painted German. Although the mistakes are really obvious and the film has no artistic value, you can see that it is actually shot in a fortress of the Metaxas line, most of the greek stuff appears to be wartime and original and as for the german stuff... it must all be original (uniforms look amazingly convincing, but some helmets look weird), except if the Greek-American director brought it from the US. If it IS original, then it is still rotting in army depots I guess...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLsu3IzOCYQ

Regards, Giorgos

[DennyB]

I'd still love to find ANY items from "Combat!", my favorite TV show of all time.....

At one time a few years ago At The Front had purchased from some Hollywood prop house some jackets that were supposed to be from the TV show "Combat" but the ones I looked at were terrible reproductions that looked like grey sport coats converted. Maybe these were just for background people and not for close-ups as some of the ones in the shows didn't look too bad, especially the later ones.
Watching the old re-runs of Combat you can spot a lot of WW1 equipment being used, helmets and water bottles especially. There must have been a ton of WW1 German stuff left around Hollywood because several WW2 movies utilized it. "To Hell And Back" was one that used quite a bit of WW1 gear, I think all of the helmets used there were WW1. Probably leftovers from "Sgt York".
I had always heard that in the 1930 version of "All Quiet on the Western Front" used original equipment and former soldiers as extras since they already knew the drill.

[Dennis J]

I can remember when they had orig. tr and allied items used in plays and movies.I bought many a helmet,dagger and equipment from many a theatrical company in the US and in europe.I had a job one summer where I marked these items with purple ink for a big movie company.A friend of the family who was a big time actress got me the job.

Enjoy your hobby
Dennis J

[pzrwest]

I remember watching an interview with Lou Ayers and he said they actually lived in the trenches and dug outs. And yes they all had fleas and the rats were real, they ate period food. He said it was as close as really being there without the live bullets. Also at the end of the movie he said that the hand that reached for the butterfly was not his but the directors hand. I didn't really care for the remake starring John-Boy Walton, can't remember his real name