Ohhh, those beautiful tunics

[Mroch66]

I know that a thread about a movie may not seam so appropriate, but has anyone else seen the DVD/Movie called "Riding Giants". (it's a documentary about surfing in California in the 50's.

Well, the movie showed some period films of surfers "raiding" a GI's closet and wearing some of his war booty as a gag while surfing. In one shot, there someone wearing a RAD tunic, another wearing a Werhmacht Officers tunic, and finally (the one that hurts the most) what appears to be a high ranking Leibstandarte Officers Tunic, complete with Officers Visor Cap.

I'm sure at the time, these surfers thought what they were doing was quite funny and made their home movie unique, but ohhhh how much it hurt watching them literally destroy these items. Especially the SS tunic, what a beauty.

I think I was the only one in the theater that day actually crying !!!

http://www.sonyclassics.com/ridinggiants/

[kennethc]

Probably those are movie repro. By 50's the value awareness on German's militaria collectible was much higher than right after the war. The higher value perception in 3reich collectible is not build up over the night or over the last ten -twenty years.

[Arran]

I haven't seen this film, so I can't say, but it would be easy to tell by viewing it-Hollywood "Nazi" uniforms of this era are very easy to spot because of their lack of accuracy and exaggerated insignia. Wardrobe departments were often using original garments, however, right into the sixties, and I've gotten both original Imperial and Third Reich uniforms from Paramount within the last fifteen years.

Regards,
Arran.

[Mroch66]

Those were great replies, and thanks. Being somewhat new to collecting (more than 5 years, but less than 10) I'm not sure just where I would rank myself as far as a collector.

BUT, if either of you two gentleman do get a chance to rent that movie, I'd really love to know your thoughts about what I saw.

If they were real "war booty" uniforms, they were beauties.

[Rich Moran]

Since I live in Hawaii, and surfing is central to life here, I went to see the movie too.

What you saw was a home shot movie inserted into the production of Riding Giants, and yes, the tunic that was used was an original in my opinion, taken from the persons fathers closet who was the central figure in that scene. They were riding in a sewer line as I recall it, and did this with pride due to the fact that Nazis were hated so.

The tunic was a black issue, with the armband with the 2 black horizontal ribbons just inside the red boarder. A very elegant tunic that was not quite ruined I'd say, but more likely stunk from the water it was exposed to. You could tell by looking in the quick take that the tunic was not a Hollywood made item, nothing was oversized such as the comic insignia commonly seen from flms made in the late 50's and early 60's.

As an opinion only I state this, so if anyone sayds too short of time, you can't tell etc, to each their own, to me it looked right. One point not to forget is the fact that during this time, the Iron Cross symbol became a California icon that was used by many in the hot rod craze that was being fueled by the likes of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. The Iron Cross was a "cool" symbol that was in big use, just as it is today with the TV biker-builder star Jesse James of West Coast Choppers. So to be "cool", lets wear some of this stuff and it will be neat to do.

I would think the kid wearing it got a butt whoopin for sure from his father.

[Chris Boonzaier]

The father... Prince Charles?