Clue the movie props

I'm starting to put together all the black mail evidence. I printed out the photos and am in the process of replicating some the letters that are shown in the pile. I did some research and I believe the tape recorder that is seen in the billiards room is an Ampex 600 or 601. I looked around on eBay and Etsy for the reels and couldn't find any that matched the screenshot. Anyone else have an idea where I could look for the reels online?
 

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Searching "Revox" reel to reel tape will get you some plastic ones that at least have the 6 sprocket style on eBay.
Maybe you could mod them ?
 
Hi all, long time lurker in this thread, first time poster! I've been starting to assemble my own CLUE collection for about a month or so now! So far I've got the knife, rope, pipe (which I might try to weather if I can figure out how in a tiny shared NYC apartment lol), and candlestick.
I'd been really hunting for the candlestick because I super didn't want to pay over $100, and I finally found what looked to be the real thing on eBay in a set of four others for $60. It just got here, and while it does have that distinctive third ring near the center, that ring doesn't appear to have those ridges/indents I'd seen on other pics here. Also the identifying stamps on the base seem to have been messed with. Is this just a cheap knock-off?
 

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Hi all, long time lurker in this thread, first time poster! I've been starting to assemble my own CLUE collection for about a month or so now! So far I've got the knife, rope, pipe (which I might try to weather if I can figure out how in a tiny shared NYC apartment lol), and candlestick.
I'd been really hunting for the candlestick because I super didn't want to pay over $100, and I finally found what looked to be the real thing on eBay in a set of four others for $60. It just got here, and while it does have that distinctive third ring near the center, that ring doesn't appear to have those ridges/indents I'd seen on other pics here. Also the identifying stamps on the base seem to have been messed with. Is this just a cheap knock-off?
It’s possible that it was sanded and buffed to remove any corrosion or unwanted patina. That process could’ve easily removed the detail and some of the stamped marks on the base if the person was aggressive enough.
 
It’s possible that it was sanded and buffed to remove any corrosion or unwanted patina. That process could’ve easily removed the detail and some of the stamped marks on the base if the person was aggressive enough.
Cool, thanks! So you still think it's the real deal and not a knockoff? (It also looks like others on here may have gone with the Prince or Ace of Diamonds stick, as opposed to the Diamond Princess, which could explain the third-ring ridges; it's actually difficult to tell whether or not the Princess has those.)
 
Cool, thanks! So you still think it's the real deal and not a knockoff? (It also looks like others on here may have gone with the Prince or Ace of Diamonds stick, as opposed to the Diamond Princess, which could explain the third-ring ridges; it's actually difficult to tell whether or not the Princess has those.)
Hi, i can confirm the princess does have the ridges, they are there on the two i have. Enjoy the hunt for the rest!
 

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I’ve been wanting to recreate the invitation letters and evidence packet along with the weapons and briefcase. Wadsworth reads his letter which, in part at least, says: “It will be to your advantage to be present on this date, because a Mr. Body will bring to an end a certain long-standing, confidential, and painful financial liability. Sincerely, a friend.”

We also know via dialogue from Ms. Scarlet and Mrs. White that the letters contained the address for the mansion and instructions to not use their real names and to refrain from discussing any personal information.

With that knowledge, I’ve surmised that the letters are formatted like this:


“Dear [Redacted],

On [insert date here], a dinner party will be held at the Hill House estate, right off Route 41 in Massachusetts. You are invited as a guest to this event. Your host asks that you use an alias [insert alias of choice here] for the evening and also kindly asks for you to refrain from discussing any personal information with the other guests.

It will be to your advantage to be present on this date, because a Mr. Body will bring to an end a certain long-standing, confidential, and painful financial liability.

Sincerely, a friend.”

Now comes the tricky part. What date does the party take place on? There are a few clues that point to a few possibilities. When Wadsworth walks into the house, the screen displays that the movie is set in 1954. In this same scene, Wadsworth goes to the kitchen to check up on the cook and she is sharpening her knives and watching the TV. The man speaking on the television is Senator Joseph McCarthy. If you listen closely you can hear him say “...professors and teachers who are getting their orders from Moscow...”. After a quick Google search, I found that McCarthy made this statement in a hearing on June 9th, 1954.

“Problem solved, then” you ask? Not exactly. While the TV is broadcasting real footage from that date, there are other bigger details that lead me to believe the party is actually set later in 1954. The film opens with the guests arriving right as a terrible rain and thunderstorm sets in. Also, there is fog when Plum picks up Scarlet. There is also leaves falling and leaves on the ground when Wadsworth arrives. All signs of it being early fall. The guests’ attire supports this theory, with almost all arriving clad in topcoats, hats, scarves, and gloves. I’ve never lived in New England during the summer, but I don’t think heavy coats and scarves are exactly a part of people’s summer wardrobes in the 1950s, even when the sun has gone down. Also, setting a murder mystery during the fall just seems appropriate to me.

With that said, I think the party takes place on an evening in late September or early October. But if you want an exact date, I think going with the date of the McCarthy hearing is perfectly acceptable as well.
From my research, some places in Massachusetts can get to be as low as 50° during June. Probably colder on a rainy night. I personally have a lot of different jackets and coats of different weights and thicknesses, and I've definitely worn a medium weight overcoat in 45-50° weather many times. The gloves, scarves, and hats are also pretty acceptable for that weather. The only gloves are worn by the ladies, and they're more fashionable cotton or silk gloves. Not really meant to keep your hands warm necessarily. Colonel Mustard's scarf is also a more fashionable silk scarf. Not really too practical for keeping your neck warm. Although Professor Plum does wear a heavier coat with a thicker scarf. I couldn't explain that. The men wearing hats was pretty common in the 50s, and it also makes sense to wear one in the rain since it would help keep your face dry. Hope some of that helps.

Something I did notice is that the letter Mrs. White is holding when she is waiting at the door has probably between 30 to 40 words on it. Only about 4 1/3 lines of text. Maybe if someone has the blu-ray they can give a more accurate number. Realistically it was probably just nonsense or gibberish on the prop though. I think you did a very good job recreating what it would have actually said. I'll definitely use it as reference once I get around to recreating the letters.
 
I can second - having lived in Massachusetts and Vermont I can confirm that the weather is very changeable and temps can dip at any time...I've definitely seen some June nights (especailly early June) in the 50's and even upper 40's when a storm whips up and a Canadian wind swoops in. :) Were it me, I'd go with June.
 
God I wish I found this forum 4 years ago when I started my collection Anyway, I noticed a lot of people are using the Diamond Princess as their candlestick. I do believe it is actually the Diamond Prince though.

When I originally came across the Princess, I thought it looked a little different from the movie, but figured it was due to the camera angle or lense. But later on I realized in the promotional photo of Tim Curry with the weapons on the tray that the candlestick and wrench are close to the same size, which was not true with the candlestick and wrench I had.

I didn't know which one of mine was wrong, so I got a smaller wrench first, since that was the cheaper option. After getting the smaller wrench and comparing it to the larger one, it was immediately clear that the larger wrench was the right one from the start.

So I did more research and found out the Diamond Princess comes from a royal collection of candlesticks, and that there was one called the Diamond Prince which was the same shape but about an inch and a half taller. After finally having both candlesticks in person, I can confidently say that the Prince is 100% the right one. Everything that I thought looked off about the Princess that I dismissed as a product of the camera lense was fixed with this. Specifically the wider rings and the overall vertically stretched look. It is also much closer to the same size as the wrench.

I'm currently still in the process of making a prop gun. I'm using parts from the actual gun but with an aluminum frame, so it won't function at all. I'm also still waiting to find an original dagger for a good price. I'll post pictures once everything is complete
 

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The collection grows, more for fun than accuracy. The dagger is a knockoff, the candlestick is the Princess, the revolver 3d printed...but I love my little collection.

Focused on legit autographs from surviving cast members now (and comparing them to what I believe to be the fake script page framed above). :)
 

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Been a long time since posting. I had all the props for a few years now. I did buy the gun back in 2020, but it is not the nickel plated one. I will fix that soon enough. The rope is cotton, simply because it didn't want to scratch anyone up, while taking photos with it. Everything else is pretty accurate from what I can tell. I did find the suit case, but the interior is the wrong color. Was fun collecting all the bits and doing the research. Now to track down the blackmail items.
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Been a long time since posting. I had all the props for a few years now. I did buy the gun back in 2020, but it is not the nickel plated one. I will fix that soon enough. The rope is cotton, simply because it didn't want to scratch anyone up, while taking photos with it. Everything else is pretty accurate from what I can tell. I did find the suit case, but the interior is the wrong color. Was fun collecting all the bits and doing the research. Now to track down the blackmail items. View attachment 1440860
How much did the suitcase cost you? A lot of the real vintage ones I’ve seen online are pretty expensive.
 
This group is absolutely incredible and I bow down to the outside-the-box research you guys have done.

I need your help...I'm looking for Colonel Mustard's tie. I've searched and searched and can not find anything close...I would appreciate any help or leads... maybe the name of the pattern or maybe a brand. If anyone can help, it's this amazing Clue group! Thanks in advance
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Stumbled upon this thread. It's a great movie (I was insistent on getting the Blu-ray), and I had no idea there was so much fandom for the props! Very, very cool.
 
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