Kolchak: The Night Stalker - His Gear
- Thread starter klung1
- Start date
drusselmeyer
Master Member
Just how wide are the ribbons used for his hat band?
A retrospective:
Kolchak: The Night Stalker - 50th Anniversary Retrospective
Always was one of my favorite shows. https://youtu.be/i-bIcE0VdbI
megomuseum.com
Kolsplayer
New Member
I think you make a valid point about "backups." This was a low-budget, quickly produced show. Darren McGavin played tennis, and I think the tennis shoes (like the rest of his costume) were his idea, so I suspect he pretty much just wore his own shoes. He may very well have had more than one variation of Stan Smiths. I also agree that the straight-bottomed back patch on Carl's shoes looks more like the Haillet or the H than the Full Stan, but the elephant in the room here is the color of that back patch. If you look at the well-known shot of Carl sitting atop his suitcase at the harbor in the werewolf episode, you can see a bit of a greenish tinge on the back of his right shoe--never noticed that before! However, even with the show's poor lighting (which, as I'm sure you've noticed, often makes it hard to discern the color of props accurately), the back patch in the screen shots you've posted is clearly black, not green. Did they make a Haillet model with black back patches?
drusselmeyer
Master Member
Keds used to have a rectangular patch for their shoes. Good luck finding Ked's for men these days since they currently produce only women's shoes.
Van's might work as a substitute.
Often brand names were obscured for film/TV production and legal purposes. Items would regularly have tape or inkedout marks across labels.
Van's might work as a substitute.
Often brand names were obscured for film/TV production and legal purposes. Items would regularly have tape or inkedout marks across labels.
Kolsplayer
New Member
For those who have trouble finding Stan Smith Adidas shoes in the right size (or at the right price), there are other shoes that, while not an exact match, will work pretty well. I found some on Amazon for about $35. The back patch is not straight-bottomed or green like that of the Haillet or H models, but at least it's blank (no logo). These don't have the vent holes of a Stan Smith, so I added dots with a grey paint pen. With the distance between my feet and your eyes, you'd never suspect they're not holes. Getting a Kolsplay item spot-on is gratifying, but if it comes down to it, I don't let availability or budget limitations stand in my way. I do the best I can, find creative work-arounds, and have fun with it.
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Kolsplayer
New Member
I made one. I also made mock-ups for the salt carton and the matchbox. I found an actual matchbox like his on ebay, but it looked a bit aged for the part. Also, I didn't want to spend about $18 for a matchbox. I agree that these are not practical as pocket props, but they're fun to display on line!About that Zombie Needle Book Pocket Prop
In the Zombie episode, Kolchak uses a kit of items in order to stop the Zombie from further killing.
This focus is on the un-branded, zipper-less, Needle Book which is certainly doable as an DIY project, requiring racetrack oval cut pieces of:
Tannish Leather - qty. 1
Green Felt - qty. 2-3
Leather Sewing Thread - as required
Craft / Sewing Supply shops would have these items.
After experimenting with different size pattern cutouts by looking at Kolchak’s hand holding the needle book, and my un-calibrated eyes…..the length and width of the 1 piece (to fold in half) Leather cover, imo, is approximately
10” x 4.5”. The length of the 2-3 pieces (to fold in half) Green felt is approximately 9” x 4”. Folding the 2-3 felt lengths will give you 4-6 felt pages approximately 4.5” x 4” each. The sizes of the round/curved needles need to fit within the page approximate dimensions. Perhaps getting needles first, helps determine whether it fits within the dimensions I suggested, or the dimensions of the leather cover and felt pieces need to be adjusted to accommodate the true needle sizes.
Round or curved needles are often used in the Upholstery business, again perhaps in craft or sewing supply stores. The overall size of the Needle Book should fit comfortably in one of the Seersucker suit pockets.
Of the Zombie stopping items Kolchak had, imo, the act of sewing the Zombie’s mouth shut (with salt inside) was the most important. Put it this way….you could have put Mothballs in the Zombie’s mouth, but without sewing the mouth shut, it’s still animates. Luckily for Kolchak, he managed to shut the Zombie’s mouth, by hanging him.
I’m not sure, I’ll attempt to make one of these Needle Books myself … Time will tell.
Kindly post pics if anyone here makes one. Think of this, if you will….No sewing machine to sew in the felt pages?? Try hand sewing with the needles that were bought for the book
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As for tracking down approximate “on screen” matches for the yellow/red Plain Salt container, large box of kitchen matches, and candles…….ehhh… not in my focus of Kolchak Pocket Props.
Here’s a YouTube vid on Needle Books….gives you an idea of what a Needle Book is, if it wasn’t known or heard of before.
Needle Book - EASY Sewing Project
Peace
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FANATICO
Sr Member
FANATICO
Sr Member
…..”I made one. I also made mock-ups for the salt carton and the matchbox. I found an actual matchbox like his on ebay, but it looked a bit aged for the part. Also, I didn't want to spend about $18 for a matchbox. I agree that these are not practical as pocket props, but they're fun to display on line”…….
Awesome!!
Yeah, I also seen the matchbox on eBay…..and it was the exact colored one he used….but the price was much higher than $18 if my memory serves me…..I chose not to buy it either……
For the salt shaker tube….all I could come across was the Red Cross yellow and red brand.
I gave up on matchbox, salt and candles part of the voodoo kit.
Btw…..the box art of the automobile came in different colors.
Peace
Awesome!!
Yeah, I also seen the matchbox on eBay…..and it was the exact colored one he used….but the price was much higher than $18 if my memory serves me…..I chose not to buy it either……
For the salt shaker tube….all I could come across was the Red Cross yellow and red brand.
I gave up on matchbox, salt and candles part of the voodoo kit.
Btw…..the box art of the automobile came in different colors.
Peace
FANATICO
Sr Member
As far as I recall the original Haillet only came with the straight back patch in green. It would make sense to do it in green if it was to associate with the color of tennis court playing surfaces from back in the day…..I would assume it was also suede fuzzy to associate with the fuzzyness of tennis balls……imo. I’ve only ever looked for the green back patch. If they ever came in black..it’s News to me….regardless, imo, he wore the green back patch. The green tint you saw pretty much corroborates that for me.
Peace
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FANATICO
Sr Member
FANATICO
Sr Member
Personally, I used a 2” black ribbon and a 1” burgundy reddish ribbon….
Although a 2.5” black and a 1.5” burgundy reddish …”might” have worked
Imo…. you’ll want to leave at least two rows of holes from the top ….visible
The hat picture above was before the hat got re-shaped and blocked to come close to Kolchak’s.
Peace
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Really? A110? Well-known to photographers that the camera used on the show was NOT a Kodak 110.
It was the Rollei 16S!!
A fantastic 16mm made of metal with a really sharp Zeiss Tessar lens. It looked a lot like a 110 camera as the film cassettes were similar. A bit bigger than the Minox 16mm true spy camera, the Rollei 16S was an excellent 16mm pocket camera from the ‘50s and ‘60s.
It was the Rollei 16S!!
A fantastic 16mm made of metal with a really sharp Zeiss Tessar lens. It looked a lot like a 110 camera as the film cassettes were similar. A bit bigger than the Minox 16mm true spy camera, the Rollei 16S was an excellent 16mm pocket camera from the ‘50s and ‘60s.
FANATICO
Sr Member
I’m not sure if your question is directed towards me since you didn’t reference anyone’s avatar name or “reply” to, to direct your question too. If it was me….then this is me below with my Rollei 16 ….personally I never said it was definitely a Kodak A110….that I can recall on this thread. Most of us here know it’s not a Kodak A110….including myself. If you read through the pages of this thread….you’ll see…..the focus is on the Rollei not the Kodak.
Kindly link the post where you read that I said it was definitely a Kodak A110. My memory is bad… but not that bad.
Peace
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drusselmeyer
Master Member
16mm makes sense since it was used in television news commonly.
The 16 and 16s are identical except for one feature, iirc how the door unlocks.
I am really late to this party but have caught the bug. I only watched a few episodes when it was on first run. I was in college and probably not studying but not watching much TV either. Anyhow, it's been fun to read this series of posts and to find out most of this stuff is still out there and not super crazy expensive. Even the pens and watches from the mid '70's are still around on ebay. The electronics are also around and some even work, although most putting together the costume won't care if they don't. Got the Rollei 16S camera (yeah, I know, the 16 would have been better) and both Sony recorders. Now I gotta figure out all that tripod and flash mumbo jumbo.
FANATICO
Sr Member
There’s certainly a lot of research on this thread……lessons learned, so to speak.
Good Luck …..Rome wasn’t built in a day
Peace
I may need some help. Hope I can count on some of the folks here.
