Prop Replicas you didn't know you had (sometimes until too late)

[CB2001]

I have been wondering about this when it comes to other RPFers. I will go ahead and tell a bit of a story here about a prop replica I didn't know I had until years later.

When I was about 10 years old, my parents got me this nice radio. Being ten years old, I was stupid when it came to keeping everything in good condition. Anyways, this radio eventually fell apart on me after mistreatment for two years.

Last year, I picked up the "Psycho" 3-Pack, which all three sequels to "Psycho" were together in one case. I watched "Psycho IV: The Beginning" and recognized the radio that Norman was listening to as being the same brand, make and model of radio I had when I was younger. If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have treated it better (if anyone wants to know what the radio I am talking about looks like, let me know and I'll post a screen cap of it).

So, here's the question I wanted to ask: Have you ever had an item, with another copy of it was used in a film, and you didn't realize you had it? And if so, and if you've lost it, did you realize you had it after you had lost it (be it by actually misplacing it, it being thrown away, etc.)?

 

[deathscythe]

I was watching the first Spider Man the other day, and realized that the bag used to take all the cash by the thug is the same Klein bag I got when I joined the electrical apprenticeship.

- I've still got it though, so I'm not sure if this really counts.

 

[CB2001]

I was watching the first Spider Man the other day, and realized that the bag used to take all the cash by the thug is the same Klein bag I got when I joined the electrical apprenticeship.

- I've still got it though, so I'm not sure if this really counts.

Nice! And yes, this counts as a part of the post (as this applies to not just props you lost, but those you still have too).

 

[darthgordon]

(if anyone wants to know what the radio I am talking about looks like, let me know and I'll post a screen cap of it).

Of course I want to see a screencap.

 

[CB2001]

Of course I want to see a screencap.

LOL. I knew someone would wonder about it. Here's the screencap from the movie of the radio, same model and make I used to have:

The funny thing is that in the movie, Norman turns the radio on and off using the knob on the far left. The two knobs on the left were the Bass and Treble. To turn the actual radio on, there was a switch you slide left and right to select your option (you can actually spot it in the picture in between the knob and the first button for the tape player). If you wanted to listen to the radio, you had to slide it to where the notch was under radio. To listen to tape, you'd slide it to where it was listed for tape. To turn it off, you'd have to slide it all the way to the left.

When it began to fall apart, the first thing that broke was the tape deck, the plastic piece in the front that held the tape as it played.

I can't believe I still remember the controls after so many years.

 

[franz bolo]

I had the Nike shoes that Kyle Reese wore in Terminator. They were black with the silver velcro strap.

I threw them away in 1991 because they didn't fit anymore.

FB

 

[CB2001]

I had the Nike shoes that Kyle Reese wore in Terminator. They were black with the silver velcro strap.

I threw them away in 1991 because they didn't fit anymore.

FB

Nice shoes. Shame you had to throw them away.

 

[Bear]

Back when I was in the army, I had a boot knife that I ended up losing on an exercise. When pics of the Colonial Marines gear came out, I discovered that it was the exact same one that was used in Aliens as the Marine knife (damn!):cry

 

[Serenity]

A knife I own is apparently the same model carried by James Bond in Quantum of Solace. (I didn't even know he carried a knife until someone pointed it out on another forum, and then I found it was the same one.)

 

[Oni Warlord]

I had a special bottle that had two tubes. The outer tube held water and the inter tube held powder (like fake juices). It didn't work all that well, but it look cool and futuristic. Years later I was watching an episode of Star Trek Voyager and I noticed they made a "containment canister" prop out of it. All they did was add lights to the inter tube to make it glow. I guess whatever works, right? :lol

This thing.

 

[Lightning]

The clock that throws the switch that activates all of Doc Browns gadgets at the beginning of Back to the Future is actually a GE X-ray timer. My grandfather has one just like it.

 

[TheStig]

Somewhere in the jungle that is my parent's attic is the exact kind of car seat that Gypsy from MST3K is made out of, one day I'm going to go there and find it.

 

[Howard]

The brass alarm clock from Indy's room at the palace in Temple of Doom.
I bought mine from a store called Boots back in the 80s, it used to wake me up at stupid O'clock when I worked for Royal Mail. God knows what happened to it.

 

[CB2001]

Wow, those are all cool items. Sorry to those who lost the props they listed, and cool beans to those to still have them. I wonder what else will show up in this particular topic.

 

[PHArchivist]

Film is a visual medium of story-telling. More clear to see him hit the knobs than slide the switch.

Incidentally, I too recently ran through the films in that same pack. Not great, but not bad. I viewed IV sort of as "Sleepless in Seattle meets Psycho". I found myself wanting the flashbacks to be more linear, or properly chronological. IN fact, I could have done just fine without the whole radio call-in angle, just indulging in Norman's past.

LOL. I knew someone would wonder about it. Here's the screencap from the movie of the radio, same model and make I used to have:

The funny thing is that in the movie, Norman turns the radio on and off using the knob on the far left. The two knobs on the left were the Bass and Treble. To turn the actual radio on, there was a switch you slide left and right to select your option (you can actually spot it in the picture in between the knob and the first button for the tape player). If you wanted to listen to the radio, you had to slide it to where the notch was under radio. To listen to tape, you'd slide it to where it was listed for tape. To turn it off, you'd have to slide it all the way to the left.

When it began to fall apart, the first thing that broke was the tape deck, the plastic piece in the front that held the tape as it played.

I can't believe I still remember the controls after so many years.

 

[PHArchivist]

By the way, isn't there a thread out there on "everyday items" used as props?

 

[punisher]

what kind of knife was it that Bond used in QoC?

 

[Betamin]

Watching "Smallville" a season or two back, Lex pulls a silver and black cordless phone from the inside lid of a briefcase and I realized it was the same Vtech phone that I have 2 of right now. If I get new phones, I'll hang on to them. If I could get pics of the case it was in, it would be cool to make that and have the phone in it.

 

[Szyntax]

Back when I was in the army, I had a boot knife that I ended up losing on an exercise. When pics of the Colonial Marines gear came out, I discovered that it was the exact same one that was used in Aliens as the Marine knife (damn!):cry

I've got that Gerber too.

 

[thegreatgalling]

This has been a fun thread to read, thanks CB. I am sure there are a ton of examples, I just can't think of any at the moment.

Although not 100% relevant, it reminded me of "prop replica brain." I am sure some of you have experienced this (and bare with me, its hard to explain): its when working on a particular item, in the process of piecing it together, and ALL you can see when you go ANYWHERE is potential parts to that particular prop! Walking down the grocery aisle and (to use a metaphor) it seems things start becoming three dimensional, or a spotlight is shining on that item?

Weird, but also fun and exciting!