Star Trek Prop Authority

[KingJames]

Hi James...
I'm not sure what other forums you are refering to...but as a moderator at the TPZ ( Trek Prop Zone) You will never be insulted like that there.

What legal action are you talking about? Seems a bit harsh.

It is not the TPZ- you have a great forum over there with a lot of useful information. I don't recall topics disappearing at the TPZ when the hard questions are asked (as in this topic). I hope that this informative topic doesn't disappear from this forum.

As far as legal action, I am referring to someone who threatens the moderators with a defamation lawsuit when they feel the subject matter is not flattering to them.

James

 

[Sporak]

Hi again Gerold,
I don't deny that Desilu also made some props...in fact I'm one of the guys that brought up the "clay " or whatever...crushable comms etc.
We're just wanting to examine yours more closely. It's what we do.
We examine pics and new pics to the nth degree
Here on the internet its all we CAN do.

Some of us werent involved with props years ago or they werent available to be had or even seen back then...so for me at least and I suspect many others too it is simply out of curiosity that weask for new and even clearer pics than before

I ask you here about the comm because this is the main prop board which others revolve around...
It is the main prop forum on the internet and we here, you and I are both members.

So again I say..welcome to the RPF and I would love to examine your comm in detail

 

[Apollo]

:lol Best post evah! :lol

There .... are .... 12 .... holes

 

[Sporak]

James...Oh ok
We do our best
Thanks!

 

[Alan Castillo]

'morning all.

Mr. Castillo! .........

Please give us your serious, honest analysis of the screenshot evidence:

OK, since you have been harping on and on to me about this, here is my conclusion then. Minus the serious part, but very honest.

As for the details of how I reached my conclusion, I'm afraid those will remain secret, in the same drawer with the pics of your communicator :thumbsup

 

[gbg1701]

I suspect we will just have to agree to disagree.

 

[Alan Castillo]

I suspect we will just have to agree to disagree.

Oh 'cmon, put that pic back up, it was cool

Here, I'll do it for you

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree with Alan's assessment again.

I count just 5 holes ... :rolleyes

-------------------------------------------------------------------

A sense of humour !

thumbsupthumbsup:thumbsup

Now I'm starting to like you a little

But yes, we will agree to disagree :thumbsup

However, you still need to post pics of your communicator for this thread to mean anything I'm afraid :lol (really :thumbsup)

On that note, have a nice day

 

[gbg1701]

Wasn't sure if it would be appropriate ... no harm intended ...

but here's that correct "hole count" pic again, for you ... only 5 holes ...

Be well.

Gerald

 

[robn1]

No, that's the real one :lol

 

[Alan Castillo]

Wasn't sure if it would be appropriate ... no harm intended ...

Nah, it's all good :thumbsup

 

[robn1]

Fixed it for ya.

 

[gbg1701]

No, that's the real one

:lol

That one I can state with full AUTHORITY is TOS. :lol

By the way, I gave the SITE that name as I wanted it to be thought of as a master archive, or compendium of Star Trek props etc. across all series. So it would be an authoritative place to go for some good reference pics of many screen used items. I was not proclaiming that title for myself -- but I do feel I've accumulated some higher level of prop and costume knowledge over the years and have been fortunate to interact with many highly knowledgeable fellow collectors - some who I consider experts. Find any place on the site where I proclaim myself as any type of ultimate expert ... I don't. I have never even used the word expert on the site to describe myself.

 

[Alan Castillo]

.... and a tad of humility !

:cheers:cheers

More brownie points for Gerald

Now be a genuine member of this forum and post pics of your communicator so we can discuss it in more detail.

By your own words, you have gained alot of insight from us in the last 48 hrs, and a core belief of this forum is sharing knowledge.

That's all people here want to do :thumbsup

 

[YenChih Lin]

Hi again Gerold,
I don't deny that Desilu also made some props...in fact I'm one of the guys that brought up the "clay " or whatever...crushable comms etc.
We're just wanting to examine yours more closely. It's what we do.
We examine pics and new pics to the nth degree
Here on the internet its all we CAN do.

Some of us werent involved with props years ago or they werent available to be had or even seen back then...so for me at least and I suspect many others too it is simply out of curiosity that weask for new and even clearer pics than before

I ask you here about the comm because this is the main prop board which others revolve around...
It is the main prop forum on the internet and we here, you and I are both members.

So again I say..welcome to the RPF and I would love to examine your comm in detail

Sporak buddy, why? Why did you say the clay and extra Comm by Desilu theory? Now it's never gonna get away from the face of the earth… :behave
(yeah, back then there was no better source, so this was most logical assumption)

To prove my point about reflected light making objects appear bigger; look at the bezel ring. It looks very big compared to the size that we know they were. This one looks to be nearly as wide as the antenna. Is your oversized? This is simply a result of the set lighting reflecting off of a shiny surface and the "spreading out" of the light makes the shiny part look bigger.

To further illustrate here are two clips from "The Omega Glory." Notice how big the mid-plate looks in the top photo of this comm (identified at "Theta" at Herocomm.com) but in the bottom photo it looks normal. These two screen caps were just a frame or two apart.

In my world the "Return to Tomorrow" cap is not even close to proving anything. It took me all of 10 mins. to find an example of the same effect in a different episode and I suspect it would be easy to find many others. This is not proof of the existence of Desilu comms.

On another note I did see an interesting green flash from one of the jewels in the "Return to Tomorrow" sequence which could help ID this comm or at least eliminate the possibility of certain comms that have missing jewels at that location.

To close I want to say that I would love to find evidence of Desilu comms however unlikely. I know the TOS series intimately and I am pretty sure there are not screen caps that can forward the theory that they existed. I'm sorry but proof is essential and there is none. You have some interesting theories and I am glad you feel your piece is real; I hope it is. The sad truth is that of the documentation that you have posted about it here and on your site do not prove anything other that it could be a Desilu made prop; if there were such a thing.

I guess you posted the HD version? That's proof I'd like to see! :thumbsup

I'd better stick to the 10+1 prototype theory, I guess HeroComm made also false assumptions. As long as there is no archived document from Desilu, that there has been extras done, it's very very unlikely that addition Comms existed. Then how does the "Return to Tomorrow" come in play? If there are no more Comms made (we are at the 10+1 theory), then either the prototype or one of the 10 Comms must have been prepared to be destroyed. Since 2 were reserved as heros for close-up shots, it would never been used; leaves the 7 Comms.


Let me ask you something Gerald… how likely is for someone to get his hands on one of 10 produced original Comms? Over the years there have been many claiming to have one, but it's also very unlikely that you should be that person owning one. I just doubt that.

 

[gbg1701]

YenChih:

The "crushable" comms refers to these ones made by Desilu seen in the episode "I, Mudd" that the female android robot crushes. You can see in the images that they do not have hard plastic shells like the Wah Chang props. But are very flexible ... I've heard the $1.98 dummy phasers were actually very similar ... made of soft, fragile, plastic that could deform in ones hand without alot of hand pressure. I think there may be two different communicators in the photos below, since one looks like it may have extra gold paint accent across the top (or maybe the gold piece was hardened and fell off). HeroComm did deny these existed and said the Wah Chang pieces were sufficient for stunts and everything ... but eventually modified parts of their website to include mention of these Desilu stunt pieces.

 

[gbg1701]

YenChih:
I'm pretty confident as well that this TOS phaser in my collection (which I obtained from an owner who acquired it in 1974) is authentic - a Jim Rugg piece, so why not the communicator as well, LOL ...

 

[Sporak]

Well..there's this one...

I see Gerold beat me to it

As to your other question...
I know of 5 TOS comms of the 10 in 4 people possession...Greg Jein owns 2 of them...another is on display in Seattle...yet another owns Alpha.
Oh and then there's a certain child actor at the time who still has one.

I have heard of yet another but that owner has not revealed himself yet so I don't count that one yet.

It IS truly amazing that people do own these real screen used props...
But shoot, I too have a couple myself...no not a communicator...but I do have a Tribble from TOS and a few pieces from TNG...Voyager and ST Nemisis.

Not to mention my other various screen used props from other films...

I could go on and on...but my point is...people out there CAN and DO own these real props.

I can't say if Gerolds comm is real or not...I'd love a look at it...
I know that even Greg Jein was fooled by Mark English years ago.

I think I recall that train wheels was a Mark English trick...and that's what Gerold's Jewel bezels look like to me.

He (ME) apparently DID get a hold of some real props...and set out to duplicate them...warts and all...and I also know of a trend among some people to believe that the crappier a thing looks the more authentic it is...a point that I heartily DIS agree with...

What I HAVE seen of these real Star Trek props is just how beautiful they actually look in person.

Sporak buddy, why? Why did you say the clay and extra Comm by Desilu theory? Now it's never gonna get away from the face of the earth…

Let me ask you something Gerald… how likely is for someone to get his hands on one of 10 produced original Comms?

 

[Sporak]

Yes...That's the one we refer to as the Zolar Midgrade.
Bravo on the score

YenChih:
I'm pretty confident as well that this TOS phaser in my collection (which I obtained from an owner who acquired it in 1974) is authentic - a Jim Rugg piece, so why not the communicator as well, LOL ...

 

[jkno]

I've never seen so many shots of Kirk's ass in my entire life... :confused

 

[feek61]

You wrote:
"Hi Will:

Remarkable screen capture find! Very insightful.

But truly, in that image Shatner is pulling the communicator quickly from Captain Tracy's hand and the glare of light is visible and just lasts a split second! The communicator is moving on a curved path as it tilts with the motion of Shatner's hand.

Is that not different than the "Return To Tomorrow" screenshots where the size of the extra thick midplate is maintained on screen over significant motion / change of magnification. And Shatner's body even rotates and there is a zoom in the scene - certainly the comm is viewed at multiple angles and the midplate is still large. It's absolutely not a split second flash of light.
Very good flare observation, though!

Very Best,
Gerald"

I’m glad you brought that up because you are correct; there is indeed motion in that screen cap from “The Omega Glory” (although not that quick). There is also motion in the “Return to Tomorrow” cap as Kirk is continually moving away from the camera throughout the entire scene. I believe the distortion we are seeing on the both the midplate and moiré bezel in the “Return to Tomorrow” screen cap is indicative of the aforementioned light reflection expansion and physical motion which is creating the appearance of a larger mideplate and moiré bezel. Again, does your comm have an oversized moiré bezel? If so that may add credence to your theory of non-Wah comms. If so can you post photos of it? I will ignore the "flare" comment jab as it does nothing to further this finally serious discussioin.

Take Care,
Will


PS - I second the comment; nice score on the Zolar phaser!!!!