Sparticle
Well-Known Member
Oh
My
God!
I can't even think about that episode! I snuck up late to watch it and couldn't sleep for a week.
The Twilight Zone
- Thread starter Prop Collector
- Start date
Oh
My
God!
I can't even think about that episode! I snuck up late to watch it and couldn't sleep for a week.
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
The first time I saw that one, I was just in awe of the writing. Didn't find it too scary though. It didn't take me long to start wondering if the dolls at the end were made especially for this episode or if they were items that had been available on the market. After reading that most of the actual TZ props had disappeared or been used for other productions until they fell apart, and that William Tuttle had made them specifically for this story, I was very sad, knowing that they've probably been lost to time. I still keep hoping that someone will tell me that I'm wrong and that they've popped up in a museum somewhere, at least.
If you talk to him, ask where/how he came up with the color scheme. An ivory colored devil head just doesn't seem right. I always assumed it was a red head on a blue box.
Agree here. I always assumed these were based on the Coop style mirror danglers back in the fifties. I have a few and they are a deep red. Same sculpt, same rhinestone.
Doc
Slave1
Sr Member
Did anyone else order the Mystic Seer head bobber?
Mine arrived on Saturday, but there was no cushioning plastic around the item. It was just "secured" with a wire twist . . . around THE NECK!
The neck broke, of course, during shipping, which left the base and the head flying around loose in the box. So then the horns both broke off.
By the looks of the neck stump on the base, this is made out of some rather brittle resin to begin with. Add on that no method of securing it within the box, and it is no wonder the vendor had a few returns.
Mine arrived on Saturday, but there was no cushioning plastic around the item. It was just "secured" with a wire twist . . . around THE NECK!
The neck broke, of course, during shipping, which left the base and the head flying around loose in the box. So then the horns both broke off.
By the looks of the neck stump on the base, this is made out of some rather brittle resin to begin with. Add on that no method of securing it within the box, and it is no wonder the vendor had a few returns.
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
Figured I might as well add my questions to an existing thread until I actually have something to show. Has anyone ever found the frames that Burgess Meredith wore in "Time Enough at Last"? I found some that look very close, but not quite as thick. I guess it wouldn't matter, once I broke the lenses.
I'd like to display the glasses with the poetry book the Henry Bemis tried to read to his wife, only to find out that she'd crossed out all over the pages. I don't know how to do screengrabs, but you can see that the book is simply called "A Book of Modern Poetry." I checked eBay, Amazon, Google, etc for anything about this specific title, and haven't found anything. Do you think that it might just be a generic title, printed and stuck on another book?
I'd like to display the glasses with the poetry book the Henry Bemis tried to read to his wife, only to find out that she'd crossed out all over the pages. I don't know how to do screengrabs, but you can see that the book is simply called "A Book of Modern Poetry." I checked eBay, Amazon, Google, etc for anything about this specific title, and haven't found anything. Do you think that it might just be a generic title, printed and stuck on another book?
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
Has anyone ever heard what dummy was used to make Willy, by the way? I hadn't seen the episode before, but the same one was used in "Caesar and Me."
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
I've been browsing through some photos of ventriloquist dummies. Here is a picture of Charlie McCarthy, who seems to be one of the more common dummies that was sold. Any chance Willy could be a modified Charlie?
He would need to have a wig of some kind, eyebrows, and false eyelashes, plus maybe a little bit of paint. To me, the shape of the head and the facial features seem pretty close.
What say you guys
He would need to have a wig of some kind, eyebrows, and false eyelashes, plus maybe a little bit of paint. To me, the shape of the head and the facial features seem pretty close.
What say you guys
defstartrooper
Sr Member
Doesn't look like the same dummy to me.
The same one was in Caesar and Me though yeah, this is Caesar.
I'd like to see someone make the Mardi Gras masks from the episode The Masks, now that was a creepy episode
The same one was in Caesar and Me though yeah, this is Caesar.
I'd like to see someone make the Mardi Gras masks from the episode The Masks, now that was a creepy episode
I agree... to me, the overall shape of the head looks very different.
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
I'd like to see someone make the Mardi Gras masks from the episode The Masks, now that was a creepy episode
They're on my list, but after watching "Dead of Night," I was in the mood to try and track down information on Willy. I wish I could find more info on how he was made.
defstartrooper
Sr Member
Oh cool i'll keep my eye open when you start those, can't really help on the dummy thing other than it doesn't look like it's a generic mass made item, really seems to be a proper ventriloquist dummy, kinda one-off.
I would LOVE a "To Serve Man" book. I have almost seen every episode of the the original eps and can prob make a list of cool items the size of this thread!:lol I don't believe I have seen any out there. I do know a copy sits perched on the way up to the Tower of Terror Ride, but it was not screen accurate.
EDIT: After viewing the prop, this looks way too complicated to make. :lol
EDIT: After viewing the prop, this looks way too complicated to make. :lol
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darth billy
Well-Known Member
Ive been researching willy ever since I started building ventriloquist figures and from what I can tell he was made for the show.Just mouth movement,eye and eyebrow movement.I have a gut feeling the upper lip and winker was a trick of the camera since theirs a jump like on bewitched and I dream of jeanie when those aniamtions where used.
From the looks of willy he doesnt look like he was made by a pro figure maker.I think the prop department made him from from how to instructions from magazines.Back in those days anyone who wanted to make a ventriloquist figure read popular mechanics and the paul winchell book.
I was told by a guy who saw him in person he had a HEAVY make up job because he wasent showing up on camera.
The one thing that drives me nuts is the mouth movent I cant figure out why that bent metal rod is sticking out of the top of his lip ?
Id love to see what his control stick looked like where their levers or pull strings ?
Thats all I know about him but if I find out anything else ill post the info.
Billy
From the looks of willy he doesnt look like he was made by a pro figure maker.I think the prop department made him from from how to instructions from magazines.Back in those days anyone who wanted to make a ventriloquist figure read popular mechanics and the paul winchell book.
I was told by a guy who saw him in person he had a HEAVY make up job because he wasent showing up on camera.
The one thing that drives me nuts is the mouth movent I cant figure out why that bent metal rod is sticking out of the top of his lip ?
Id love to see what his control stick looked like where their levers or pull strings ?
Thats all I know about him but if I find out anything else ill post the info.
Billy
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
darth billy, you build dummies? That is so cool! It sounds like a Willie replica would take a lot of work, but since I joined here, I really have my heart set on a great TZ collection. If you can be of some help with the head, don't you think I could just use the body from another dummy of the same size? If any progress is made, I'm decent at sewing and can make a suit for him. Willie/Casear will probably get pushed back on my list, so I'll be doing research and happy to have whatever advice you can offer. Do you have pictures of your other projects?
Where did this other guy you met see him? What is the Paul Winchell book?
Where did this other guy you met see him? What is the Paul Winchell book?
darth billy
Well-Known Member
Bizarro Lois yep im a figure maker im going into buisness makeing puppets.
Im actully working on a figure in the style of him its still rough but if all goes well it will look very close to him.
I was told about the makeup by a ventriloquist who saw him years ago.
The paul winchell book is a book on learning to be a ventriloquist and has info on makeing a cheap dummy.I dont have it I just know back then alot of people bought it.
Ill be posting pics of my projects this week.
Billy
Im actully working on a figure in the style of him its still rough but if all goes well it will look very close to him.
I was told about the makeup by a ventriloquist who saw him years ago.
The paul winchell book is a book on learning to be a ventriloquist and has info on makeing a cheap dummy.I dont have it I just know back then alot of people bought it.
Ill be posting pics of my projects this week.
Billy
defstartrooper
Sr Member
What a cool thing to do for a living :thumbsup
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
EDIT: After viewing the prop, this looks way too complicated to make. :lol
Wasn't there also one with the alien language printed on the front? It wouldn't be too hard to do that.
Very excited to see this!
Yep, remembered after I posted this.
http://www.towerofterror.org/images/photos/library/library0001.jpg
Someday when I have the time, this would be a fun project. Anyway, sorry to interrupt the Willy discussion!
Bizarro Lois
Sr Member
Don't apologize. When I found this thread, it was a general discussion of potential TZ props. I just seem to have been dominating it with Willie and Talky Tina. :angel
I once took an old notebook and wrote, "To Serve Man" on the spine. I took it to the local antique mall and left it in the Cookbooks section.
