Original Golden Idol from Raiders here...

I got to see Raiders on the big screen recently (17 Nov '11) and the glass eyes was something I noticed for the first time! Seeing classics like this on the big screen is so awesome, you pick out details you`ve never noticed before!

Hearing the applause at the end of the film is a testament to its quality as a motion picture!
 
As some might know, I am a bit of an Idol nut! This has always been my favourite prop, and trying to find out as much information about the Screen Used props and all the replicas out there has always really interested me and kept me busy researching!!

Upon closer inspection I believe the following photos of idols, to be the same idol!!!

I know there has been much debate about the glass eyes etc. But if you look at the damaged areas I have marked on the photos, they match up perfectly. It was mentioned that the Prop Store Idol did have signs of plating over the glass eyes. So I believe this is why when the idol was in good condition during the filming, this idols eyes were plated over and had the painted pupils. Don't ask my why they did this though....

Anyway below are the photos for you to take a look at. I had to zoom them up real close to get a better look. If you count roughly 12 hair lines up from the left ear (left looking straight on at the idol), up to the first bit of damage, you will notice it is 12 hair lines both on the Prop Store Idol and the photo of the plated idols! Also the damage across the top of the head seems to match up!

93681996.jpg


50303879.jpg


17865453.jpg


83588872.jpg



Out of curiosity, does anyone have better resolution and larger pics of the following:

idol31.jpg


idol93.jpg


Thanks!

Andy
 
Great research, Andy. So, if I understand you correctly, what you're saying is that you are confirming what Propstore already knew and was publicizing all along. Yes?

Just giving you a hard time, btw. :lol


As some might know, I am a bit of an Idol nut! This has always been my favourite prop, and trying to find out as much information about the Screen Used props and all the replicas out there has always really interested me and kept me busy researching!!

Upon closer inspection I believe the following photos of idols, to be the same idol!!!

I know there has been much debate about the glass eyes etc. But if you look at the damaged areas I have marked on the photos, they match up perfectly. It was mentioned that the Prop Store Idol did have signs of plating over the glass eyes. So I believe this is why when the idol was in good condition during the filming, this idols eyes were plated over and had the painted pupils. Don't ask my why they did this though....

Anyway below are the photos for you to take a look at. I had to zoom them up real close to get a better look. If you count roughly 12 hair lines up from the left ear (left looking straight on at the idol), up to the first bit of damage, you will notice it is 12 hair lines both on the Prop Store Idol and the photo of the plated idols! Also the damage across the top of the head seems to match up!


Thanks!

Andy
 
Great research, Andy. So, if I understand you correctly, what you're saying is that you are confirming what Propstore already knew and was publicizing all along. Yes?

Just giving you a hard time, btw. :lol

Yeah, exactly!! :lol

Even though the Prop Store told us this when they first showed us their idol, not many people actually believed the info!!! Many still debated the fact, and were convinced their was only the Hero idol with the internal motors and moving glass eyes, and another idol without glass eyes (solid plated with painted pupils).

Now what I am trying to get to the bottom of is the 'supposedly' original idols that are out there with the frown mouth. I know one person owns two of these and claim they were used in the production of the film on location in Hawaii... But as Brandon has said and nearly everyone else, we never see a frown mouth idol on screen.

I am definitely curious to see if I can get a better resolution pic of the above photo with Indy standing next to the wall holding the idol upside down in his hand. It's really hard to tell anything about this idol from this pic!

Andy
 
Great work Andy.

I am pretty convinced that the Propstore idol is ALSO the "stunt" idol that was thrown to Satipo and also the one that Indy runs with, being chased by the boulder.

There has been talk in the past about a "foam" idol but I have never seen photos or evidence of it.
 
Thanks Brad!!

I'm working on getting more info about that foam idol & also a fibreglass frowned mouth plated idol... but after reading back over many old posts, there are conflicting stories about two particular idols. I am really hoping Jeff can get some of the info/proof of what he has been told by the company he is dealing with.

Andy
 
Here are two photos of a claimed production used idol:

idol219.jpg


idol220.jpg


Now I know several people have said there was never a frown mouth idol that appears on screen, but then I came across an old thread on COW that show screen grabs of what appears to be a frown mouth idol...

I was hoping someone out there might be able to take new high res screen grabs from all the idol scenes in the film. I know it's a big ask and time consuming, but I think it's time we took another look at this.

Any help would be appreciated!

Andy
 
Not sure if this helps but....................when the movie finished the traditional "wrap party" took place. On each table were idols. The frown mouth may have come from a mold that was not used, but was in great condition so the prop crew made the table idols from these molds. I spoke with Robert Watts years ago, and he confirmed that there were indeed idols on the center of the tables as decoration (no mention of whether there was a frown or not). Also he noted that in the crew gift bags there were casts of the Ra medallion. I do know a number of the medallions have surfaced as screen used pieces. So maybe the idols are from the same pedigree. Its no secret that there are variances in prop sculpts as part of a final approval process etc. Just my two cents.
 
I was wondering.... Out of all the photos of the Prop Store Idol I have seen on here and the web, I can not find one side profile photo of the idol anywhere!!

So if anyone has any ggreat side profile pics of this idol I would love to see them, either posted here or in a pm!

Really curious about this!

Thanks,

Andy
 
Not sure if this helps but....................when the movie finished the traditional "wrap party" took place. On each table were idols.

Also he noted that in the crew gift bags there were casts of the Ra medallion. I do know a number of the medallions have surfaced as screen used pieces.

Very neat info on the wrap party. I wish there were photos of it.

You are correct about the Ra Heapieces in the crew gift bag. They were direct casts with the perimiter chain cast with it (unlike the real prop) and they look to have been painted instead of plated.

Here it is:

Staff-of-Ra-Headpiece-Crew-Gift-Robert-Watts-Replica-Cropped-FRONT-x425.jpg
 
Every time I see this thread pop up it makes me gitty. As I've expressed before in here, it was one of the first threads I read on this forum and it means a lot to me.

To me, the existence of the frowned idol is one of the most significant prop mysteries in the hobby. I still can't believe after four years of this thread's existence we still don't know the answer:

WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THE HATA IDOL? :lol

After seeing the pic Andy provided, I have to agree it looks like black pupils painted on gold-plated eyes.
 
Someday we're going to have to make the Prop Store an "offer they can't refuse" for this prop idol (whoops, there we go, mixing movies). :) Not that what we think matters, but in this case, to our untrained eye the screen grab that shows the similar markings makes the case for legitimacy better than anything we've seen. Just our two-cents.
 
Its was a private sale then it never went on the site?
Any Idea what it sold for or is that not public info . I can see why he parted with it seeing it really never is seen in the movie and was most likely made for but never got used in the final cut . You guys would know the answer to that . But myself I have never seen that type of idol in the film . Its was cool though !!
 
I always like to give this thread a bump from time to time, and I have a few more photos to share which I think members who haven't seen them, might appreciate!

idol362.jpg


idol363.jpg


Hope you like them!

Andy
 

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