Hellboy Prop: Broom's Box. Need info.

asavage

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
I just bought this on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...5469&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab=Watching

Whew! It arrived and it's lovely. But it's missing a ton of the little trinkets that were in it in the film. I want to fill it out. Of course.

I've got the screenshots of Abe Sapien using it in the museum scene, and they show precious little.

The books appear to be professionally made for the production, and of course it's missing book number V, the one Abe Sapien is looking at in HB.

I'm wondering if anyone here has a contact to anyone from the Hellboy art department/ prop department that might help me locate further reference material: behind the scenes shots, continuity photos, I'd love to know who actually built the thing. Any information that can help fill out the details would be appreciated. If someone will host, I'm happy to provide all reference pix and measurements and rubbing necessary for anyone to make their own. I'd love to see an RPF run of these if there's a carpenter willing to take the job...

You can pm me or contact me at adam@adamsavage.com
 
Here is a screen cap of the only page that is shown in hellboy,
It looks to me that this book has a few more pages with text and woodcarvings on stuck inside a empty book.
15633294rv0.jpg


/Conny
 
Not much of the box is shown in the movie itself.

Hellboy7.jpg


Hellboy6.jpg


Hellboy5.jpg


Hellboy4.jpg


Does anybody know if it is featured in any of the bonus material? I have both the 2-disc and the 3-disc version, together thats a lot of material to look through ;)

I think I can make a cleaned up version of the wood caring if anybody needs it. The text below and the missing text on the opposite side is a problem though.
 
Don't worry about the text. I'll supply pix and even rubbings. But more pix of that inside are needed.



Not much of the box is shown in the movie itself.

Hellboy7.jpg


Hellboy6.jpg


Hellboy5.jpg


Hellboy4.jpg


Does anybody know if it is featured in any of the bonus material? I have both the 2-disc and the 3-disc version, together thats a lot of material to look through ;)

I think I can make a cleaned up version of the wood caring if anybody needs it. The text below and the missing text on the opposite side is a problem though.
 
Those two brown opaque bottles look like turned wood. I've seen a few of these on ebay, but not exactly like this.
 
Don't worry about the text. I'll supply pix and even rubbings. But more pix of that inside are needed.

The wood carving I was refering to was the one in the book, not the artwork on the box. Although rubbings of those will be nice as well. I can also make clean versions of those if anybody needs it.

All I can find for now is that small scene. But i have taken some more scrrengrab. Kust to make sure nothing is missed.

The two small bottles looks like ceramic to me. With a clear glazing and perhaps a darker brown finish on the top.


More pics here ;)
http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c387/staermose/Hellboy box prop/
 
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I think I can make a cleaned up version of the wood caring if anybody needs it. The text below and the missing text on the opposite side is a problem though.
The text below the woodcarving is the same that Abe tells Hellboy:

Sammael, the desolate one,
lord of the shadows, son of Nergal,

WOODCARVING

hound of resurrection.
Harbinger of pestilence.
Seed of destruction.


I enhanced the light in some of my screencaps and it seems like your box is missing a chain that holds the lid in a angle, and the rope that holds the box shut.
This is what i can see that the box contains:
3 Feathers
1 big Candle
2 Superman crystals (they look like the ones from superman :))
Old medical bottles?
3 Talismans, a half moon , a Viking cross and a crusifix
2 tall bottles.
With the help of these screencaps you can measure how long the diffrent Bottles Candle,Chains are.

58014360zf5.jpg

70169256am5.jpg


I did quick google search and found some of the bottles
Clay Civil War Ink Bottles
3 3/8” tall, 1 3/8” in diameter.
InkwellN.jpg


Civil War medical bottle
4 1/4" tall
14-1150.JPEG


/Conny
 
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This is a composite of two menu screens from the 2-disc DVD set:

hb1.jpg


Here are some Photoshop-enhanced screencaps:

hb2.jpg


hb3.jpg


hb4.jpg


hb5.jpg


I suspect the smaller removable box in the center of the chest is the same one carried by young Bruttenholm in the beginning of the film:

hb6.jpg


At that point in time, it contains several rosaries.

:)


-Mike
 
Nice work! You're right I think about that box. The screenshot of the menu is invaluable. What are those little short things that look like they've got some kind of cinched black rubber cap on them. There's at least 3 or 4.

I love the RPF. I've got some glass bottles arriving this week, though I think that none are right. The front shot shows them to be more like milk bottles. As for the chain, yes it's missing. Did I mention that I've got 2 copies of book number 1, and no number 2 or 5?

It's clear from details though that the box from the menu, and the one used in the film are the same, and that's the one I bought. Funny about the books though, I guess they made a couple sets. Love to know where the other one went...
 
Who's got a couple of clear superman crystals to sell me? And that little case with the black top seems to be a staple, I count 5, maybe 6 in the box. Must be some kind of modern apothecary thing.

Also: nice work on the civil war ink bottles! They're a dead match. The feathers were there, and included. They were stuffed down into the compartment under the 3 holes...

At the top left of the lid is a missing drawer which I remade yesterday. Fits perfectly.
Here's the link to a bunch of research photos of mine.

http://gallery.me.com/mistersavage#100009&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=27

In a couple of the shots of mine, I've filled some compartments with some of my own ****. Take note of the Ossuary on my desk in the background, and the Nazi gold in the bottom drawer in the last picture! All screen used! Finally, check out Tim Arp's magnificent charms posed all together in a natural habitat. Like they've been waiting.

The tall compartment to on the lid where the chain goes in seems to house a kind of charm belt. That's the crescent moon and cross charm, but doesn't it look like there's some kind of black belt they're all attached to?
 
yeah but there's like 6 of them, and they all look similar. I'm a propmaker. If I found something that worked, I'd buy more. I think it's a bought item... Chinese Herbs? Modern apothecary?
 
Looks like it might have teeth or knucklebones in it.

I have a small jar of calligraphy ink that is similar sized.

BTW, awesome score, Adam.

And the RPF loves you. :lol

You know, TyRuben Ellingson has a web site: http://www.alieninsect.com/alinpages/contact.htm

He might be able to provide some information.

It's probably a good guess that some of the 'other' set of books is in the hands of the prop guys or Doug Jones, or John Hurt, or GdT, or Mike Mignola.

You could try writing to Mike care of Dark Horse comics.

Also, there is a "Making of Hellboy - the Movie" book out there. I don't have it with me, but it might have a shot or two - or is that where the sketch came from?


-Mike
 
I've got the "making of hellboy" on order. Should be here anyday. A friend of mine has some contact with Ty, and that avenue might or might not prove fruitful.

I can't believe the thing is on my desk. It's amazing. And yes, staermose, by all means make a file of the book's insert pages!
 

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