THE PROJECT SWORD MOON BASE SET: TAKING STOCK

 Project SWORD fans have often pondered long and hard about the fabled Moon Base Set as illustrated in the Project SWORD Manual.

Does it exist?

As far as I know there have been two sightings of the set, one good sighting in a box inside a shop and one less detailed sighting in Hong Kong.

No known commercially sold examples exist i.e. a toy set in a box and no known example of a loose set either.

The two sightings may well have been prototypes or trade samples for shops set up in the way that the Elf Toys Tracy island displays were set up for Century 21 Thunderbirds toys.

The two most prominent Project SWORD trade displays that we know of, Hong Kong and Hatchetts, contained the entire range of larger SWORD toys but no Moon Base set, despite it being the logical choice for a SWORD diorama. It wasn't there.

Disappointingly the Project SWORD Annual itself failed to offer anything about the Moon Base Set either. No ads, no strips, no drawings. Not encouraging at all. Having said that neither did it contain anything about the Nuclear Ferry and the Scouts but we know they do exist.

If an entire set has never turned up then have any of the constituent parts? The modules and the vehicles? As far as I can tell the answer is no. Certainly no toy lunar modules in the vein of those shown in the Moon Base drawing have surfaced. None of the big space toy firms released anything like them: Century 21, LP, Hover etc in the 1960's.

Tri-ang SpaceX did offer a Moon Base Set called just that but despite it containing a Scramble Bug and a Moon Prospector, like those pictured in the SWORD Moon Base set illustration, its housing modules are completely different.

Imai and later Aoshin released a UFO Moon Base Set, which also contained modules and vehicles including among many others a SWORD Scramble Bug and Moon Prospector. Sadly the modules are nothing like those again pictured in the Project SWORD Moon Base illustration.

There is also the question of which toy vehicles they were? Were they the existing Prospector and Bug? This would have made the Moon Base Set huge. So were they SpaceX sized, maybe the small toy craft released by Hover, which included a Scramble Bug?

We can ponder till the cows come home on this one and no doubt we will. Until then here's the Project SWORD Moon Base Set entry in the Official Project SWORD Manual.

Thoughts on its parts, box, existence and scale welcomed!

S.W.O.R.D AT HATCHETTS PLAYGROUND: RESEARCH RESOURCES

Online Resources I have used in researching how Hatchett's Playground, Project SWORD and 2001 A Space Odyssey came together in London. You may want to dig a bit yourself.

https://garagehangover.com/hatchetts-playground/

https://imgur.com/a/sWtBd#24

https://hydeparknow.uk/2018/04/01/2001-space-odyssey-1968/#:~:text=The%20UK%20premiere%20was%20meant,here%20on%201%20May%201968.&text='Awesome%2C%20often%20startingly%20beautiful%2C,helluva%20movie%2C%20unlike%20any%20other!

PROJECT SWORD AND HATCHETTS: ANOTHER SLICE FOR CHRISTMAS

 I've been looking at the Hatchett's Playground Club Project S.W.O.R.D display again.

I looked again in particular at an article in the New Musical Express about Hatchett's Playground  featured on the amazing archive of Jonathan Marks.

Its dated Friday week ending May 11th 1968 [Friday was actually the 10th May].

If you look closer at the photograph at the bottom left next to Tina Turner you will see ... a Project SWORD display!

Its fairly certain in my mind that its the same display as the one we've seen photographed below in the foyer of Hatchett's.

Placing the two displays together we can see clearly that they are indeed the same one. We can now see more lettering as well in the NME picture, "Century 21" Blast off with Project Sword.

We know from previous research here that the display was created to tie-in with the premier of 2001 A Space Odyssey on Sunday the 19th May 1968. The date of this issue of the NME, 11th May 1968, fits in well with this.

Incidentally on the night of the film premier on the 19th May Status Quo were playing at the club.

A new mystery is the object at the far left of the display seen in the NME picture above, top. Is it a box? A poster? Can anyone enhance/ negativise it at all?

Wotan Wades In:

Well given that is a halftoned newsprint, scanned in (roughly) to low resolution for the web, theres not much chance of revealing much at all. Ive put it into Photoshop and tweaked it as much as I dare, but it doesn't really show much more. I suspect its just some of Hatchetts advertising behind the main display.

 

2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, CENTURY 21 AND HATCHETTS NIGHT CLUB

This is a bit of research I did on Moonbase a few years back about Century 21 and 2001. It was fun to do and I was pleased with it so here it is re-posted. 

I am fascinated by the Hatchetts London Night Club and the Project SWORD connection to 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Stanley Kubrick's seminal film had its World Premiere on April 2nd 1968 at the Uptown Thearte, Washington DC in the USA.

On April 4th 1968 it opened at New York's Loews Capitol.

Cinemas put up displays to draw in the crowds like this one in New Jersey.

Ushers dressed in space-age uniforms like these in Seattle.

The film premiered in the UK 50 years ago today on the 10th May 1968 at the Casino Thearte, Old Compton Street, London. It followed in Finland and Holland on 20th September and 3rd October respectively that same year. The film was promoted in LIFE magazine.

The film opened throughout the rest of the UK in mid-May 1968.

It may have also played in other CINERAMA-type cinemas throughout London including those along Piccadilly, although this is supposition on my part. 

At 67 Piccadilly, Hatchetts Playground nightclub opened earlier in the year. With guests like Shirley Bassey and Barbara Windsor it was THE place to be in swinging London. Capturing the futuristic mood of the time, Hatchetts' waitresses wore space-age uniforms too.

The foil-like uniforms were a noticeable feature of the nightclub's opening party.

They were also worn for the launch of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Looking at this photograph I recognise cinema seats in the foreground. Whether this was in Hatchetts itself I haven't been able to find out. The 2001 brochure remains a mystery for me too. Its completely different to the 1968 press kit.

At the same time Century 21 Toys were making links with the movie.

In particular, Project SWORD toys, which were displayed at Hatchetts by three of those silvery playground waitresses. 

Looking through the above photographs, I think the SWORD girls above were these three Hatchetts girls pictured below. I have been unable to find out their names. The middle girl appears in the 2001 A Space Odyssey brochure event photograph above.

I have been unable to find any further references to Project SWORD toys displays in nightclubs, cinemas or toy stores as suggested by the articles above. There was a proposed Project SWORD promotional and bus ticket campaign planned for November 1968 but it is not known if this was linked to the 2001 A Space Odyssey campaign. 

If you would like to look at more photographs of Hatchetts then please go to this huge archive by Jonathan Marks, who's father owned the club. I have written to Jonathan to inform him of the link to Century 21.

Jonathan's page also mentions one other notable event at Hatchetts, the use of the club as a disco setting in the opening titles of the 1960's cult horror flick Scream and Scream Again. Starring Vincent Price, the scene featured pop group Amen Corner. You can see a clip here using Hatchetts' dancefloor:

Fortunately for us Project SWORD toys survived the ravages of time but sadly, Hatchetts Playground didn't. Here is a clip on You Tube of what it looks like now.

If you have any more information about the links between Century 21 Toys, Hatchetts and 2001 A Space Odyssey I would love to hear from you.

_______________________________________________

This article was inspired by some initial internet searches by Bill Wotan Bulloch.

My grateful thanks to these online sources: Jonathan Marks imgur site, Incinerama.com, visual memory.co.uk, quadbod.co.uk, cineramahistory.com, cinemaretro.com, ww1.hdnux.com, You Tube, Voices of East Anglia, Bill Bulloch, imdb, wikipedia.

IN SEARCH OF HATCHETTS TODAY

I'm continuing my look at the connections between Project SWORD, 2001 A Space Odyssey and Hatchetts Club.

On a recent trip to London I took this short film of where I think the entrance to Hatchetts Nightclub was, 67a Piccadily. 

The picture below is what it looked like in the Sixties 

[courtesy of voicesofeastanglia.com]

PLACE ODYSSEY: SEARCHING FOR PROJECT SWORD AT HATCHETTS PLAYGROUND

Further to Scoop's insightful 2001 post yesterday here's more about the Hatchetts Club and Project SWORD connection to 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Stanley Kubrick's seminal film had its World Premiere on April 2nd 1968 at the Uptown Thearte, Washington DC in the USA.

On April 4th 1968 it opened at New York's Loews Capitol.

Cinemas put up displays to draw in the crowds like this one in New Jersey.

Ushers dressed in space-age uniforms like these in Seattle.

The film premiered in the UK 50 years ago today on the 10th May 1968 at the Casino Thearte, Old Compton Street, London. It followed in Finland and Holland on 20th September and 3rd October respectively that same year. The film was promoted in LIFE magazine.

The film opened throughout the rest of the UK in mid-May 1968.

It may have also played in other CINERAMA-type cinemas throughout London including those along Piccadilly, although this is supposition on my part. 

At 67 Piccadilly, Hatchetts Playground nightclub opened earlier in the year. With guests like Shirley Bassey and Barbara Windsor it was THE place to be in swinging London. Capturing the futuristic mood of the time, Hatchetts' waitresses wore space-age uniforms too.

The foil-like uniforms were a noticeable feature of the nightclub's opening party.

They were also worn for the launch of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Looking at this photograph I recognise cinema seats. Whether this was in Hatchetts itself I haven't been able to find out. The 2001 brochure remains a mystery for me too. Its completely different to the 1968 press kit.

At the same time Century 21 Toys were making links with the movie.

In particular, Project SWORD toys, which were displayed at Hatchetts by three of those silvery playground waitresses. 

Looking through the above photographs, I think the SWORD girls above were these three Hatchetts girls pictured below. I have been unable to find out their names. The middle girl appears in the 2001 A Space Odyssey brochure event photograph above.

I have been unable to find any further references to Project SWORD toys displays in nightclubs, cinemas or toy stores as suggested by the articles above. There was a proposed Project SWORD promotional and bus ticket campaign planned for November 1968 but it is not known if this was linked to the 2001 A Space Odyssey campaign. 

If you would like to look at more photographs of Hatchetts then please go to this huge archive by Jonathan Marks, who's father owned the club. I have written to Jonathan to inform him of the link to Century 21.

Jonathan's page also mentions one other notable event at Hatchetts, the use of the club as a disco setting in the opening titles of the 1960's cult horror flick Scream and Scream Again. Starring Vincent Price, the scene featured pop group Amen Corner. You can see a clip here using Hatchetts' dancefloor:

Fortunately for us Project SWORD toys survived the ravages of time but sadly, Hatchetts Playground didn't. Here is a clip on You Tube of what it looks like now.

If you have any more information about the links between Century 21 Toys, Hatchetts and 2001 A Space Odyssey I would love to hear from you.

_______________________________________________

This article was inspired by some initial internet searches by Bill Wotan Bulloch.

My grateful thanks to these online sources: Jonathan Marks imgur site, Incinerama.com, visual memory.co.uk, quadbod.co.uk, cineramahistory.com, cinemaretro.com, ww1.hdnux.com, You Tube, Voices of East Anglia, Bill Bulloch, imdb, wikipedia.

LONDON 2015: HATCHETTS NIGHTCLUB

On a recent trip to London I took this short film of where I think the entrance to Hatchetts Nightclub was, 67a Piccadily. The picture below is what it looked like in the Sixties [courtesy of voicesofeastanglia.com]

ADVENT ODYSSEY: SEARCHING FOR PROJECT SWORD AT HATCHETTS PLAYGROUND

Stanley Kubrick's seminal 2001 A Space Odyssey had its World Premiere on April 2nd 1968 at the Uptown Thearte, Washington DC in the USA.

On April 4th 1968 it opened at New York's Loews Capitol.

Cinemas put up displays to draw in the crowds like this one in New Jersey.

Ushers dressed in space-age uniforms like these in Seattle.

The film premiered in the UK on the 19th May 1968 at the Casino Thearte, Old Compton Street, London. It followed in Finland and Holland on 20th September and 3rd October respectively that same year. The film was promoted in LIFE magazine.

The film opened throughout the rest of the UK in the summer of 1968.

It may have also played in other CINERAMA-type cinemas throughout London including those along Piccadilly, although this is supposition on my part. 

At 67 Piccadilly, Hatchetts Playground nightclub opened earlier in the year. With guests like Shirley Bassey and Barbara Windsor it was THE place to be in swinging London. Capturing the futuristic mood of the time, Hatchetts' waitresses wore space-age uniforms too.

The foil-like uniforms were a noticeable feature of the nightclub's opening party.

They were also worn for the launch of 2001 A Space Odyssey. Looking at this photograph I recognise cinema seats. Whether this was in Hatchetts itself I haven't been able to find out. The 2001 brochure remains a mystery for me too. Its completely different to the 1968 press kit.

At the same time Century 21 Toys were making links with the movie.

In particular, Project SWORD toys, which were displayed at Hatchetts by three of those silvery playground waitresses. 

Looking through the above photographs, I think the SWORD girls above were these three Hatchetts girls pictured below. I have been unable to find out their names. The middle girl appears in the 2001 A Space Odyssey brochure event photograph above.

I have been unable to find any further references to Project SWORD toys displays in nightclubs, cinemas or toy stores as suggested by the articles above. There was a proposed Project SWORD promotional and bus ticket campaign planned for November 1968 but it is not known if this was linked to the 2001 A Space Odyssey campaign. 

If you would like to look at more photographs of Hatchetts then please go to this huge archive by Jonathan Marks, who's father owned the club. I have written to Jonathan to inform him of the link to Century 21.

Jonathan's page also mentions one other notable event at Hatchetts, the use of the club as a disco setting in the opening titles of the 1960's cult horror flick Scream and Scream Again. Starring Vincent Price, the scene featured pop group Amen Corner. You can see a clip here using Hatchetts' dancefloor:

Fortunately for us Project SWORD toys survived the ravages of time but sadly, Hatchetts Playground didn't. Here is a clip on You Tube of what it looks like now.

If you have any more information about the links between Century 21 Toys, Hatchetts and 2001 A Space Odyssey I would love to hear from you.

_______________________________________________

This article was inspired by some initial internet searches by Bill Wotan Bulloch.

My grateful thanks to these online sources: Jonathan Marks imgur site, Incinerama.com, visual memory.co.uk, quadbod.co.uk, cineramahistory.com, cinemaretro.com, ww1.hdnux.com, You Tube, Voices of East Anglia, Bill Bulloch, imdb, wikipedia.