Bring Me the Ring of Bela Lugosi

With props on my mind I've been looking at Dracula's ring.

With three famous fanged actors wearing it I wondered if they had the same one, namely John Carradine, Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, the original 

Consulting the funny pages [the net], which is thick with Transylvanian finger jewelry, its clear I am but one of a myriad mortal souls interested in this very Carpathian conundrum.

The huge passion for and heavy presence of this ring online is such that fans, firms and aficionados have copied, cast and recreated it probably since the beginning of fandom for the films.

Perhaps the greatest horror collector ever, Forry J. Ackerman, discusses the original Universal Dracula ring in 1996, which he had in his possession.

https://youtu.be/1OzANIHjnCY?si=k17Ickqd9BeT5DsC

So where is the original Dracula ring now?

Any ideas?

In Case You're 007

 These four cases appeared on the Antiques roadshow the other Sunday.

They were props for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice.

The Universal Exports cases contained dummy components for assembling the autogyro called Little Nellie in the film.

They were valued at around a staggering £100K!

It didn't include Little Nellie as it's currently part of a charitable exhibit.

Icons of 007, have you ever seen these props readers or got any toys or kits relating to them? 

By Lucifer!

 I saw this picture of a character called  Lucifer in Battlestar Galactica .....

And thought, I've got a headdress like that.

Actually it's the plastic dome from a flying fairy toy our Granddaughter has here.

I stuffed it with some purple wrap and some sparkly lights and voila!

Maybe I should watch the series now! 

Chipolino Automatic

 This caught my eye.

A large boxy toy rifle that reminded me of something else.

I was thinking of my Action Man machine gun.

Not that similar but interestingly the white toy rifle was used as a prop in a 1973 Soviet film called Chipolino.

The toy itself came in a simple Soviet box.

There appears to be a year stamped on the box side: 1969?

Is this a toy rifle or film you know?

(All photos and info: eBay)

Kevin's Blakes 7 Syringe Scratchbuild

Hi,

A quick scratchbuild of the syringe used to knock Blake out in the first episode.

No, I'm coming back....

Kevin

UK

Nodding Holder

 

I recently saw this nodding bird in its holder in a junk shop and I immediately thought of its iconic use in the beginning of ALIEN as the data flashes over it.

An inspired prop!

I never had one as a kid. You?

Ed's Alamo Movie Props

Woodsy,

I bought these about 18 years ago and finally got around to photographing them. 

These were sold as props from the Dennis Quade / Billy Bob Thornton 'The Alamo' movie. But here's the problem: I can't prove it.

 I cannot find the COA or receipts anywhere (at least not yet), but I am still looking.

From Vegas Battle Field

Ed

Jewels from the Crypt

Researching film props, I remembered the amazing brooch in the 1960's film Tales from the Crypt.

It's the gift left under the Christmas tree for Joan Collins in the fabulous first section, And all Through the House. 

Quite a stunning thing, Joan wasn't that impressed really and besides, she had a madman dressed as Santa to contend with! 

Does anyone know anything about this prop brooch and is there another one like it especially a bit of costume tat anywhere?

My Mini Lifeforce Vampire Spaceship

 Here's another of my new horror mood home-made minis.

This is the vampire spaceship from the '80's Tobe Hooper sci-fi shocker Life force.

I made mine using a small paper umbrella from MoonBase Miss's bits chest and some wire all trimmed to shape and painted black.

I took a few shots of the ship in Earth's orbit.

This is an original still from the movie. Have you seen it?

My Toy Cronos Device

 Spring sunshine seems to have lit the last sleepy chamber of my noggin and I'm dreaming up lots of new customs.

Here's one, in a horror mood, the dreadful Cronos bug device from the movie Cronos, a fantastically stylish 1993 debut flick from maestro Guillermo Del Toro before he got famous. Ron Perlman lumbers through it too.

At it's dark clicking heart is a 16th Century gold scarab. It contains an awful creature both wildly animating and terribly vampiric in nature. Hapless victims grasp it at their peril. 

An amazingly vivid film with an iconic prop, there are many pro models and beautiful replicas of this clockwork jeweled wonder online, so many in fact that. I found it hard to locate the original film prop!

This is my much simpler effort using one of Junior's beetles to create a sort of toy finish! 

And here's the hungry golden bug as seen in the actual film.

Have you seen it readers?

Will's Prop Phaser

Hi Paul. Loving all the Star Trek posts. Here's some pics of my prop phaser. 

Bought from a film prop shop in Massachusetts in the 1980's, it's supposed to be an unused prop from the series , but I think it's more likely to be an early fan model . 

It's cast in clear resin and has a couple of cracks, one on the handle and one on the tail. It does have age to it and looks good. 

Is it an original? I'll probably never know. Beam me up! 

Will O

UK

Kevin's Scratchbiult Star Trek Guardian of Forever

Hi,

A scratchbuild of the time portal that features in an episode of original Star Trek (City on the Edge of Forever).

Model was made from scraps I had already in stock.

Let's get the he'll out of here,

Kevin

UK

Kevin's Blakes 7 Replicas at Brit SciFi 2024

At the end of September last year, I took part, in a very small capacity, in the Brit SciFi event at the Leicester Space Centre. There were loads of displays, panels and presentations, I was there with the Hyde Fundraisers and mounted a display of replica Blakes 7 props.

The event lasted for both days of the weekend and seemed to go down well.

Here is what I showed.

Cheers,

Kevin

UK

Kevin's Doctor Mopp Tinplate Car

Hi,

Here is my tinplate antique shaking car. 

The same sort of toy was used as Doctor Mopp's.

Mine is the actual toy I had as a kid. I still have its original top-hatted driver but at the moment, my replica Doctor Mopp is driving it!

Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

Kevin

UK

and Woodsy adds; here's the original in the TV show!

KEVIN'S SCRATCHBUILT ROBOTS OF DEATH LASERSON PROBE

Hi,

Just finished this scratchbuild of the Laserson Probe from Robots of Death, a Tom Baker story and one of my favourites.

Please do not throw hands at me.

Kevin

UK