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andy
Community Guide
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 6237
Location: Rochester, NY
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 Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 2:17 pm Post subject: Tom Southwell asks Stephen Dane about the blaster for us... |
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He sent me this email yesterday while out on the road and asked me to post it for him. I decided it would be better in this section about the blaster for now, but may move it. I posted the letter without any editing for the sake of preserving the info...
| Quote: | Andy,
I met with Stephen Dane in Pasadena a couple weeks ago and here are photos of him autographing illustrations he drew and designed ( under the specific direction of Mr Scott ).
I asked him about the blaster and his involvement. His memory is a tad weak about some details but I think he may have some notes at home which I will press for.
It is very likely the blaster was assembled at Stembridge Guns Rental which was in Glendale CA at the time of BR. They started with an existing rifle with two triggers and chopped the barrel and stock and added a hand pistol grip. The amber plastic grip was likely custom built from scratch. It needed to be a real gun to fire the full loads (blanks) that would have a big flame at the barrel. Mr Scott did not want a futuristic "ray-gun" like Syd Mead had designed for the film.
Also added was a clip below the barrel to hold the charges or bullets. And a flip-up side shield with two red lights that could be turned on or off. I reminded him I had taken photos of the hero gun on its first visit to the art department straight from the gunsmith. (I was the un- official archivist.)
Stephen was even more proud of the gun Leon used to shoot Holden. He brought the small four barrel (Derrenger-like) pistol to Mr Scott and he loved it. Stephen has one himself. And Stephen has a plastic mockup of the blaster.
It seems Stephen was a go-between from Mr Scott to the gunsmith and would send instructions and sketches (Ridleygrams) to refine the design. He didn't want a StarTrek look, more of a Chinatown look ( the film).
No professional propmaster would do a show of this size with just one gun, so it's almost assured they made a few real guns (blasters) and some rubber ones too.
You can post this in the "Tom Southwell Q & answers " part of your blog if you think it will be of interest. (It's been so long since I posted anything that I have lost the ability).
I'll touch back when I get more out of Stephen. (Still working on my photos).
( I'll get back to this in a week or so, on a trip right now.)
Tom Southwell |
Andy |
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hirohawa
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Joined: 18 May 2006
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow. TFS! |
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joberg
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Joined: 06 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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Great info Tom and thanks for sharing with us! It would be interesting to know for sure how many guns were actually built for that movie; so far the theory is that only one hero was on set , maybe 2 stunts (talking about Harrison Ford's character).
Of course you had the guns for the Police...but that's another story 
I'm wondering also if Stephen Dane had more info about the V.K. (another topic of course  ) |
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bwade wanna
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Joined: 03 Mar 2010
Posts: 133
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Very cool - it's like an interview with a Founding Father about his experience at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, lol. |
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R.A.M.
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Joined: 15 Sep 2014
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Wow amazing information! It's great to hear info like this. I wonder if those other blasters exist.
Great info Tom!
R.A.M. |
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Noeland
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Joined: 24 Oct 2006
Posts: 1328
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| Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:58 am Post subject: |
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Oh man, I'd LOVE to see Ridley's ridleygrams dealing with the refining of the gun design. Holy crap. That would be something very special.
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I don't have enough blasters! |
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Buch
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Joined: 27 Feb 2014
Posts: 1184
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
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| Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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Now this is interesting!
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Monsieur, azonnal kövessen engem bitte |
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SKIN JOB 66
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Noeland wrote: | | Oh man, I'd LOVE to see Ridley's ridleygrams dealing with the refining of the gun design. Holy crap. That would be something very special. |
I'd love to see previously unseen Ridleygrams, devoted to the gun or not...
Thank you again to Tom (and Andy) !
Fred
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Mr Webber
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Location: Terra Australis
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| Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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This is a great thing.
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Formerly offworld66 |
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