Indiana Jones's Brazilian Connection: the Fedora

[Empyrium]

Any comments on this?

The famous hat worn by actor Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones movies was developed at Vicente Cury hat factory in Brazil. Established by a Lebanese immigrant, Cury has been developing hats for men and women since 1920. But no other model has been as successful as the one used in the Hollywood production.

To date, the Indiana Jones hat is the most sold by the Brazilian factory. Production totals over 60,000 units a year.

"The design, the material, the color, it was all defined here," stated factory director Paulo Cury Zakia. He explains that in the beginning of the 1980s, a factory and distributor of hats located in Texas, which had already been Cury's client for over 10 years, was one of the companies that sponsored "Raiders of the Lost Ark", the first film of the series.

Click here for full article.

 

[duggap]

Interesting article, but I don't believe a word of it. Try a search on the lounge and you will read many posts regarding the real IJ hat and maker.

 

[rcinlv]

Interesting, but...

There is a whole other world out there dedicated to all things Jones. Try visiting www.indygear.com/cow, and go to the fedora section.

Cheers,

RC

 

[Technonut]

Perhaps one of the most prized Indiana Jones items is an original Herbert Johnson Fedora. Herbert Johnson made the original, and this hat is still considered by collectors to be the most accurate Indiana Jones Fedora available

http://www.indygear.com/gear/fedora.shtml

 

[Yohanes]

This is weird. Most of us have known that Indy fedora is made by HJ. If you've watched documentary about Raider's making as in Indiana Jones DVD boxset, it is also explained there, the origin of the hat, no mention about Brazil.

Anyway, could it be that this Brazilian company is the one producing "official licensed" Indy hat that time?

 

[AlanC]

I'm no Indy hat expert, but I have read somewhere that the original bodies were sourced by HJ from Brazil. If so, I think them arguing that the "design" originated in Brazil is hogwash. The design of the Indy hat was the traditional HJ 'Poet' model that was then modified for the movie.

 

[besdor]

The factory in Brazil is a body factory that produces bodies for other companies. While they do make finshed hats , I doubt that they are an official licensece for the Indy hat.





Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Anthony Jordan]

I'm no Indy hat expert, but I have read somewhere that the original bodies were sourced by HJ from Brazil. If so, I think them arguing that the "design" originated in Brazil is hogwash. The design of the Indy hat was the traditional HJ 'Poet' model that was then modified for the movie.

That's my understanding too. There have been a few threads on this topic here on the Lounge. I believe that HJ may now source its hats either from Christy's, or that they both source from the same maker.

 

[martinsantos]

Funny to read this old thread - because this is familiar to me. Cury hat factory is in Limeira, a small town around 6 miles from my parents's home (in Americana - maybe some US folks have heard about. Founded by US confederates). The two big hat factories in Brazil are Cury and Prada (now Pralana), both near each other.

Anyway, never heard about Cury's hats appearing in foreign movies, even being very good.

 

[Gumbo Book]

The answer to this and many questions are in the threads.The felt bodies were indeed shipped from Cury. But that's where it ended. Being that the hat was based on a very old block from HJ itself and deveopled by Richard swales. I Actually own a Herbert Johnson Poet in Sable from the Raiders period. I brought it off a Naval Freind a few years back. Except it has 2 1/2 Brim.

The felt is an excact match. And so is the block.

But felt processes have suffered in the last thirty odd years. Less or more chemicals, too much to go into now but you get my drift. And I have no current experience of their felt.

There are a lot people attracted to the IJ franchise. But it's one of the reasons new folks like hats so much. A double edged sword in many ways.
But still alot of fun.

Gumbo.

 

[Gumbo Book]

but much of this info has been research originaly by "Fedora" already.

 

[martinsantos]

Thanks a lot, Gumbo! Very interesting and funny to know this!

Martin

 

[Gumbo Book]

Thanks a lot, Gumbo! Very interesting and funny to know this!

Martin

Some People just Lo

 

[Warped in storage]

That's my understanding too. There have been a few threads on this topic here on the Lounge. I believe that HJ may now source its hats either from Christy's, or that they both source from the same maker.

Indeed they do both made by the same company side by side in spain only difference is the HJ has a slighty taller crown so therefore the felt is slightly thinner an floppier

 

[jlee562]

but much of this info has been research originaly by "Fedora" already.

And "Fedora" is none other than Steve Delk who made the Indy hats for the most recent film.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

If you hunt around the internet, you'll find quite a few hat makers that make the claim to at least one Indy movie hat. Many of us here and at Indygear.com know the truth, but most random customers won't even necessarily know that the Indy hat is felt, never mind who made it. Like some others, I have heard that the felt used by HJ may have come from Brazil. Also, there are small gaps in the costume designer's stories where they could fit into, but nothing more than supplying a hat that was used to mock-up what was wanted from HJ. That's at best.

 

[John in Covina]

Simply amazing how despite all of the researched information and testimonial facts, the iconic Indy hat still draws out those that would take credit for being "Hat Maker to the Stars."

 

[DanielJones]

There's a cheeky comment about Indy getting a Brazilian Job here somewhere, bit I think I'll just let that one go.:eeek:

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Gumbo Book]

Simply amazing how despite all of the researched information and testimonial facts, the iconic Indy hat still draws out those that would take credit for being "Hat Maker to the Stars."

All too often, alas.

 

[martinsantos]

I never tought hats for films were just period designs, and cine studios bought them in large amounts to have in stock... I was absolutely wrong, after reading this thread.