Radio Sets in Movies

[happyfilmluvguy]

Have you ever seen a movie, old or new, that featured a particular radio set?

Perhaps the characters were listening to music when suddenly, "flash, a robbery just struck at the corner of 4th and 23rd. Locals, please stay in your homes, the criminals are believed to be armed and extremely dangerous. Now back to our regular schedule..."

Last night there was a movie on called "The Strange Mr. Gregory", and there was a scene in which the characters were listening to the radio.

What was the radio featured in the movie and what movie?

 

[CharlieH.]

Funny you should ask this, just this morning I caught Brenda Starr on the televisor, and in a scene taking place inside some deep-jungle cutthroat gin joint, I spotted what looked like a late 30's Philco cathedral radio. Probably a 37-93 or thereabouts. Just a background prop.

Now if I could only remember the models that appeared in Radio Days.... screenshots anyone?

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

I remember a scene in Road to Perdition where Michael Sullivan Jr. walks in on Connor Rooney to get John Rooney's jacket. Connor Rooney was listening to a radio. I'll get a photo of that one. Radio Days I can't at the moment.

 

[LizzieMaine]

If you watch a lot of 1930-31 Warner Bros./First National movies, you'll see a lot of radios, in close, tight shots, and they will always be *Brunswick* radios, usually high-end consoles. Characters will ostentatiously walk over and switch them on, and the camera will focus in close on their hands as they reach for the knob so you get a good detailed look at the tuning dial.

This was all very intentional -- Brunswick was owned by Warners during this period. They bought the company to get its record presses, hoping to manufacture their own Vitaphone soundtrack discs, and got the radio division as an unwanted throw-in on the deal. They spent about a year and a half with it before realizing that selling expensive radios wasn't going to be a growth business during the Depression, and when the bottom fell out of the market for sound-on-disk, they unceremoniously sold off the whole package in 1932 -- and Brunswick radios stopped appearing in Warner films.

 

[scotrace]

"O Brother Where Art Thou?"

Recording old timey music.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Just by reading this history makes me think it was a bad idea.

Here's a photo of the radio in Road to Perdition. I'll get a better one if it's difficult to identify this one.

 

[CharlieH.]

Looks like a 1929 Philco model 76 to me.

 

[CharlieH.]

"O Brother Where Art Thou?"

Recording old timey music.

Wish I could get my hands on that recording gear...
(Ever notice in the movie that it was spinning at 33rpm?)

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

Looks like a 1929 Philco model 76 to me.

Considering the period, I believe that's it. Good job! :eusa_clap

 

[Fletch]

If you watch a lot of 1930-31 Warner Bros./First National movies, you'll see a lot of radios, in close, tight shots, and they will always be *Brunswick* radios, usually high-end consoles. Characters will ostentatiously walk over and switch them on, and the camera will focus in close on their hands as they reach for the knob so you get a good detailed look at the tuning dial.

If a radio was featured in an RKO film, was it always an RCA? Usually?

I do recall seeing people on ships at sea being delivered RCA Radiograms, but I believe they had a monopoly on that franchise.

Didn't Brunswick become a Canadian nameplate soon after the Warners selloff? I know the buyer, American Record Co., had no interest in radio or even phonograph sales (their only tie-in was with a button mill that pressed records as a sideline).

 

[Naphtali]

When I read your thread title, I understood it to mean "set" in the production sense, not device we listen to.

What leapt to mind were two items, one being a TV series -- a movie "Tune in Tomorrow" (1990), and on original AMC, a great series, "Remember WENN."

Sorry to go off topic, but only moderately sorry.

 

[LocktownDog]

The first one that really pops into my mind is the big floor model in "A Christmas Story". What the heck was that? Good ol' Ralphie and his Little Orphan Annie decoder badge. lol

Richard

 

[Flivver]

I think I mentioned this in another thread but there is a 1925 Super-Zenith IX featured in the 1926 movie "Skinner's Dress Suit". The movie stars Laura LaPlante and Reginald Denny.

Also, in the Waltons TV show, there is a large 1938 Zenith table radio featured in the first season opening credits and occasionally in the show, throughout all seasons. This radio has become known among radio collectors as "the Walton Zenith" and has become quite valuable. It was available in 6, 9, and 12 tube versions. But since they all looked alike externally, it's not possible to tell which version was featured on the show.

 

[RetroToday]

Hi there, this is my first post on the Fedora Lounge, ever.

This topic drew me in because among other antiques and vintage collectibles I am currently heavily into collecting and learning to restore old radios. I have about 23 old ones, some working, some not.

Have a look at these three links I found a while ago, not sure who owns this website, but there's a lot of older movies featured there with radios.

http://pic2.piczo.com/primeuser/?g=18243996&cr=2

http://pic2.piczo.com/primeuser/?g=18262800&cr=2

http://pic2.piczo.com/primeuser/?g=18340164&cr=2

Also, I have been searching a couple years to buy the radio that was in "A Christmas Story" (love that movie) and was very pleased to find and buy one this year. it's a 1940 Canadian Westinghouse. The reason it's Canadian? They filmed most of the interior shots of the movie in Toronto, Canada, that's also where most of the props came from.
The radio I have even has a circular water stain where the flower pot sits in the movie. Maybe it was the same one used as the prop? [huh]

I already bought the vintage bowling trophy/liquer dispenser for the top of the radio (like in the movie) before I found the radio. I still have yet to fix the finish in some places, get new grille cloth and restore the electronics.

Here's the one from the movie:

Here's mine:

Hope to be posting on the Fedora Lounge as much as possible, thanks.

 

[LocktownDog]

Well done, RT! If that isn't the same radio as in the film, then its darned close!

And thanks for the name of the model, as its been really pestering me since I posted to this thread a few days ago.

Richard

 

[RetroToday]

Well done, RT! If that isn't the same radio as in the film, then its darned close! And thanks for the name of the model, as its been really pestering me since I posted to this thread a few days ago.
Richard

You're welcome, no problem. And I have to thank you as well for mentioning that radio. Your post is partly what drew me into the Fedora Lounge, after I've been lurking in the background for months, reading all this great stuff.
I'm happy to now be a part of it!

Here is a link to my old radio collection, in case the links in the above post don't work anymore:
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jeremyhopkin@rogers.com/album?.dir=9533&.src=ph