Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-01-24
Men Who
CanFind Almost
Anything

j in Hollywood there's that is than
49, that of the studio property man."
It's the prop mans job to be able to produce at few
anything and everything that the prop
calls if he hasn't got at his fingertps he
must know where he get II, and quickly.
For example Eddie Edwards Hollywood prop man.
materiazed fringedtopped suti<y drawn by fat
horse brewery wagon, a barbershop pole and Coney
Island excursion poster of 35 years ago
after film director asked for them.
On the next stage. prop John More went right
with political argument while he brought forth
police car two poashed eggs, baby carriage dicta-
phone and that darling Of police reporters "a blunt in
strument."
Just prior to this he had dug up a street
bowl edible pretZes tank of nitrous oxide four
1890 bicycles peanut wagon of the period and
eech. The kind used a black eye) None of this
considered extraordinary, because in Hollywood this
OF thing goes on day and night
When a prop gets order to dress set he
looks hrst of all in his storehouse. Motion picture store
houses astonishing museums. They huge
houses occupying of ground and ampacked with
carefully tabuated and ndexed properties from oil paint
ngs to surgical equipment furniture of every period,
vehicles etc The Warner Brothers warehouse for example
contains all the Louis XIV furniture from the Vanderbilt
mansion Fifth Avenue
An historical picture such as elizabeth and Essex"
example requires lavish expensive properties
ii is sinecure for the prop compared with Gay
Nineties effort like THE Strawberry Blonde" The
Little Foxes This sounds paradoxica but the explana-
ton is simple Furnishings rugs draperes thrones and
other historical paaphanaa either created the
spot by special artists be found in the antique
department. But such things mustache cups buggy
whips oldfashioned dental chairs button-top kid shoes
women, and New York street cleaning equipment Of
1890 yet valuable collectors items Therefore
they stock properties and must be searched
by the prop or all periods according A c. Wilson
head prop at Warmers, the time between 1890
1920 is the difficult to dress. butontop
kid shoes worn during those difficult to obtain
but Edwards got from a small general
in Wisconsin. 1t just of those things that good
prop man knows without remembering how he knew
Brewery wagons and beer barrels are difficult too
though Edwards wangled from Los Angeles
plant Od-fashoned dental can borrowed from
NyhO'N thap, into
and amused TO them used in pictures The eech
above mentioned came from hospital supply house for
believe it or not, doctors still like
Sometimes present-day articles difficult
find was the when a prop asked pro-
duce picture of Emperor Hrohto, that japanese
of Heaven we've been hearing a lot about lately. The
script Of Across the Pacific" a Japanese spy story
called for photograph of the Mtado off-hand any
would suppose that the picture would be easy
find as, say good eg-art study of Ann Sheridan,
not So The rubber shortage nothing compared with
that of Hirohitos picture.
The local Japanese shops were, naturally,
TO begin with their propretors being alien camps
the duration The public Libraries seemed to be fresh
the Emperors face too explanation being that
with the and ALL the Emperor hardly honorable
to have around in photos sorry! Any other
pictures that might have existed had apparently been
defaced met destruction.
Finally it developed that press association will
ing sell the studio print from it's photo service with
the understanding that it be used only for the
in Across the Pacific. SO the prop got his
photo of Hrohto, and the picture was effectively dealt
with in the play. 1t was in fact pierced with
bullet the gun of of the characters.
the Emperor's photo not the only headache
the prop had in the filming of this modern story.
Another tough problem getting lot Of foreign travel
folders overseas travel being what it is just But
what Edwards looking forward and with much gusto
is the day won't be able to find picture of
Mr.. Schickelgruber, alias Adolf Hitler
they get other difficult props, prop
are secretive They reveal all their sources,
rivals profit by the information However, there's
theory in Hollywood that the best Of them rub magic
lamps and summon pet GENT. Nothing else could
explain the miracles they perform.