[Milsurplus] Hollywood and radio gear...

[Barry Hauser]

Talk about Hollywood radio "malaprops"  (double entendre intended)

I just saw a 1990 movie on TV -- "Hiroshima - Out  othe Ashes" with Max Van
Sydow, Pat Morita, Judd Nelson, et. al.

It was from the point of view on the ground in that city -- a day or so
before the bomb hit and several days after.  Not bad, although a downer.
There were a  number of anachronisms -- diesel locomotives where probably
should have been steam engines, etc., but the standouts were in the form of
two radios shown toward the end -- as the survivors were listening to
Hirohito's surrender announcement.

The first radio -- in a field hospital -- was a BC-348.  A few seconds
later, a RAK or RAL-x.  Both had Japanese tags over all the control
labels -- at least an inch high each.  While there might have been some of
these in Japan well into the occupation years, doubt if they had any on that
day.  Not to mention, the RAK/RAL's can't do phone without some surgery -- 
bypassing the narrow audio filters designed for CW only.

Some of the "tags" looked like post-it notes. They would have been better
off with a wooden box painted green or black with some phoney knobs on it.

Of course, there was the famous case of the Heathkit receiver cast as a
tranceiver in "Frequency" a few years ago.  With a stretch of the
imagination, I can temporarily buy a strange aurora causing radio
connections to be made from 195X to 199X, but the mic plugged into the
headphone jack is going too far, heh heh.

I suppose we know too much -- so it's like Gen. Custer taking fire from
indians armed with AK-47's to us.

Barry


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Clarson" <mclarson at rcc.com>
To: <unlisted-recipients:>; <no To-header on input>
Cc: <Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 03, 2004 6:16 PM
Subject: RE: [Milsurplus] Hollywood and radio gear...


> While not strictly milsurplus, this does indicate how the entertainment
> industry works. Years ago there was a 1930's vintage Zenith  radio on the
> set of the Bob Costas late night interview show. It was one my Grandfather
> had. I inquired of a friend at NBC, he checked it out. The thing was just
a
> shell. All the guts removed, knobs glued on. It was rented from a service
> that provides props.--Mike, WV2ZOW
>
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