A/C in _The Seven Year Itch_
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Shame they don't make them any longer. I doubt there was any window shaker as quiet as those were. I used to have mine in the sliding window above my bed and head and it was no louder than a small table fan on low
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Hi Ken:
First, thanks for contributing your expertise and some great photos to this thread! I'm also grateful to you for clearing up the mystery about the big knob on the upper left side.
I would like to speak to the idea that prop men knocked the Emerson logo off by accident. That might indeed have occurred, but it is also true that studios in Hollywood's heyday frequently modified consumer products to get rid of obtrusive logos.
I'm posting four photos of two examples of this in Hitchcock films.
The first photo is of the freezer door of a Servel Model S-600 refrigerator; note the very large "Servel" logo screen-printed on the blue glass of the door. The second photo is of the same model Servel, in a frame grab from 1948's Rope. Note that the logo has been painted out, using paint in a blue similar to that of the glass. Other logos were left intact on this refrigerator, because they were not large enough to be distracting, but this one was distracting and it was dealt with.
The third photo is of a 1956-57 RCA Model 6-HF-5 New Orthophonic phongraph. Note the large logo badge on the underside of its lid. The fourth photo is of the same model, used in 1958's Vertigo. Note that the badge has been removed entirely. The nameplate on the phono's front was left intact; only the under-lid badge was gotten rid of.
Like the air conditioner in The Seven Year Itch, both these products were brand-new, current models at the times these films were made.
So, either scenario is possible, but moviemakers did modify, conceal and remove logo elements that were distracting, all the time. [this post was last edited: 12/18/2014-17:47]
First, thanks for contributing your expertise and some great photos to this thread! I'm also grateful to you for clearing up the mystery about the big knob on the upper left side.
I would like to speak to the idea that prop men knocked the Emerson logo off by accident. That might indeed have occurred, but it is also true that studios in Hollywood's heyday frequently modified consumer products to get rid of obtrusive logos.
I'm posting four photos of two examples of this in Hitchcock films.
The first photo is of the freezer door of a Servel Model S-600 refrigerator; note the very large "Servel" logo screen-printed on the blue glass of the door. The second photo is of the same model Servel, in a frame grab from 1948's Rope. Note that the logo has been painted out, using paint in a blue similar to that of the glass. Other logos were left intact on this refrigerator, because they were not large enough to be distracting, but this one was distracting and it was dealt with.
The third photo is of a 1956-57 RCA Model 6-HF-5 New Orthophonic phongraph. Note the large logo badge on the underside of its lid. The fourth photo is of the same model, used in 1958's Vertigo. Note that the badge has been removed entirely. The nameplate on the phono's front was left intact; only the under-lid badge was gotten rid of.
Like the air conditioner in The Seven Year Itch, both these products were brand-new, current models at the times these films were made.
So, either scenario is possible, but moviemakers did modify, conceal and remove logo elements that were distracting, all the time. [this post was last edited: 12/18/2014-17:47]
whirlaway
New member
My Ole Mitchell!
That was a very quiet AC,it had 2motors in it one for the evaporater and one for the condenser.It was very cold a freon 12 unit most of the pre 1960 models were 12.To boot it ran on 110 and only once blew a fuse I had to oil the condenser motor,I didnt know it had oil ports on it.It also had an electric heater in it and about a half inch of tar in the base so it never rusted.I hated to get rid of it,was getting low on freon so I knew it had a tiny leak in it.I bought a new Samsung nowhere as good as the old one.As a back-up I have an old fedders I bought at the restore store for ten dollars.It runs great the old weather wheel model.Very clean it was not used much and not left in the window year around.
That was a very quiet AC,it had 2motors in it one for the evaporater and one for the condenser.It was very cold a freon 12 unit most of the pre 1960 models were 12.To boot it ran on 110 and only once blew a fuse I had to oil the condenser motor,I didnt know it had oil ports on it.It also had an electric heater in it and about a half inch of tar in the base so it never rusted.I hated to get rid of it,was getting low on freon so I knew it had a tiny leak in it.I bought a new Samsung nowhere as good as the old one.As a back-up I have an old fedders I bought at the restore store for ten dollars.It runs great the old weather wheel model.Very clean it was not used much and not left in the window year around.
crevicetool
Well-known member
There was a thread on Vacuumland....
....several years ago about pianos. I was interested in knowing what make of piano was used in a particular Marx Brothers movie. The thread developed and folks were able to help me find out the maker of the piano. It turned out to be a Knabe, but only by recognizing the shape of the piano since no name was visible.
Piano name boards (fall boards) proudly proclaim the manufacture, often in elaborate gold leaf decals. Rarely in classic film does the name appear. It has been blacked out, or covered with a mirror etc. When the camera is doing a close-up of the pianist's fingers on the keys, it would be inevitable that the name would show within the frame.
I always just assumed the covering of the name would be so not to endorse any brand over the other. Sandy, it did not occur to me that it would be a distraction - but that makes sense as well.
....several years ago about pianos. I was interested in knowing what make of piano was used in a particular Marx Brothers movie. The thread developed and folks were able to help me find out the maker of the piano. It turned out to be a Knabe, but only by recognizing the shape of the piano since no name was visible.
Piano name boards (fall boards) proudly proclaim the manufacture, often in elaborate gold leaf decals. Rarely in classic film does the name appear. It has been blacked out, or covered with a mirror etc. When the camera is doing a close-up of the pianist's fingers on the keys, it would be inevitable that the name would show within the frame.
I always just assumed the covering of the name would be so not to endorse any brand over the other. Sandy, it did not occur to me that it would be a distraction - but that makes sense as well.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Rick:
Here's what I think could have happened - just an educated guess, okay? I'm not saying I know for sure.
Below is a frame grab I doctored to put the logo back on the left-hand louver, where it is in the first identification photo of a Custom posted in this thread. This was a little photo-editing job of mine. I'm assuming the logo was gold-tone; a lot of '50s appliance trim was. I could be wrong about that, but whether the logo was gold or silver makes no difference to what I'm about to posit.
That logo is head-on to the camera, which means it's going to be legible if the camera is close, and puzzling if the camera is far away.
The Compact shown in the shot of the kitchen that Ken posted is not shot from a head-on position; you can't really see its logo, so it doesn't distract.
But head-on, the Custom's logo is kind of an attention-grabber. So, that could be why it was removed.
Here's what I think could have happened - just an educated guess, okay? I'm not saying I know for sure.
Below is a frame grab I doctored to put the logo back on the left-hand louver, where it is in the first identification photo of a Custom posted in this thread. This was a little photo-editing job of mine. I'm assuming the logo was gold-tone; a lot of '50s appliance trim was. I could be wrong about that, but whether the logo was gold or silver makes no difference to what I'm about to posit.
That logo is head-on to the camera, which means it's going to be legible if the camera is close, and puzzling if the camera is far away.
The Compact shown in the shot of the kitchen that Ken posted is not shot from a head-on position; you can't really see its logo, so it doesn't distract.
But head-on, the Custom's logo is kind of an attention-grabber. So, that could be why it was removed.
Such great investigation! I love it!
Here is one that I have never been able to get answers on from other websites. Although they did remember them, they could never pinpoint who they were built by.
In a Catholic School I was in years ago there were window units. They looked very much like the Emerson Units that are pictured above. The only difference was that they were also heating units. The Heating part of the units were Natural Gas. When you looked at the unit outside the regular part of the Air-Conditioner was on the right side of the unit. The heating part was on the left and it was to the visual eye a heat exchanger with two exhaust openings at the top. And yes these were window units. When you looked at the unit from the outside there was a drain tube and on the left of the unit was a gas tube. They had these units for many years.
Any of you out there know what type of unit this was? They were very effective at cooling and heating.
Brent
Here is one that I have never been able to get answers on from other websites. Although they did remember them, they could never pinpoint who they were built by.
In a Catholic School I was in years ago there were window units. They looked very much like the Emerson Units that are pictured above. The only difference was that they were also heating units. The Heating part of the units were Natural Gas. When you looked at the unit outside the regular part of the Air-Conditioner was on the right side of the unit. The heating part was on the left and it was to the visual eye a heat exchanger with two exhaust openings at the top. And yes these were window units. When you looked at the unit from the outside there was a drain tube and on the left of the unit was a gas tube. They had these units for many years.
Any of you out there know what type of unit this was? They were very effective at cooling and heating.
Brent
danemodsandy:
Any of these scenarios are possible. The Emerson trademark is gold and possibly would reflect light into the camera making it a distraction. Cinematographers were very specialized artists and when lighting a set strived for perfection. Very interesting about "Servel" being painted out.
Any of these scenarios are possible. The Emerson trademark is gold and possibly would reflect light into the camera making it a distraction. Cinematographers were very specialized artists and when lighting a set strived for perfection. Very interesting about "Servel" being painted out.
Another glitch is the record player was not turned on when the tone arm was placed on the the record and the music started. The light in the tuner dial was not on. I remember from our mid 50s Magnavox combination that the tuner-amplifier had to be turned on and had to warm up before you could play a record.
Thanks Ken.
I was always fascinated by them and how they worked. They were old back when I was there and I remember going to a graduation many year later and all of the units were still in use! It must have been a well built unit!
The "newer" built class rooms each had their own central unit. Both for Cooling and heat. There was a little closet that had a tall slim Janitrol Furnace that only had one ribbon burner in it. I thought they were so cute and interesting. The cooling condenser unit outside was very slim and round. Janitrol also. It looked a lot like the little round Carrier units there came out in the 1980's.
I love Air Conditioning cooling and heating history.
I was always fascinated by them and how they worked. They were old back when I was there and I remember going to a graduation many year later and all of the units were still in use! It must have been a well built unit!
The "newer" built class rooms each had their own central unit. Both for Cooling and heat. There was a little closet that had a tall slim Janitrol Furnace that only had one ribbon burner in it. I thought they were so cute and interesting. The cooling condenser unit outside was very slim and round. Janitrol also. It looked a lot like the little round Carrier units there came out in the 1980's.
I love Air Conditioning cooling and heating history.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
I Just....
....Watched The Seven Year Itch again for the first time in many, many years. I also noted the record player issue Tom spotted.
The apartment was pretty lavishly air-conditioned - there's the Custom in the living room, and Compacts in both the bedroom and kitchen. Given the "ice-cold air" that came from older units, it would have been a pretty frosty little apartment.
I also found a fun bit of trivia: The music used as a theme for Marilyn (meaning that it's played whenever she shows up or whenever another character is thinking of her), is recycled - it's the main title theme from 1949's A Letter to Three Wives. Since both that movie and The Seven Year Itch were Fox movies scored by Alfred Newman, this was completely legitimate to do, but it was odd to hear music I so closely identify with one movie in another film.
I have submitted the A/C identifications and the bit about the music to the Internet Movie Database, so that they'll be there for other movie buffs and appliance buffs in the future.
....Watched The Seven Year Itch again for the first time in many, many years. I also noted the record player issue Tom spotted.
The apartment was pretty lavishly air-conditioned - there's the Custom in the living room, and Compacts in both the bedroom and kitchen. Given the "ice-cold air" that came from older units, it would have been a pretty frosty little apartment.
I also found a fun bit of trivia: The music used as a theme for Marilyn (meaning that it's played whenever she shows up or whenever another character is thinking of her), is recycled - it's the main title theme from 1949's A Letter to Three Wives. Since both that movie and The Seven Year Itch were Fox movies scored by Alfred Newman, this was completely legitimate to do, but it was odd to hear music I so closely identify with one movie in another film.
I have submitted the A/C identifications and the bit about the music to the Internet Movie Database, so that they'll be there for other movie buffs and appliance buffs in the future.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Just for Grits 'n Giggles....
....Here's the luscious Zenith entertainment console from the film - Cobramatic changer and an AM/FM tuner. To the right, behind the door that is closed, was a TV. The TV is a later rectangular-screen model, not a porthole one.
And here's a shot of the kitchen (2nd photo), with the aforementioned Emerson Compact A/C unit, plus a Kelvinator fridge and a range I can't identify - maybe Roper? Tom Ewell turns the range on, but no flame appears, and after a few minutes, the coffee is done - Hollywood magic, I guess, LOL.
....Here's the luscious Zenith entertainment console from the film - Cobramatic changer and an AM/FM tuner. To the right, behind the door that is closed, was a TV. The TV is a later rectangular-screen model, not a porthole one.
And here's a shot of the kitchen (2nd photo), with the aforementioned Emerson Compact A/C unit, plus a Kelvinator fridge and a range I can't identify - maybe Roper? Tom Ewell turns the range on, but no flame appears, and after a few minutes, the coffee is done - Hollywood magic, I guess, LOL.
philr
Well-known member
The range is a Tappan.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Thanks!
Phil, we can always count on you!
I find that we have a thread on this range:
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?57475
Phil, we can always count on you!
I find that we have a thread on this range:
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?57475
philr
Well-known member
Absolutely! A Tappan doughboy! Beautiful range, they made them for about 10 years from about 1950 to 1960, with various dash panels (small basic, then a larger with red lettering over white 'Tappan' and 'Deluxe', and the 'visiminder' timer and 'visibake' cooking guide), and the TOL with red lettering over gold, which is lit. And the TOL, like the one in the movie and the one in the post directly above, had red rings around the burner control knobs, they lit when the burner was turned on... making these competitive with the chrome trim, lights, and features on electric ranges!
launderess
Well-known member
Movies! ran a double helping of MM last night. The Seven Year Itch and Niagara, both were wonderful.
Pass 164 East 61st all the time, and while the place is still there Third Avenue in that area has changed much from when the film was made. From 57th to 62nd or a bit further up many of the old low rise buildings have been torn down to make room for high-rises. Ironically Montgomery Clift's townhouse is right up the street at 217 East 61st Street really just a block away.
Yes, poor Joe DiMaggio; the sight and thought of so many men ogling and so forth his wife was more than he could stand at the time. Happily in the end it was he who managed to see that MM made it "home" safely. The man was especially upset at comments by some men during the skirt blowing scene about how MM was "not" a natural blonde.
"Go man go"! *LOL*
http://https//www.google.com/maps/@...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1spMCTGAX_woLuLqeMrPv8dQ!2e0
Pass 164 East 61st all the time, and while the place is still there Third Avenue in that area has changed much from when the film was made. From 57th to 62nd or a bit further up many of the old low rise buildings have been torn down to make room for high-rises. Ironically Montgomery Clift's townhouse is right up the street at 217 East 61st Street really just a block away.
Yes, poor Joe DiMaggio; the sight and thought of so many men ogling and so forth his wife was more than he could stand at the time. Happily in the end it was he who managed to see that MM made it "home" safely. The man was especially upset at comments by some men during the skirt blowing scene about how MM was "not" a natural blonde.
"Go man go"! *LOL*
http://https//www.google.com/maps/@...ata=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1spMCTGAX_woLuLqeMrPv8dQ!2e0
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Launderess:
According to the "Special Features" documentary on the DVD of The Seven Year Itch, the revelation about Marilyn's carpet not matching her drapes came in spite of her donning two pairs of panties for the scene, already aware that the strong lighting needed on the location was going to cause some problems.
All the problems were resolved by building a duplicate of that stretch of Lex on the Fox backlot. I defy anyone to tell without knowing.
According to the "Special Features" documentary on the DVD of The Seven Year Itch, the revelation about Marilyn's carpet not matching her drapes came in spite of her donning two pairs of panties for the scene, already aware that the strong lighting needed on the location was going to cause some problems.
All the problems were resolved by building a duplicate of that stretch of Lex on the Fox backlot. I defy anyone to tell without knowing.
launderess
Well-known member
Much Prefer the Sean Connery/James Bond Version
"Oh, providing the collars and cuffs match,."
"Oh, providing the collars and cuffs match,."
"turns the range on, but no flame appears, and after a few minutes, the coffee is done"
Flameless electric cooking--good; flameless gas cooking--not so much so.
Flameless electric cooking--good; flameless gas cooking--not so much so.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Followup:
No one will ever have to wonder about the air-conditioners in The Seven Year Itch again, because the info is now on IMDb, the Internet Movie Database.
I submitted the info to IMDb a couple of weeks ago, and it is now posted in the Trivia section for the film. Sadly, there was no way to get Ken Horan credited for it, or Mark for starting the thread that led to Ken's contribution.
But it's now up, and there'll be no mistaking those A/C units ever again, thanks to the combined efforts of AW members.
A snap of the info and a link to the Trivia page for The Seven Year Itch:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048605/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2
No one will ever have to wonder about the air-conditioners in The Seven Year Itch again, because the info is now on IMDb, the Internet Movie Database.
I submitted the info to IMDb a couple of weeks ago, and it is now posted in the Trivia section for the film. Sadly, there was no way to get Ken Horan credited for it, or Mark for starting the thread that led to Ken's contribution.
But it's now up, and there'll be no mistaking those A/C units ever again, thanks to the combined efforts of AW members.
A snap of the info and a link to the Trivia page for The Seven Year Itch:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048605/trivia?ref_=tt_ql_2
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