TOD fedora

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:42 pm

I watched TOD last night. This is the least watched Indy film that I have, but I noticed something. I paid particular attention to his hat, and I gotta tell ya, that ain't no HJ he wears for most of the film. I firmly believe that to be perhaps a Stetson. If it is not a Stetson, then the block that HJ used to make this hat was a very tapered block. More tapered than the HJs used in TLC. And that is why I think it is not an HJ. It looks remarkably like the hat at the end of TLC that Indy wears in the temple, which I feel is a Stetson, unlike the other hats used in that film. The motorcylce hat is clearly an HJ, as you can see the block shape when the crown pops up, and it is identical to my new HJ from Todd. The last two films had a plethora of HJs and Stetsons, IMHO. Fedora

Post by **Michaelson** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 3:47 pm

That's what the prop man told me back in the last 80's too, and claimed at the time to have had a warehouse FULL of Stetsons to prove it. Of course, that was coupled with the Stetson/Paramount hat sale they were planning...so it wouldn't surprise me one bit of the possible product tie in with the movie. It just never flew, and all the hats were sold lock, stock, and barrel through dealers around the U.S.

Regards! Michaelson

3thoubucks · Post by **3thoubucks** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:39 am

There are gaps between the tops of the ribbons and the crowns in both films, which looks so cheesy.

Marc · Post by **Marc** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:41 am

Great minds thinks alike. I watched ToD the other day as well, as I finally wanted to see it in English, and I had the exact same thoughts when he entered that village: that ain't a HJ... So, since we're seeing the same here, there COULD be something to it.

Regards,

Marc

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:50 am

There are gaps between the tops of the ribbons and the crowns in both films, which looks so cheesy.
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Yes, as if the ribbon was not curled to fit the tapered crown. Typical modern Stetson stuff here.

Of course, the hat could have shrunk(typical of Stetsons too) which would explain the gap between the hat and the top of the ribbon.

You guys recall the fellow who had the TOD film hat.......and it was a Stetson? If you also recall, he would not post a pic of this hat because he was afraid "knockoffs" would be reproduced. If you want a film accurate TOD fedora, the Stetson Temple is THE HAT. At least we can still get the real deal, in so far as the TOD hat is concerned. Fedora

GCR · Post by **GCR** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:10 am

If you want a film accurate TOD fedora, the Stetson Temple is THE HAT.

And to think, I used to have me one of these! When I got mine, it came standard with a 1 3/4 inch ribbon. That ribbon still seems wide to me, the film hats in ToD look more in line with the standard 1 1/2 inch we're used to seeing. Why would Stetson chang a detail like that when they went to make the hat available to the public? When I had a Temple, it was tapered and had a very short crown, but the short crown looked shorter because of the wider ribbon.

Either way, a discovery like this makes me wish I had hung onto the old Temple...

-GCR

Fedoraman · Post by **Fedoraman** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:24 am

GCR wrote:
Either way, a discovery like this makes me wish I had hung onto the old Temple...

-GCR

Just buy another - they are still widely available.

As to why the ribbons in the film are not the same as the 1 3/4" that come on the Temple currently, there are tons of answers. The most likely is the same reason that Nadoolman(sp?) gave for the thinner ribbon being put on the HJ for ROTLA, to make the crown look taller.

Indiana G · Post by **Indiana G** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:33 pm

any vendors out there that sell the temple and are willing to replace the ribbon....and bash it to the specs of the TOD village scene?

inexpensive_jones · Post by **inexpensive_jones** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:11 am

The cheapest way to get a Temple is through the Stetson Factory Outlet.
Their number is 816-233-3286. They deliver within a week. The Temple sells for $44.95 + $7.50 S&H. Or at least that's how much it was a year and a half ago that I aquired mine.

Why don't my images don't show up anymore?

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:55 am

I have watched bits and pieces of all three films in the last few days. Both TOD and TLC had Stetsons scattered about in the films. And, here is what I found interesting. The HJs and Stetsons look similiar in shape. The Stetsons are a bit more tapered than the HJs, but both feature this taper, unlike the HJ used for Raiders. I am just wondering out loud here, but I wonder if matching the shapes of both of these brands was intentional? I wonder how this came about? Did the costumer pick up an HJ and then Stetson took it and copied the hat? If so, apparently the HJ picked up was not the original blocked hat used in the first film. Stetson just copied what HJ had at the time(or waht HJ sent to the film). As most know, the brim dimensions on the Stetson Temple is 2 5/8 by 2 3/8. The original specs given years ago by Swales was 2 3/4 by 2 1/2. Why this discrepency? Just some fodder for thought if you are bored today. Fedora

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 9:59 am

After watching the Lucasfilm warehouse recording and seeing all the hats just tossed in a cardboard box, I've ALWAYS been of the belief that they just pulled out hats as they needed them from a box and tossed them to Ford....with the exception of the close up work when he was dressed up, and the hat had to look it's best. Otherwise, it was what ever popped out of the box that went on his head, and the brim width based on the lighting needed on his face in any given shot.....closeups, a narrow brim. Wide shot....a wider brim.

Brand of hat be durned......

Regards! Michaelson

Solo4114 · Post by **Solo4114** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 10:18 am

Not to mention HOW he wore the hat would also be dictated by the lighting conditions and camera angles. In some scenes, he wears the hat on the top of his head. In many, he wears it towards the back of his head, which creates the swoop/wings look on the sides and the reverse taper, I think (especially because he seems to have a LOOOOONG head from front to back).

As for the Stetson connection, I can vividly remember going with my dad to one of the few remaining hat shops in Philadelphia back in the mid to late 80s, and seeing specific advertisements for the Stetson Indy fedora. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if TOD was a garden variety stetson. It's perfect product placement. Also, George had, by this point, learned just how important merchandising can be, what with his experiences with Star Wars and Raiders.

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 11:09 am

True, but he got his posterior kicked with TofD merchandise, as the movie didn't have the type following he was used to in his SW franchise. He actually pulled a LOT of items from the shelves, or cancelled contracts outright when he saw nothing was moving, as the flood of stuff just sat there.

When LC came out, the items were few and far between (compared to the TofD onslaught), and mainly aimed at young adults rather than kids.

Regards! Michaelson

WConly · Post by **WConly** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 12:34 pm

Baron's? W>

Solo4114 · Post by **Solo4114** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 1:39 pm

Michaelson wrote:True, but he got his posterior kicked with TofD merchandise, as the movie didn't have the type following he was used to in his SW franchise. He actually pulled a LOT of items from the shelves, or cancelled contracts outright when he saw nothing was moving, as the flood of stuff just sat there.

When LC came out, the items were few and far between (compared to the TofD onslaught), and mainly aimed at young adults rather than kids.

Regards! Michaelson

Yeah, TOD is an odd film that way. It's like they consciously designed it to be more kid-friendly (IE: Short Round, freeing all the little kids in the village), but made the mistake of making it gruesome enough that it spawned the PG-13 rating.

Oddly enough, there seems to be more Raiders merchandise available these days (which suggests it moved faster) and yet that wasn't actually kid-oriented at all and had plenty of gruesome stuff in it.

Honestly, this is one of the things that ticks me off about Lucas -- he seems to strike gold with his initial films, not designing them to appeal to any particular demographic, just to have a general appeal. He then follows them up with films consciously targeted to a specific audience which aren't as good as the originals. It's like he tries too hard.

But anyway, back on topic here, I do remember seeing the Stetson merchandising effort at the time, but it seemed to peter out VERY quickly, which was strange. You'd figure it would've been a pretty easy sell.

Fedora · Post by **Fedora** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 1:48 pm

Baron's? W>

I think if they supplied hats, it was not the Indy fedora but hats needed for other folks. Hard to call really in TOD. We know the HJ was used in Raiders and TLC, with TLC clearing showing the pentagon HJ crest in at least one scene. The costume designer changed, and I believe if Deborah had been in charge in the other films, she would have copied the Raiders fedora. Different costumers, different ideas on the hat?? The bow on the LC hat, when I can see it looks to be remarkably HJ in appearance, with the visible tacks in the center of the bow. I have only seen one hatter do this-HJ. I think HJ installed the narrower ribbon on these hats, while someone else did the ribbon work on the Raiders fedora.(they did a better job than HJ in craftmanship). All of the HJs I have seen over the years all shared the bow work in common. 4 external tacks on the center of the bow. GH had a member on his forum from Resistol that knew of the hats supplied by Stetson(Resistol actually made some of these) and he would probably be a wealth of info on the Stetson connection. I think his superior actually was in charge of the hats Resistol made under the Stetson banner. (both owned by Hatco). Fedora

rcinlv · Post by **rcinlv** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 7:09 pm

I actually possess an Indiana Jones Stetson. It was purchased for me as a Christmas gift by my then girlfriend (now wife). At the time I think she paid something like $60 for the hat. It is fur felt of some sort, brown with a somewhat lighter brown ribbon, and it is in fact tapered.

Hey Steve- if I post pictures will this move me up on the waiting list for the hat I ordered from you!

RC