Harry Steele jacket (Secret of the Incas)

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 2:53 am

What do you think about the Heston jacket in Secret of the Incas? Is it a Cooper?

CM · Post by CM » Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:11 am

Good screen caps. Do you have a copy of the film?

Is this jacket a real A2 or a fake/studio one like the Hogan's Heros jacket?

interbak · Post by **interbak** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:58 am

It looks like a civilian flight jacket, loosely styled on an A-2. The pockets are cut into the body of the jacket not sewn on patch pockets, the pocket snaps are exposed, not hidden under the leather of the pocket flap, etc, etc. Nice looking jacket, but definitely not an A-2.

Brian

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:56 am

CM wrote:Good screen caps. Do you have a copy of the film?

Is this jacket a real A2 or a fake/studio one like the Hogan's Heros jacket?

I have an Italian copy, as the film was broadcasted on TV here some time ago. But I think is not difficult to find this in English on ebay.

Tollan · Post by **Tollan** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:02 am

You're right... I got an english copy from ebay. The quality isn't great, but watch-able.

YARVTON · Post by **YARVTON** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:52 am

And don't you just love the way he wears that hat! Must find out who did costumes for this flick -- studio department at that time, no doubt.

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:17 am

I'll point Curator Rick to this discussion. If anyone would know, he would. He's got original props from the movie (including one of the trousers Heston wore in the film -- there were two pair with distinct differences). I don't know anyone else who knows as much about this movie as he does.

Curator Rick · Post by **Curator Rick** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:35 pm

OK here goes.
Edith Head was in charge of costumes. Those not made for the production were pulled from the Paramount Wardrobe Dept. not Western Costume Co.

Harry Steele's outfit

Hat (was not a fedora) - Australian military hat (late 40s, early 50s model). This particular model had a peculiar "double brim". Stewart Granger wears an identical model (but with lighter colored band)in the Allen Quartermain movie King Solomon's Mine.

"Scarf" - This was made from either a sheet or linen towel that had the blue woven identification strip you find in institutional linens it says"HOTEL LA PAZ"

boots - 3/4 Wellingtons, dark brown.

pants - on location shots in Peru Heston wore Army Officer's "pinks" these had back pockets w/ flaps, no front pleats, zipper fly The pair worn in studio shots Heston wore custom made pants resembling the "pinks" but with out back pockets. (Edith loved Heston's rear and wanted it "unblemished")

Jacket - made of horse hide - a cross between the A-2 and the G-2 flight jackets. front closes as on the G-2 (no storm flap), shoulder straps of the A-2, side entry pockets as on both but no patch pockets on front. these pockets instead are inset in the front of the jacket. The pocket flaps has exposed snaps. No gussets in back. The squadron emblem on right side was a well worn decal that resembled the US Air Forces Ferry Command. Leather name strip on left side.

White T-shirt

YARVTON · Post by **YARVTON** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:41 pm

How interesting when considering mention of Herbert Johnson's so-called Australian model for Raiders! One of the Fedora Loungers just had a copy of Granger's hat made and several photos are posted.

Thanks much for the info. Edith Head was just fantastic. Anyone else remember her TV appearances (on Merv Griffin as I recall)?

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:22 am

I told you CR knew his stuff!

hocfutue · Post by **hocfutue** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:02 pm

...and nevermind my question about patch ID. The coffee kicked in and I read the posts above with the info...

Post by **Michaelson** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:03 pm

One of the Fedora Loungers just had a copy of Granger's hat made and several photos are posted.

That was our very own IndyFrench!

Regards !Michaelson

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:05 pm

hocfutue wrote:Has anyone ID'd the patch on the jacket?

The squadron emblem on right side was a well worn decal that resembled the US Air Forces Ferry Command.

Harry Steele · Post by **Harry Steele** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:42 pm

Here's a link to a site devoted to Secret of the Incas:

http://incas.mysite.orange.co.uk/

Here's a news story on "Indiana Heston." Writer notes Paramount has rights to Secret.

http://www.t-g.com/blogs/brianmosely/entry/17975/

Cheers,

Harry

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:51 pm

This looks like a fun movie.

I ordered a DVD copy from a vendor on Flea Bay and it should be here soon...

(PS not expensive either!)

Interesting that he apparently wears the same pants as Indy (or, more accurately, vice-versa)

hocfutue · Post by **hocfutue** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:08 pm

Hmm, SotI takes place in the 50s, Paramount owns the rights... bring back Harry in Indy V!

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:17 pm

Now THAT sounds like a good idea!

Indy dies, Mutt runs into Harry, they bond, Mutt goes off to war, Harry keeps on diggin'!

Sounds like a nice neat package...

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:24 pm

Harry Steele wrote:Here's a link to a site devoted to Secret of the Incas:

http://incas.mysite.orange.co.uk/

Here's a news story on "Indiana Heston." Writer notes Paramount has rights to Secret.

http://www.t-g.com/blogs/brianmosely/entry/17975/

Cheers,

Harry

Beautiful site Harry!!

hocfutue · Post by **hocfutue** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:35 pm

J!m wrote:Now THAT sounds like a good idea!

Indy dies, Mutt runs into Harry, they bond, Mutt goes off to war, Harry keeps on diggin'!

Sounds like a nice neat package...

"Mutt goes off to war"? Which one? The Korean ceasefire was signed 4 years before KOTCS. Maybe he gets drafted and sits in a tank in the Fulda Gap for a year or two. Or he joins the Legion, heads off to Algeria.

But Harry turning up as one of Indy's war buddies would be great, though.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:38 pm

That's a nice tie-of too..

I think it would be great to get the two of them together...

I than you all for your votes! I will gladly accept the position as Harry Steele for the upcoming movie!

hocfutue · Post by **hocfutue** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:15 pm

Hmm, maybe we need an "Indy-spirations" folder about characters who inspired Indy, or whom Indy inspired?

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:17 pm

Was this one of the two movies the costume crew was asked to watch for designing the costumes?

I know there were two of them, but I thought they were both B&W films...

binkmeisterRick · Post by **binkmeisterRick** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 3:22 pm

Secret of the Incas and China were the two movies, I believe.

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:31 pm

This is what Deborah Nadoolman said about this film and the inspiration for Indiana Jones. Of course the whip was not "right there on Charlton Heston in 1954..."

Secret of the Incas (1954) starring Charlton Heston and directed by Jerry Hopper is almost a shot for shot Raiders of the Los Ark. Since both were made by Paramount, and Secret is no longer available on video – I can only guess that Larry Kasdan took that script and updated it for Steven. A great idea. We did watch this film together as a crew several times, and I always thought it strange that the filmmakers did not credit it later as the inspiration for the series. Raiders stands on it’s own as a modern classic, but the fedora jacket and whip are right there on Charlton Heston in 1954. My own work is not diminished by having seen that marvellous film. The spirit of Raiders was also informed by Alan Ladd’s 1940’s film noirs, which also had the same hard boiled adventurer, clad in leather jacket and felt fedora.

I have just seen Secret of the Incas again at the Eastman House in Rochester, and it really helped refresh my memory. Harrison’s Indiana is really a kinder and gentler Harry Steele, Heston’s archaeologist/adventurer. Heston’s fedora is considerably bigger and more unwieldy – compared to the one I designed for Indiana it looks practically like a picture hat!

YARVTON · Post by **YARVTON** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:39 pm

Many thanks for posting that quotation! MUST SEE this movie. Art builds upon art, afterall.

Indiana Strones · Post by **Indiana Strones** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:56 pm

Note that in the book "The complete making of I.J." there is NO WORD about this film...

#

YARVTON · Post by **YARVTON** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 5:12 pm

Even for those who think Raiders the greatest/bestest/most-fabulous Movie Ever Made -- it didn't just come out of nowhere. Nor was Mozart, DW Griffith, and Michelangelo whispering sweet nothings from the afterlife into the ears of Lucas and Spielberg.

Zombie Jones · Post by **Zombie Jones** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 4:25 am

YARVTON wrote:Even for those who think Raiders the greatest/bestest/most-fabulous Movie Ever Made -- it didn't just come out of nowhere. Nor was Mozart, DW Griffith, and Michelangelo whispering sweet nothings from the afterlife into the ears of Lucas and Spielberg.

True. Inspiration often has many sources.

JimL · Post by **JimL** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 11:19 pm

My copy of the movie was not waiting for me when I got home this weekend, but it should be in soon!

I hope the quality is tolerable!

I will report in after I have viewed it...

Harry Steele jacket (Secret of the Incas)

Harry Steele jacket (Secret of the Incas)

Harry Steele

"Australian military hat..."

"almost a shot by shot Raiders..."

"NO WORD about this film"

Re: "NO WORD about this film"