I love looking for vintage tackle in old movies on Turner Classics.
One of High Sierra’s early scenes is at a fly fishing camp, which I believe was supposed to be in Pennsylvania. As Bogart leaves his cabin, there are two fly rod/reel combos on the front porch. One reel looks like a Pflueger Medalist. Any idea of the rod or other reel (I can see a raised pillar) from this brief screen capture?
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Last edited by Mike N on Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.
thanks, that's cool. I'd bet it's Pflueger Progress behind the Medalist.
Another shiny new Medalist, c. 1939
caught a Carole Lombard movie on my DVR - so-so movie with a great beginning. http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/3517 ... wich-.html
she's "fly fishing" a Montague cane rod with shiny new Pflueger Medalist.
Apparently in her short life, she and Clark Gable fly fished routinely.
In our ORCA version of “Six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon,” Humphrey Bogart starred in the 1944 movie “To Have and Have Not.” There is a scene where Bogey and Lauren Bacall appear with the great song writer, Hoagy Carmichael.
Hoagy’s son, Hoagy Bix Charmichael, is credited with reawakening modern interest in classic bamboo rodmaking and authored a classic book on the subject with Everett Garrison. Many longtime ORCA members remember Hoagy Bix for his regular appearances at many of the early vintage tackle shows and Oliver/Lang tackle auctions in the Northeast.
I bought this reel from Hoagy B -
It's a Young pattern 15a, its innards show it was made in 1940 wartime (it uses Hardy pawls and riveted washers in place of two of the machined brass stanchions).
The same Young reel was also imported and sold as the Thomas Special reel
Hoagy A is also in Topper with Cary Grant and Constance Bennett, closing down a bar after sunrise.
Last edited by Ron Mc on Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A great photo essay of Hoagy Bix Charmichael’s incredible sidemount reel collection as well as views of HBC repairing reels and using the old Garrison lathes and equipment to make rods can be found at pages 210-213 of the book The Anglers Life, by Sheehan and Sites (published in 2000.)
I’ve recommended that great coffee table book before to ORCAns. Very reasonably priced used copies of the book are usually available on Amazon, eBay and BN.com.
There are 3 fly reels in Libeled Lady, 1936 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zh0EYJEVwY
William Powell is fishing a large auto - almost certainly a very collectible Martin No. 3
I think Walter Connally is fishing an 1896 Russell with round line guard.
Myrna Loy's reel is set up for LHW, possibly a Medalist 1594.
I’ve watched the opening scene to the Andy Griffith Show probably a few hundred times but cannot make out their reels as they whistle the music. This statue is in Mt. Airy, NC (the mythical model for Mayberry). It looks like Opie is using a ZEBCO, but the handle on Andy’s reel gives me pause, assuming the sculptor was accurate.
the 3 stooges shot a lot of fishing scenes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rt89-QCFgs
here, Larry is fishing a hard-rubber conventional reel (Montague Steel pivot?), Moe has a conventional bright-metal baitcaster, and Curly is using a wire trolling reel, maybe a SalTrout 1558
Mike N wrote:Humphrey Bogart starred in the 1944 movie “To Have and Have Not.” There is a scene where Bogey and Lauren Bacall appear with the great song writer, Hoagy Carmichael.
Penn reels star in To Have and Have Not Mike. One goes overboard in an early scene and Bogart is seen taking screws out of one in another scene up in his room.
Next time you watch Bogart in Key Largo check out the reels in the cabin when Edward G. is down there shooting up his buddies. There is an all silver one hanging from the ceiling that I can't quite peg. It might be an Ohio Tool reel or perhaps an Endicott Wilson. It also be just another great reel mystery.
Another little fun fact - The name of the fishing boat in Key Largo is the Santana. Bogart's beloved sail boat in real life was named the Santana.
Another Hemingway-based movie, 1950 The Breaking Point, Harry Morgan's fat-cat guide fare (who stiffs him at the dock and leaves him stranded with his boat in Mexico) catches a Marlin on a 6/0 Penn Senator.
There is an insurance ad floating around the TV set with a mother fishing with what looks like a Mitchell 300. Problem is she's holding the reel upside down. Sharp old eyes here.
