The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Last night I opted to watch Valkyrie, and towards the beginning of the movie, there is a phonograph playing...well, I’m sure you can guess.

The stills are all from the scene that takes place in von Stauffenberg’s home, starting at 0:20:49.

(0:20:49: His son starts the record.)



(0:20:53: The children disappear out of frame as the record is playing.)



(0:20:54: A close-up as the record continues playing.)



(0:21:31: Air raid sirens, the needle is knocked violently out of the groove.)



(0:22:21: Apparently his home has poltergeists that like phonographs; it starts playing itself as the camera spirals and zooms in on the record.)

I tried to Google Katalog-Nr. B21004, but I didn’t find anything online for this record.

The phonograph does not appear again after this scene.

Is anyone able to identify the machine, or whether it’s a crap-o-phone?

— MordEth

First off, I can only add that the machine in the Dr Who screen capture (b/w) that Zeppy added was simply a "Senior Monarch" and probably a G & T period one.

In the film Kind Hearts And Coronets, the top b/w picture is of an HMV "Intermediate Monarch" from about 1910 (although it could also be a No. 2 from slightly later - they were one of the same machine) and the bottom picture is of yet another "Senior Monarch", albeit different age and different to the one in the Dr. Who clip.

In my DVD library I seem to recall I have at least 30 films with a gramophone / phonograph featured in them at some point and considering that none of my films have ever been selected by me for this reason, it just shows how many feature films have been made with a talking machine in!

How about this film?

Fitzcarraldo (1982) - Werner Herzog film starring Klaus Kinski - a man tries to build an opera house in the Peruvian jungles so that the natives can see and hear Caruso sing in person!

A gramophone (a "Frankenphone"?) is used to play Caruso records and positioned atop a steam boat for the natives to hear as the boat negotiates the jungle rivers in a bid to find and mine rubber to raise funds to build the opera house. The machine clearly has a Victor / G & T oak horn but the rest looks continental (appropriate for a German film) with a replacement goose neck and oversize soundbox!

The machine is certainly featured a lot in the film and is a necessary device to further the story.

Watch the trailer featuring the machine here:

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2678522137/

Since it’s been a while since this thread has seen a reply, I thought I’d add another movie.

Here are a couple of machines from the movie Stardust (2007), which I watched over the weekend...

(A cylinder machine @ 1:14:29 — this is the only time it is shown.)



(A Victor? external horn machine @ 1:21:34.)



(The same Victor? external horn machine @ 1:22:52.)

Enjoy.

— MordEth

MorDeth,
My good friend, illustrator Charles Vess, co-wrote Stardust with fantasy writer Neil Gaiman. We had dinner and drinks the night Charles' first Stardust check arrived! Although I enjoyed the film, I liked the book better (but then, I'm a big fan of Charles' art work). To dial this in a little more towards music, check out his Ballads series of illustrated Appalachian ballads. Excellent! http://www.greenmanpress.com

PS, That one frame from Stardust looks like my old time photo studio! LOL!
John M

no mention of my fair lady or pygmalion??????

mrphonograph wrote:no mention of my fair lady or pygmalion??????

Check the first posting at the top of this page.

George P.

While watching the original 1962 "The Music Man," I wondered about the cylinder phonograph (gramophone) seen in the background near the beginning of the movie. It's during Widow Paroo's "If You Don't Mind Me Saying So" during the piano lesson at the beginning. There are a number of Edison and Columbia cylinder containers, and from the arm, the machine looks like a Columbia BKT or similar. Since the movie is supposed to be in 1912, at least they were historically accurate. The machine is also seen later, but through the curtains. Sorry I have no screen grab for it.

I know this isn't a movie..but its very popular now.
from "Downton Abbey" Season 2,episode 3...
Can anyone identify this machine?...Looks to be the real deal,perhaps some model of HMV?

Fredrik[/quote]


Fredrik,

isn't there another Laurel & Hardy film where they have a phono in the engine of their car for in auto entertainment? Interesting that you mention these on DVD I have been eyeing up the box set of all their shorts for the past week. Its reduced to a rock bottom price...and I am very tempted! I know the wife will love them

RJ [/quote]

The movie of Laurel & Hardy with the phono in the engine of their car is "Budy Bodies", they were working at a saw mill in that movie. I believe the machine was a early Victor or Zonophone.

Here's Fanny Brice, in "Be Yourself," at the Victor 7-25 in the "Breakfast For The One I Love" scene: