What was the set used in the movie Apollo-13 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

#1 10-01-2006, 10:26 PM

What was the model of the set used in Lovells family room in the movie Apollo-13 with Tom Hanks? To me it looks like an RCA TransVista Color and the reason I say this is because I had a school friend whos family had one very similar to the one used in the movie. Its a very nice set but was it even an idea in april of 1970 let alone a production set? I do like the blank channel indicator however while the set is operating, should have offered a new #47 bulb.
I was watching the movie this evening on LD and well.... tell me to get a life but I did take close note of the sets used. Blanche who had the beautiful roundie in her retirement condo, the plastic sets used in the Air Force classroom just before splashdown and what looked like a second generation Trinitron that was in the scene where Blanche was cursing out "That damn TV guide again".

I like the movie and all with the great cars, homes and the storyline but can't get over the number of plastic sets that were 'supposed' to be time period correct for 1970. I was only 4 months old at the time and don't remember anything of the real events but knowing where technology was at the time and the budget of the film they could have done better. Even the yellow western electric phone that Marylin Lovell was using during the call to NASA where she said "Dont give me any of that NASA bullshit" was a later phone that used an RJ style handset, those didnt even come into existance until a bit later in time.

Maybe we could all ban together and offer Hollywood some television advice for movies filmed in homes?
Just a thought and small rant.

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jpdylon · #2 10-01-2006, 11:03 PM

I was wondering myself if it was a transvista or possibly an early XL-100. I thought however, that the XL-100 came a little later like 72?

I think we could all ban together and offer advice to directors as to what electronics belong in the time period in their movies. Hell, we could even rent out our surplus gear to them for $$$$ a day and get it in the movies at the same time

#3 10-01-2006, 11:17 PM

My thoughts exactly. If I had anything to do with it all the sets would be nice roundies or at least early RCA rectangle sets, combos maybe? Even a Zenith space command would have been perfect for the movie!

Speaking of round sets
I once worked for a greek guy that had an early RCA combo roundie set back in the early 1990s. It was a beautiful set in a mediterranian cabinet and everything worked but a bit weak. Did the screens and drives, focus and all that hooey and it looked damn near perfect. The FM side of the radio was weak but he didnt care and I dont remember if it was stereo or not but now that I think about it I wonder if the set is still around? The only complaint was from his wife as she liked to watch CNN and the bottom scroll went by "too fast" because of the limited space at the bottom.
Im gonna see if I can track down the guy either in the USA or his home in Cyprus. I know his son is still around running the business so who knows the set may still be around. Man that was a beautiful set!

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bgadow · #4 10-01-2006, 11:27 PM

The set looked like a CTC-40 to me. Was that sometimes labeled as Trans Vista? The one I had was marked New Vista even though it was a solid state set. I think the time frame is right. They went to the new logo around 69/70, gradually, and there were CTC-40s with both logos. The control panel, I think, changed by the time they made that switch. The one in the movie looked like the old version. The control panel is unique as it is very similiar to one commonly used on CTC-31/38 but is offset into the crt bezel. This would have been one of RCA's better sets at the time, appropriate for an astronaut. So, in my opinion, they could have done a lot worse. I do recall seeing other sets in there that were too new, and that does turn me off.

drh4683 · #5 10-02-2006, 03:46 PM

apollo 13 was a very good movie, havnt seen it in some time. If i remember correct, the TV that displayed the "Happy new year 1972" was way too new for the time. That set looked more like 1980's, but didnt know what it was. Whenever I watch movies, that the main thing I watch out for. The electronic items are so easy to spot as being period correct or not. As time goes by, you will see more and more movies have incorrect items in the set for time periods as the directors etc. will be too young to really know what was correct or not. It really annoys me too. Whenever you mention that you collect old color TV's people think of cheap 1980's junk with the flimsy channel selector dials that you see in newer movies that are supposed to be in the year "1967". (No offense to those who collect 1980's TV's.)

2DualsNotEnough · #6 10-02-2006, 04:54 PM

The one thing that drives me crazy in Apollo 13 is when they want to verify a calculation,theres 20 guys with pens and pads and slide rules working it out.Being that they are in Houston,and I remember seeing ads for Texas Instruments calculators in 1973,wouldnt NASA have calculators by then?
Jimmy

2DualsNotEnough · #7 10-02-2006, 04:58 PM

Im looking on Wikipedia,and it says TI invented the first hand held calculator in 1967.
Jimmy

Carmine · #8 10-02-2006, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2DualsNotEnough

The one thing that drives me crazy in Apollo 13 is when they want to verify a calculation,theres 20 guys with pens and pads and slide rules working it out.Being that they are in Houston,and I remember seeing ads for Texas Instruments calculators in 1973,wouldnt NASA have calculators by then?
Jimmy

Probably done for dramatic effect.

Bill R · #9 10-02-2006, 08:04 PM

In 1973 calculators were still primitave by todays standards. As late as 76 when I was in collage slide rule use was still taught. Lord knows though that I do not remember how it worked

The engineers in the movie would have probably cut their teeth on slide rules and were more comfortable with them than the newfangled calculators.

Bill R.

#10 10-02-2006, 10:52 PM

Im thinking it was for a dramatic effect but also maybe because the NASA guys have always resisted change!
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Sandy G · #11 10-02-2006, 10:56 PM

And in early 1970, I doubt if the engineers could afford calculators...at least not all of 'em could. Maybe the Boss engineer.

Carmine · #12 10-02-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy G

And in early 1970, I doubt if the engineers could afford calculators...at least not all of 'em could. Maybe the Boss engineer.

Maybe not the engineers, but your tax dollars could!

kx250rider · #13 10-03-2006, 02:13 AM

I haven't seen the film, but I want to when I get a chance to rent it.

But on the wrong-tv-in-movie rant: I have seen SO many B&W portables in old TV shows with color pictures on them

Charles

Jeffhs · #14 10-03-2006, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kx250rider

But on the wrong-tv-in-movie rant: I have seen SO many B&W portables in old TV shows with color pictures on them

Charles

Years ago (in fact, until very recently), what you mention would have been unheard of. However, in this day and age, using Adobe Photoshop or any other good image editor, it is possible to change pictures from b&w to color or vice-versa or even, in this case, to put a color picture on the screen of a b&w set in an image. Ted Turner of Superstation TBS fame caused quite a stir a few years ago (perhaps 20 years or so by now), when he colorized some old TV shows which had been originally filmed in black and white--viewers said it ruined the authenticity of the programs; however, that was probably before Photoshop was even thought of, let alone marketed or widely used. I personally cannot imagine in my wildest dreams watching a 1950s TV show such as I Love Lucy in color; this show was CBS's first sitcom, first broadcast by the network in 1951. Colorize it and--whoops!--there goes the magic of it all. To paraphrase Fred Mertz in one of the "ILL" episodes, if nature had intended the program to be seen in color, CBS would have filmed the darn thing in color in the first place! Of course, this likely would have been a waste of money by CBS, as there were very few if any color TVs in the very early '50s. NBC did not begin color programming until 1953; CBS and ABC began colorcasting some years later--in fact, ABC had to come up with a modified version of its network logo when it did begin colorcasting in the '60s, as many ABC affiliates were not equipped for color transmission at first, and the network did not want to confuse viewers living in or near cities with ABC affiliates not equipped for color (they might think their color TVs were out of order if they saw a color program on ABC in monochrome). The original round ABC color logo featured the symbol, with an announcer; the later version simply used music synchronized with the movement of the logo into position. I cannot speak for all ABC affiliates, not even the ABC station in Cleveland, as I do not know when it began color transmission (it might have been colorcasting right from the beginning, for all I know); even if I did know when channel 5 began colorcasting, I wouldn't have seen it until years later as my folks only had black-and-white TV at the time.

David Roper · #15 10-03-2006, 11:39 AM

Jeff . . . Jeff . . .

Charles is referring to, for instance, Steve Douglas' set on My Three Sons, which was a ca. 1954 black & white console, magically displaying a color picture when its screen was shown. Similarly, Sam Drucker on Green Acres would occasionally pull a late 50s RCA portable out from behind the counter and it too would be shown displaying color pictures. Adobe got nuttin' to do with it.

You're correct about the ABC color logo, but in reverse order--think about it. There was only an instrumental backing at first. The announcement about a color program to follow was added later.