Models in the movies

[ReptileGuy]

I've always noticed in the backgrounds of a lot of movies on shelves and even inside glass cabinets in Hollywood and tv movies and weekly shows. There were often models of all kinds on display as props for scenes.

I was reminded of this tonight while watching one of my childhood favorites "Flight of the Navigator". In the scene in the beginning while David Freeman and his dad were talking in his bedroom, there were two models built sitting in front of a box for the AMT 59 Vette, kit #6588, and a second later on the other shelf was General Lee in the background. This particular scene was actually a Hollywood screw up. The beginning of the movie is supposed to take place in 1978. The 59 Vette kit however, was not introduced by AMT until mid 1985, when the movie was actually filmed.

I know I've seen car, truck, ship, Sub, airplane and Helicopter models in other movies, but can't remember specifics. So, this thread thread will be dedicated to "Models in the movies". If you see one in a movie, put the info here. If you can get lucky and find it in a search online as I did in this case, try and post a kit number as often as possible. If you happen to find the scene on you-tube or whatever, paste a link to it here as well.That way we can all check out the scene, and/or get close ups of the model or kit from Ebay or whatever.

As an added bonus, If it happens to be one of the same kits you built yourself and have on a shelf, show us yours. I know that over the years I often saw many of the same toys, models, and other items that were identical to the ones I had as a kid . I think this should be fun and informative

Thanks in advance for your participation: Nick Rizzo

[slusher]

On pickers Frank bought a bunch of unbuilt kits on a shelf. In another episode Mike bought a ship model of a guy, think it was the Arizona...

[Darren B]

On pickers Frank bought a bunch of unbuilt kits on a shelf. In another episode Mike bought a ship model of a guy, think it was the Arizona...

I have seen that too, pretty cool, wish i could get in on some of those scores.......

[montecarlo1980]

I remember the movie Mr. Destiny with James Belushi, he builds a AMT '55 Porsche Spyder in the movie. The movie came out in 1990, I have a still shot from IMDB of James building the Porsche. I tried searching real quick for the kit but I can't seem to find anything on it. I remember in the movie when Michael Caine grants his wish, he later owns the real car, which is a kit car replica used in the movie. He later finds himself unhappy with his new found riches, and builds a model of the car again. If anyone else can find some info on this kit that would be awesome. Heres the link with a pic of it.

http://www.imdb.com/...45664/tt0100201

Edited November 10, 2012 by montecarlo1980

[1930fordpickup]

On the TV show Rob , his father in law (Cheech )was building a Tijuana Taxi in one show. Not a movie but on film .

Edited November 10, 2012 by 1930fordpickup

[montecarlo1980]

Andy I remember that episode, it was like the 4th episode of the show. Cheech had the box for the model sitting on a bigger box in the corner, and the model sitting on his desk.

[Guest]

In Close Encounters of the Third kind, the character "Roy" has a model of the Enterprise and Klingon ship from Star Trek hanging in his lving room.

[ReptileGuy]

Oh I just remembered another one. I don't remember what the movie was called. But it was a mid 80's movie... Rodney Dangerfield is building a Mezzerschmitd airplane model at various stages in the movie and I think he finished it in the end. Anyone know what movie it was..?

[glusnifr]

in the opening credits of gone in sixty seconds ,with nick cage,there is a scene of his model builds .a 57 chevy gasser in the foreground.

in the HITMAN with chuck norris (not tim olyphant),he builds model planes ,and teaches a kid in his building how to build.

in BIG with tom hanks, he builds the 1/350 scale aircraft carrier the, enterprise

[Erik Smith]

Super 8 - the main character is a model builder.

[Art Anderson]

I remember the movie Mr. Destiny with James Belushi, he builds a AMT '55 Porsche Spyder in the movie. The movie came out in 1990, I have a still shot from IMDB of James building the Porsche. I tried searching real quick for the kit but I can't seem to find anything on it. I remember in the movie when Michael Caine grants his wish, he later owns the real car, which is a kit car replica used in the movie. He later finds himself unhappy with his new found riches, and builds a model of the car again. If anyone else can find some info on this kit that would be awesome. Heres the link with a pic of it.

http://www.imdb.com/...45664/tt0100201

AMT never kitted that Porsche--however, Revell did a slightly later Porsche racer, way back about 1959.

Art

[Art Anderson]

Models of cars have played a huge role as props in Hollywood movies over the years. Starting in the late 1920's or early 30's, studios hired model makers to create exacting miniatures of cars, mostly in larger scales, such as 1/10, 1/8, even in 1/6 scales, for studio shots of street scenes, even crash scenes. Today, whenever someone puts up one of those survivor studio models for auction (forget eBay, or Barrett-Jackson--try Sotheby's or Park Bernett) they bring MAJOR dollars.

Art

[Danno]

A few years ago I scored an eBay auction in the middle of the night, middle of the week, which was mislabeled. I don't even remember now how it was titled, or how I stumbled on it, but I thought I was buying a box with a partially built Chevy sedan kit in it. I paid something like $35 including shipping.

What I got was a Revell shipping carton - a full case (12) of the Caprice taxi/fire chief kits, all opened, most of the motors and chassis assembled, but no parts missing. Each of the boxes had notes as to details, colors, numbers and markings the models were to have been built with.

The return address label on the shipping carton was from a movie studio. I also got a note explaining that these were left-overs from the studio's modelmaking department after they shot the movie "King Kong." They used the Revell kits to make the police cars and taxis in the downtown destruction scenes. They ended up with an unneeded extra case of Caprices, which they eBayed ... and I bought.

Somehow, the back story made the whole deal even better! I kept the shipping carton.

[Nick Winter]

Oh I just remembered another one. I don't remember what the movie was called. But it was a mid 80's movie... Rodney Dangerfield is building a Mezzerschmitd airplane model at various stages in the movie and I think he finished it in the end. Anyone know what movie it was..?

Sounds like "Easy Money"

Nick

[montecarlo1980]

AMT never kitted that Porsche--however, Revell did a slightly later Porsche racer, way back about 1959.

Art

Yeah I had a feeling that AMT Porshce was just a movie prop kit. I've never seen that kit anywhere around the time of the movie, so I figured it was a movie prop.

[montecarlo1980]

Something funny going on with that pic. AMT never made a Porsche roadster.

They did however do the Prestige serise gullwing Mercedes kit he builds sitting on the floor later in the movie.

Yeah that kit I remember, I had that kit but never built it, later traded it to a friend.

[Chief Joseph]

"40 Days and 40 Nights." The protagonist resorts to building model cars in an attempt to take his mind off girls.

[Don Sikora II]

Sounds like "Easy Money"

Nick

Yeah, I think that's the one. I remember the scene, and it is a Messerschmitt 109. Think it was a Revell 1/32-scale kit. He has lots of problems with it, and he's trying to build it to "relax." Isn't Joe Peschi in the scene too?

[montecarlo1980]

Yeah, I think that's the one. I remember the scene, and it is a Messerschmitt 109. Think it was a Revell 1/32-scale kit. He has lots of problems with it, and he's trying to build it to "relax." Isn't Joe Peschi in the scene too?

Heres the clip of that scene funny movie!

[Nick Winter]

Yeah, I think that's the one. I remember the scene, and it is a Messerschmitt 109. Think it was a Revell 1/32-scale kit. He has lots of problems with it, and he's trying to build it to "relax." Isn't Joe Peschi in the scene too?

Yes he is, great movie over all actually one of my favorites.

[Roncla]

The 2008 movie ' Sunshine Cleaning ' has a couple of scenes shot in a room full of built and unbuilt kitsets and the one armed actor is working on sanding a fuselage

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862846/

[Zarana-X]

I was watching "Two and a Half Men" last night. It was probably a re-run, my wifre usually watches it, and I will if I'm in teh room.

Alan started building model kits, but they played it off as an immature pastime. Both Charlie and Jake made fun of him for it.

They showed him building a 78 Firebird, and later a Mystery Machine at the kitchen table. It was obvious from the way he was handling stuff he wasn't actually doing anything.

On his nightstand he had a row of cars, and after an argument with Rose, he ends up with a Trans Am glued to his crotch. It looks like they used a 1/18 die-cast car for that shot.

Overall it was kinda insulting they way they portrayed it as a hobby for immature people/kids.

[Deathgoblin]

In the Big Bang Theory until Wolowitz and Bernadette got married, he had an AMT USS Enterprise (1701-D) hanging from his ceiling.

[russosborne]

Not a movie, but the show Mayberry RFD with Ken Berry (late 60's ?) had an episode where his tv son built a model of the car that another adult on the show( think it was a guest star for that one episode) had. I really remember that since I was about the same age as the kid in the show and was really building models then. Do not remember what the car was though. I do remember thinking that the Ken Berry character seemed a little jealous.

Russ

[Modelmartin]

In the movie Independence Day with Will Smith there is a scene where I think new York is being blown up. It is obvious they are blowing model cars down the street to simulate real cars being blown away by the alien blast.

My Favorite is THX 1138 by George Lucas. The spaceship has a bomb that gets periodically lowered out of the bomb bay. It is an AMT Fruehauf Trailer with a bunch of strange parts attached to the bottom of it! This movie was done while he was in film school. He commemorated it by using the movie name for the license plate of Milner's coupe shortened by one digit to THX 138.