Familiar Sets from Universal Films -- The Music of Flash Gordon

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 19:59:51 04/16/13 Tue
Author: Officer Torch
Subject:

Familiar Sets from Universal Films

Something of potential interest....includes Uni horror, FG, BR, others. Something to tease our memory banks, maybe have some fun or dialogue also. It concerns Universal sets, from scenes we might have noticed from various Uni films from yesteryear. Its basically using memory, but of course, feel free to cite film, or just "wing it" by opinion if you like.

I've been seeing oldie Uni "stuff" lately...horror on TCM, TV, tape, dvd, FG and BR and have noticed...hmm, a likeness shall we call it, of various sets. Here's but a fraction. I could be wrong in areas...but its fun to wonder about these scenes sometimes.

In 1936 FG, there is a long staircase from Ming's palace down to an area which has a trap door to water which can go to Kala's/sharkmen kingdom. Same stairs, more or less, maybe in '38 Mars going up from Clay Men subway to Azura's throne area. Staircase also (more or less) might be in Bride of Frankenstein in the castle. In BR, dunno maybe subway had a long staircase. (???) Also, in BR, the transporter device in hidden city looked like death dust chamber (to some extent) in FGCTU.

Next, maybe Ming's subjects (his underling Kings) throne areas have similarities appearance wise....Forest Kingdom Toran's area appears a bit like Clay Kings court area and somewhat like Rock Kings throne. Interestingly (or not), the subway entrance on Saturn looks a bit the same!?

Lots of hallways in FG, BR, desks, of course, windows, doors, electrical "stuff" have similar appearances, also in Bride of Frankenstein flick. I recently saw an Abbot and Costello film where they meet Dracula and the monster...a room with a bunch of in-and-out doors looks like FGTTM around the disintegrating room, more or less, a fiaso of doorways.

Seems BR, especially on Saturn, and Vultan's furnace room in FG '36 has something in common...very clean floors. Similar in lots of Uni movies. I could go on, but overall, seems a lot of sets were reused. (Nothing wrong with that..just a point of interest; certainly budgetary matters involved and turnaround time.) Well, dunno if this will generate interest or memories of sets, but its a thread to use if desired. For me, I'll often see some set on some Uni film and think...Hey! that was in FG, or BR or a Uni horror!

No rush, take your time... and have fun thinking about it.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Re: Familiar Sets from Universal Films -- Tim, 20:38:35 04/18/13 Thu [1]

The staircase in FG '36 is the first thing I noticed as a familiar set when I watched the serial. It looks like the staircase in Bride of Frankenstein (1935), with the same twisting turn at the bottom. I know there are other sets used in multiple pictures, but it's the staircase that many fans seem to spot.

I was thinking that the staircase also appeared in Frankenstein (1931), but after taking a look I see it's not quite the same. The stairs in Frankenstein don't have the curvy turn at the bottom like those in Bride of Frankenstein and Flash Gordon.

In chapter two of FG, prospective bride Dale Arden is led down the stairs, with Ming behind, to the Tao idol for the marriage ceremony. In chapter three we see Flash and Thun running down some other stairs (but actually the same?) leading to the gong. Flash arrives just in time to prevent the 13th strike of the gong.

A few minutes later Flash carries Dale down the long staircase, with Thun behind. Flash and Thun fight with Ming's soldiers. At this point they are in the general area of the river tunnel and trap door, as Torch mentioned. In the storyline is this supposed to be a different staircase from the one seen earlier during the wedding procession? I assume it's a different area, since I didn't see the tipped over Tao statue nearby. Correct me if I am off base, as FG is so fast-paced that it's possible to get confused.

I don't remember seeing the stairs in Trip to Mars (1938), but I have watched FG '36 more times than the other serials. I will watch for them in a future viewing of Trip to Mars.

Captain Tim

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]

[> [> Re: Familiar Sets from Universal Films -- Tim, 21:07:49 04/18/13 Thu [1]

I just watched the two scenes again, and see that the same staircase set is used for two separate locations, so I have answered my own question. For the wedding scene there are torches at the base the stairs, which are not present a short time later when Flash and Thun battle Ming's men. The first set of stairs leads to Tao, the second set to the river tunnel and eventually to Kala's kingdom.

http://www.thevervoid.com/media/flashgordon/03/flash12.jpg

Captain Tim

[ Post a Reply to This Message ]
[ Edit | View ]