Catacombs Credits GuideArt
Catacombs Credits GuideThe props crew work within the art department, and are responsible for managing the props, from commlocks to chairs and tables. They may build props from scratch and do maintenance, as well as storing and moving the props into position. The chargehand is in charge of other prop crew.
Eddie Francis worked on Superman (1978), Reds (1981), The Dark Crystal (1982), Supergirl (1984), Lifeforce (1985), The Crying Game (1992). He died in 2006.
Props and sets were bought or rented from prop hire companies, built in-house or sub-contracted to a number of prop companies.
Space Models was based in Feltham, Middlesex, near Heathrow airport. The company was formed in 1964, and by 1973 they already had worked with Gerry Anderson on several series, supplying SFX models as well as props, and employed several model makers who had worked on the Anderson shows. They also had close relationships with the aircraft industry, and the bulk of their work was making model display aircraft for promotions including air shows, travel agents or pilot training simulators.
The Space Models logo is visible on-screen on some of the computer panels. They also made the Eagles and some guest SFX models.
Bottom right, the "SM" circle logo, with the text Space Models DataFix Ltd. Sometimes black tape is put over this text to hide it.
Originally part of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's studio providing props for the puppet series, Century 21 Film Props was spun off as a separate company in 1965. It was based in Bourne End, near Marlow in Buckinghamshire, and run by Don Fagan, with Terry Curtis (a former puppet sculptor) also as an employee. Although primarily it built props for the puppet series, and later UFO (1969), they also worked for other film productions, starting with The Champions (1967). The company had on-screen credits on UFO and Up Pompeii (1971). The company name was changed to Computer Printout in 1971, becoming completely independent of Anderson, although they continued to work on The Protectors, Space: 1999 and Into Infinity.
They made all the Main Mission desks (and refurbished them for Command Center), as well as the Eagle cockpit panels. Space 1999 also rented some existing props, including panels from UFO used extensively in the Ultra Probe interior, plus regularly appearing props Bergman's spheres and the green pipe.
In addition to creating props, often electronic instrumentation based on real IBM hardware, the were rented their existing props to many productions, which explains the many appearances of UFO panels and even Main Mission desks in shows such as Dr Who, Blakes 7 and The Tomorrow People.
Copyright Martin Willey