Movie holsters

[rednichols]

I reckon we'd all enjoy learning about the holsters used in film.

Here are three to start things off, in this case in the theme of "wrong gun".

McQ: Browning HP in Bianchi 1911 holster

McQ: DA revolver in Bianchi 1911 holster

Terminator: DA revolver in Bianchi M39 holster

Gotta love those prop masters. They would get every bit of clobber right for a period film; but for contemporary they appear to get sloppy.

But it's not the errors that I'm wanting to highlight per se; these three are just together in a computer folder and made me think that we all could very well have some favourite right (or wrong) movie holsters to share.

 

[Old cop]

I love to see the holsters in some of the cop movies but you can count on two things: The holster/gun will be worn in a manner to “show” the gun when no LEO would ever carry a gun that way; and there will always be a clicking/racking sound just before a gun is in a scene. The only exception was Barney Miller.

 

[crazyphil]

The knighted Paladin rig was made by Arvo Ojala, and worn
by Richard Boone in Have Gun Will Travel.
My re-creation is this Hunter buscadero rig with the knight
that I added.

PS The gun is Ruger's New Model Super Blackhawk .44 magnum.
The knife is a Case.

 

[crazyphil]

By the way, Arvo was the gunfighter who always lost to Matt Dillon in the
opening scene of Gunsmoke. Matt's holster was made by Alfonso Pineda
who worked for Arvo. Photo on the left below.

Another maker who worked for Arvo was Andy Anderson. He made the
vertical rough-out holster shown below right, which became known as
the Eastwood Rig. I never did like seeing the muzzle sticking out of the
bottom a couple of inches like that. Shane's fit the same way, and I
never did like that.

 

[crazyphil]

Maybe the most famous movie holster of all was the "Dirty Harry" shoulder holster.
I have read that the script called for a 4" barreled .44 magnum,
but they couldn't find one so they went to the longer barrel.

The original Dirty Harry holster was made by Bucheimer. After they
discontinued business, the rights were apparantly picked up by Ardolino
who did business, (and perhaps still does), as Lawman Leather.

I bought a Lawman Leather "Dirty Harry" back then for myself and one
for my Dad. Shown below at left with my S&W Model 67 Combat
Masterpiece.

Tom Selleck inherited an old gun and holster in Blue Bloods. I believe
it is a Bucheimer "Combat" model. I don't have a "Combat", but the
Sheriff is the same holster in cross-draw configuration. 2nd from left
below.

The FBI Story starring Jimmy Stewart has a scene where he is being
escorted on a tour by the real Hank Sloan. Watching one of the new
recruits go through the paces, I couldn't help but notice he was wearing
my old Heiser holster. Its an old HHH with no model number, but is
identical to the later Heiser model 457. 3rd from left below.

The holster designed by Hank Sloan was made by Bucheimer.
Mine is shown below, 4th from left, also with the S&W model 67.

Jack Webb know as Joe Friday on Dragnet carried his snub nosed
.38 M&P in a cross-draw by Lewis, kinda like mine shown below
5th from left. Malloy also carried his model 36 off duty in a Lewis
cross-draw in Adam 12.

 

[crazyphil]

I reckon we'd all enjoy learning about the holsters used in film.

Here are three to start things off, in this case in the theme of "wrong gun".

View attachment 320848 McQ: Browning HP in Bianchi 1911 holster

View attachment 320849 McQ: DA revolver in Bianchi 1911 holster

View attachment 320850 Terminator: DA revolver in Bianchi M39 holster

Gotta love those prop masters. They would get every bit of clobber right for a period film; but for contemporary they appear to get sloppy.

But it's not the errors that I'm wanting to highlight per se; these three are just together in a computer folder and made me think that we all could very well have some favourite right (or wrong) movie holsters to share.

There is plenty of material for a book in this subject.
At least a chapter in a book Red?

 

[BAM-BAM]

Michael Douglas ..... Streets of San Francisco....IIRC cross draw/wrong tilt and worn at 7 O'clock/ behind his left hip.

Didn't Barney Miller wear his holster at about 6 o'clock /small of back??????

 

[crazyphil]

Michael Douglas ..... Streets of San Francisco....IIRC cross draw/wrong tilt and worn at 7 O'clock/ behind his left hip.

Didn't Barney Miller wear his holster at about 6 o'clock /small of back??????

Actually I have seen photos of Barney wearing his holster
more like at 5 O'Clock looking like a conventional right hand
draw. But, I have also read that Barney was left handed, and
that he would reach around back with palm out to grasp the
handle of his gun. He would have had to be a bit of a
contortionest.

I think like the Old Cop mentioned above. The Director would
just put items in the scene wherever they would make the best
shot.

 

[BAM-BAM]

The Director would
just put items in the scene wherever they would make the best
shot.

This probably sums it up^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Arisin Wind]

The holster used in the first Dirty Harry movies was for a 5" barrel. Eastwood's 6.5 inch M29 can be seen riding high in the holster in several scenes.

 

[Arisin Wind]

And while we're on the subject of Dirty Harry holsters, Spencer Tracy wore one in the 1960 movie It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

 

[Kiwi cop]

Cullen Bohannan in Hell on Wheels used two different guns with barrels that stuck out below the holster. I can’t recall what the first one was but after her lost it during the first season he replaced it with a Remington ‘58. And the way he tucked the free end of the belt under and then back over the top again.

And I recently saw the remake of The Magnificent Seven on DVD again Sam Chisholm wore the first Calvary twist draw holster I can recall seeing in a western other than one used by a cavalry character.

 

[Old cop]

When Dirty Harry first came out there was a run on the S&W .44 mag and some guys I worked with (old clothes unit) snuck them into shoulder holsters when they were working. I’m just glad no one had to use that monster gun in our densly populated city.

 

[turnerriver]

I want to know who made the rig that Ted De Corsia wore in The Gunfight at the OK Corral.
Regards,
turnerriver

 

[jimmyj]

Gun Leather

Cullen Bohannan in Hell on Wheels used two different guns with barrels that stuck out below the holster. I can’t recall what the first one was but after her lost it during the first season he replaced it with a Remington ‘58. And the way he tucked the free end of the belt under and then back over the top again.

And I recently saw the remake of The Magnificent Seven on DVD again Sam Chisholm wore the first Calvary twist draw holster I can recall seeing in a western other than one used by a cavalry character.

Cavalry Draw:
1. Will Bill Elliott
2. Rex Allen

 

[turnerriver]

Crazyphil took the time and trouble to contact a friend with knowledge of gun leather & the movie industry. His guess on the Ted De Corsia rig is Andy Anderson as Arvo Ojala & Alphonso didn't do much floral carving. Thanks, Phil, that sounds good to me.
My father took me to a double feature when I was a kid, Last Train to Gun Hill & Gunfight at the OK Corral. The latter movie made a big impression on me & led to a lifelong interest in Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday. I'll take a close look at Ted's rig next time I watch that movie.
Regards
turnerriver

 

[jframejoey]

The Bat Masterson tv show rig was very cool. Minimal cross draw on a garrison pants belt with cartridge slide up front on the strong side.

 

[crazyphil]

Crazyphil took the time and trouble to contact a friend with knowledge of gun leather & the movie industry. His guess on the Ted De Corsia rig is Andy Anderson as Arvo Ojala & Alphonso didn't do much floral carving. Thanks, Phil, that sounds good to me.
My father took me to a double feature when I was a kid, Last Train to Gun Hill & Gunfight at the OK Corral. The latter movie made a big impression on me & led to a lifelong interest in Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday. I'll take a close look at Ted's rig next time I watch that movie.
Regards
turnerriver

The Gunfight at OK Corral was from 1957 turnerriver. Arvo
Ojala was known as the premier technical advisor to movies
at that time and Andy Anderson worked for him. Arvo and
Alfonso were not known for their carving, but Andy was. Andy
opened his own shop in 1958. So there is enough stars lined
up to say the maker of Ted's rig being Andy Anderson is a
definate maybe.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Unless I go back and redo the research I did twenty years ago I don't have citations but a couple of things in old westerns always drove me a little nuts. The "buscadero" rig was a Hollywood invention and, as I recall, so was the tie down - neither existed in the "Old West". That's what I recall, anyway.

As a rule holsters don't get my attention but Scott Bakula's small of the back rig in NCIS - New Orleans drives me nuts. Not because it's wrong but because he removes his gun and locks it up when he is in the office. What police officer ever does that???

 

[rednichols]

Unless I go back and redo the research I did twenty years ago I don't have citations but a couple of things in old westerns always drove me a little nuts. The "buscadero" rig was a Hollywood invention and, as I recall, so was the tie down - neither existed in the "Old West". That's what I recall, anyway.

Surprisingly, the buscadero rig was created, and named, for a real gunfighter: Capt. J.R. Hughes of the Texas Rangers who retired 1915. I say 'real gunfighter' because it appears he killed a lot of men in his day. The story is well-documented in both Sandra Myres' biography of Sam and his company; and by Dale Myres in a booklet about it.





It would then be more correct to say that Hollywood 'popularised' the buscadero beginning, well, at the beginning of Hollywood. The stars of the era were frequent visitors to Sam's shop in El Paso; a list of them appears in Sandra's book. And were his pallbearers! Arvo put the finishing touches on its popularisation, by using it with his patented holster in the 1950s.