The Crown..again

[BigScott]

Screenshot_20240118-154822.jpg
Margaret Morrison put up picture of their 'Crown' Ghillie Dance sporran earlier today and guess what? I'd bought it off the Bay a couple of months ago! MM say they only made one but Bonham's are selling props from the series including the Ghillie Dance outfit worn by Johnathan Pryce
and supposedly including the sporran which they describe perfectly.. I bought it from a seller of props, I think, because I liked the shape and the tassels.

[OC Richard]

It's a beautiful sporran!

Here's the scene in The Crown where Jonathan Pryce wears it, and it pictured on the MM page.



Here are the photos which must have inspired that outfit, the Queen and Prince Philip at the RSPS Ball in 1982.

As you see MM didn't get the shape of the cantle quite right.

Also they had to substitute a different tartan for his Balmoral waistcoat (Balmoral being restricted) and the one they picked is too dark.

[figheadair]

lso they had to substitute a different tartan for his Balmoral waistcoat (Balmoral being restricted) and the one they picked is too dark.

Not to mention that it did not exist at the time the scene was set.

[OC Richard]

Not to mention that it did not exist at the time the scene was set.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story- Mark Twain

If Hollywood has a guiding principle, that quote is probably it.

Pretty much every scene in a historical film that has an inaccuracy was shot with the historical advisor off to one side telling the director that that's not how it was.

And so it goes with the costumes! The costumer does the research but has to work within what the director, art director, and sometimes the actors (if they're influential enough) or the producers (if it's a cost issue) want.

I think a while back there was discussion of some film (The Crown?) where they put a 1930s Royal in a kilt in one of House of Edgar's 1980s Irish County tartans. The costumer, or at least the historical adviser, was probably overrulled by one or more of the higher-ups.

Actually given the immense budget and prestige of The Crown I'm a bit surprised that the costumer didn't just have a "comp" tartan woven. Hollywood does it with film music all the time (large portions of the score of Star Wars was comped).

In any case this commercially available tartan is lighter and might have worked better.

[MurrayInGA]

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story- Mark Twain
I think a while back there was discussion of some film (The Crown?) where they put a 1930s Royal in a kilt in one of House of Edgar's 1980s Irish County tartans. The costumer, or at least the historical adviser, was probably overrulled by one or more of the higher-ups.

I was just mentioning this the other day. I think you're referring to 'The King's Speech'. Sporting the County Kerry tartan to match the 'everything is blue and drab' tone of the scene.
kilt.jpg

[OC Richard]

Yes that's it, thanks!