1 of 1- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
- Posts: 4,410
And the Oscar for the Best Typewriter goes to...
Did anyone watch the 86th Academy Awards last night? Typewriter enthusiasts who were tuned in to the Hollywood smoozefest were treated to a spectacular stage set for the presentation of the writing Oscars for best Original Screenplay and Adapted Screenplay.
When Penelope Cruz and Robert De Niro took the stage to present the two Oscars I couldn't believe what I was looking at. Forming the backdrop behind them were two massive steel shelving unit - on castors - filled with vintage standard typewriters - 120 of them in total!
Naturally I missed what was being said, and didn't catch much from the winner's (Spike Jonze and John Ridley) speeces either, because I was too busy trying to identify the typewriters that were on display. Aside from also admiring the rack that was used to present them, I wondered how long it had taken the set designers to come up with so many standards. I suspect there are a lot of vintage typewriter owners in the L.A. area who are now boasting that their machines were a feature of the Academy Awards.
Penelope Cruz and Robert DeNiro present the best writing awards.
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John Ridley wins the Oscar for Adapted Screenplay
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How many machines can you identify? There are a LOT of Royal models in there.
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All 120 typewriters in their full glory. Note the graphic above them; it reminds me of the Typewriter Talk banner. 
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Presentation over. The racks were wheeled away and machines returned to their owners.
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The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- ProfessorC30
- Platen Punisher
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- From: Arkansas, USA
- Registered: 20-4-2013
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Re: And the Oscar for the Best Typewriter goes to...
Do you know they were borrowed from private owners? I would think the prop houses in LA would have at least this many.
Yours are the clearest screen shots that I've seen. Good Job!
Clark
- Uwe
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: And the Oscar for the Best Typewriter goes to...
You're right, they weren't necessarily privately owned machines. I just didn't think a prop department would have 120 machines - standards at that. They do a lot of filming in Toronto and as a result props are in demand here as well. A local antique dealer who does a lot of business with the film companies discussed the idea of pooling typewriter collections in the Toronto area as a rental pool. I was game, but was suprised that the two other collectors I knew in the area weren't interested, so I dropped the idea.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
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