Visconti Van Gogh - in 1960???

[Tracy Lee]

A good laugh. Watching the new TV show Alcatraz and the prison warden has a dinner party in 1960. Gives a gift in a wood box to an employee and he pulls out this lovely cream colored celluloid fountain pen and there is no mistaking it is a Visconti. Even my non pen husband immediately recognized the clip from so many of mine. Had a chuckle, there wasn't a Visconti until 1988 - and it would have been SOOO easy to put a period accurate pen in that box for heaven's sake. The show involves some time travel so maybe. . . Nah. Just sloppy. But a beautiful choice despite the fact he stabbed someone with it shortly after. Nib abuse - who do I call?

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[eriquito]

I've seen another pen with a clip very similar to those sported by Visconti. I can't think of where I saw that pen or whether it was vintage or modern (post-1960, in this case).

Who's making this Alcatraz TV show? Maybe they need an email.

[Tracy Lee]

Not sure what network. . .but this was a rather lovely modern celluloid near as I could see. They didn't let the camera linger on it. My husband is into movie props/replicas so I am starting to notice things more that I never paid attention to. You just don't see enough pens in movies or TV so in a strange way it was refreshing to see a time when that was a big gift. Wish my boss would give me a nice pen. .

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[Maja]

Hi Tracy,

Oh wow.....I didn't realize you had posted about the pen here (I started a thread about the pen on Pentrace about 8 hours after you posted here ...

Anyway, we recorded the show and it was an ivory Visconti Rembrandt fountain pen that was used as a weapon in the scene between the Deputy Warden and the "prisoner of the week". I believe the Rembrandt model came out in 2009,
so the prop master was really off (by almost 50 years!). I have the same pen (bought from Bryant Greer) and it's an awesome fountain pen. Sad to see it covered in (fake) blood on the tv show....

[Maja]

Oh, forgot to mention something else I remembered....If you recall (those of you who saw the pen), the scene required the deputy Warden to uncap the pen with one hand, so the pen couldn't have a screw-on cap....which leaves fountain pens made around 1960 with slip-on caps that had prominent nibs (ie. no Parker 51s or 61s! ) ....Perhaps a Sheaffer PFM??

[Tracy Lee]

Maja, you are my hero! We were just taken aback by the sloppiness on that. It is a gorgeous pen, I am looking at one to add to my collection. It does not look good garnished in gore, you are so right. Thanks for the confirming post!

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[Maja]

You're very welcome, Tracy!

The latest ep of "Alcatraz" featured yet another fountain pen!
I thought I spotted Dr. Lucy Banerjee (in 1960!) using a Cross Aventura fountain pen while she was trying to work out the hidden meanings in the song lyrics. Anyone else spot that?

[Tracy Lee]

We have it on the DVR but haven't watched it yet. I will be poised with finger on pause!

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[kenmc]

Gee, I missed that in last nights show and I deleted it after we watched it.