Fountain Pens in Movies and TV

[catbert]

Interesting to see the studio of Charlie Mackesy, author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, and some dip pens in action on CBS Sunday Morning.

Mackesy.jpg

[Hadsiei]

To be honest, I already forgot the last time I watched anything. Now we are talking not only about films, but also about the usual viewing of videos from YouTube. Due to quarantine and remote work, I have almost no free time. I hope I will have a day off and thanks to this topic I can find what to watch in my free time. I have a large TV set at home, but as I wrote, I don't even watch it. I used to be very fond of various films, streaming services, I even read the RV TV Antenna Review guide in order to find a good antenna, but as it turned out, everything was useless. Thanks to everyone who shared excellent video materials in this topic, you helped me a lot.

[mana]

The main character in Netflix's "Paranormal" (Egyptian show about supernatural stuff) uses a silver/metal colored fountain pen in like four of the six episodes. Great fun albeit easily turned to something that just runs in the background. Could have used more rigorous editorial control script wise (more focused).

[guyy]

Blazing Saddles has some anachronistic fountain pens: Mel Brooks signs some papers for Heddi Lamar — i mean Hedley — with one his 1920s looking desk pens. But it’s Blazing Saddles so who cares that the pens are from the 20th c.

[carlos.q]

Back to two of my favorite subjects: time travel and fountain pens... "El Ministerio del Tiempo" (The Ministry of Time) is a truly wonderful and well made Spanish TV series on time travel. The series is described by IMDB as "A warrior from the 16th Century, the first female university student from the 19th Century, and a paramedic from the 21st Century join a secret agency to prevent people from changing Spanish history using time-traveling doors." In the chapter tiled "Tiempo de espías" (Time of spies) one of the main characters uses a hooded fountain pen in a scene that takes place in 1943. At first glance it looks like a Parker 51 but the cap looks wrong:

Aurora1.png

In another scene a closeup reveals it looks a lot like a vintage Aurora 88:

Aurora2.png

Since Aurora started producing the 88 in the year 1947 then it couldn't have been used in 1943. But then again, this is a series on time travel...

[fountainpenkid]

Back to two of my favorite subjects: time travel and fountain pens... "El Ministerio del Tiempo" (The Ministry of Time) is a truly wonderful and well made Spanish TV series on time travel. The series is described by IMDB as "A warrior from the 16th Century, the first female university student from the 19th Century, and a paramedic from the 21st Century join a secret agency to prevent people from changing Spanish history using time-traveling doors." In the chapter tiled "Tiempo de espías" (Time of spies) one of the main characters uses a hooded fountain pen in a scene that takes place in 1943. At first glance it looks like a Parker 51 but the cap looks wrong:

Aurora1.png

In another scene a closeup reveals it looks a lot like a vintage Aurora 88:

Aurora2.png

Since Aurora started producing the 88 in the year 1947 then it couldn't have been used in 1943. But then again, this is a series on time travel...

the clip still looks off for an 88...could it be one of the many "51" --or 88-- clones?

[kaliuzhkin]

A very obscure film - Sally of the Sawdust (1925), a silent D. W. Griffith film starring W. C. Fields.

W. C. Fields, as Professor McGargle, is writing a letter with a dip pen. He dips the pen in what he thinks is ink but it's really a cup of tea. That doesn't work so he dips it in ink. This scene isn't significant; it just happens and is hilarious in an understated way. About 10 seconds, around 5:40. The letter is central to the plot.

[catbert]

A Texas ICU doctor was interviewed on GMA with an impressive pen collection in the background.

GMAVaron1.jpg

GMAVaron2.jpg

[kaliuzhkin]

They don't talk about the pens on GMA :-(

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

Smiley writes with one in the 2010 movie version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - which is currently streaming on Netflix.

God rest John le Carré.

[FredRydr]

Smiley writes with one in Tinker, Soldier, Sailor, Spy, which is currently streaming on Netflix....

IMHO, the BBC/Paramount production that stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley is a superior watch.

[carlos.q]

Smiley writes with one in Tinker, Soldier, Sailor, Spy, which is currently streaming on Netflix....

IMHO, the BBC/Paramount production that stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley is a superior watch.

Probably... but do they have fountain pens?

[catbert]

Smiley writes with one in Tinker, Soldier, Sailor, Spy, which is currently streaming on Netflix....

IMHO, the BBC/Paramount production that stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley is a superior watch.

Probably... but do they have fountain pens?

In keeping with the subtle superiority of the 1979 Alec Guinness/BBC version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, a fountain pen is implied by the presence of a bottle of Quink on Control's desk.

TTSS.jpg

[carlos.q]

Smiley writes with one in Tinker, Soldier, Sailor, Spy, which is currently streaming on Netflix....

IMHO, the BBC/Paramount production that stars Alec Guinness as George Smiley is a superior watch.

Probably... but do they have fountain pens?

In keeping with the subtle superiority of the 1979 Alec Guinness/BBC version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, a fountain pen is implied by the presence of a bottle of Quink on Control's desk.

Green ink for sure....

[Chrissy]

Just in case anyone reading this is a Countdown fan like me, Nick Hewer, the host, writes with a Lamy Safari during the show.

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

Thank you, Fred, for pointing me to them, which i missed. Fortunately some of the episodes are still online.

In the movie version, John le Carré appears during the Christmas party.

[FredRydr]

Thank you, Fred, for pointing me to them, which i missed. Fortunately some of the episodes are still online....

Only some? BTW, there is a second series with Alec Guinness titled Smiley's People. I bought the DVDs for both, long before streaming came about.

[catbert]

Thank you, Fred, for pointing me to them, which i missed. Fortunately some of the episodes are still online....

Only some? BTW, there is a second series with Alec Guinness titled Smiley's People. I bought the DVDs for both, long before streaming came about.

When I first watched Smiley's People, fountain pens were not as salient to me — had them, used them, that was all. It was interesting to skim the DVDs with different eyes. I remembered the cigarette lighter for plot reasons, but not the pens.

Smiley mostly uses ballpoints. Here perhaps a Sheaffer Targa.

SmileyTarga.jpg

Then, in the last episode (no spoilers), the master spy takes out a Waterman Master to write an important letter.

SmileyMaster2.jpg

SmileyMaster3.jpg

SmileyMaster4.jpg

[catbert]

Just in case anyone reading this is a Countdown fan like me, Nick Hewer, the host, writes with a Lamy Safari during the show.

Seen in this article about his decision to step down in 2021.



Countdown was the first show to be broadcast when Channel 4 launched in 1982, preceded only by the full version of the station theme, Fourscore.

[Chrissy]

Yes it's true that Countdown was the first show to be shown when Channel 4 was launched.
It's still a popular quiz show, but Carol Vorderman, made famous as the first woman to appear on Channel 4, and the co-host/arithmetic expert on the show for 26 years, left in July 2008 after being offered a take it or leave it 90% pay cut.