your ideas

[Eliot]

Hello,

Today I've got a new challenge to you...

Some friends and I are trying to produce an amateur movie (we all share the passion of Golden Era clothing). The script is based up on (old) movies (e. g. "The Scarface Mob", "M", "Some Like It Hot" etc.), books ("The Untouchables") and pure fiction.

I'm playing special prohibition agent Eliot Ness (no wonder, or?) ;-)

The "movie" takes place in 1930 in "Chicago" (Munich old town) and the "U. S./Mexican border" (the southern Bavaria) ;-)

It's really a great project; we have worked years on it to realize it.

Now, there is my question: If you think on special prohibition agent Eliot Ness - what would be the right style for him (except the styles which are shown in the 1959 movie, in the 1960?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s TV series, the 1987 movie and the 1990?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s TV series)?

Here you can find a photo of him:

http://www.sunnews.com/images/eliot.jpg

I know several other pictures of him where he wears fashionable double-breasted suits, striped ties and collar needles. But, I think this wouldn't be a real help, or?

I don't want to recreate my "costume" from movies or old photos - I want to "catch" that special "Eliot Ness style" with my clothes, you know? ;-)

Many thanks for your ideas!

Best wishes,
Eliot

 

[3PieceSuitGuy]

You are already on the right track...

Hello Eliot,

I think you have hit on the right way to do it and that is to look at photos of Ness and see how he dressed. If there are any movies of him, newsreels etc then I would check them out to see how he moved and what he wore etc. There should be some biographies out there that would have more photo's. Otherwise all you can really do is dress as true to the time as possible to get yourself into character.

I read once that when Billy Bob Thornton did the movie "The Man Who Wasn't There" they made him wear sock garters to help him get into character. I think it is the little touches like that that help you form a character. You actually feel the things a gent from that time would have felt everyday through what he wore.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Peter

 

[Eliot]

Dear Peter,

thank you for your tip! :cheers1:

This is as interesting as helpful. I have found five pages of pictures from from the "Cleveland Memory" in the internet - may they will also help me with finding the G-man's style...

http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cgi-...ate2_comprehensive.html&CISOROWS=2&CISOCOLS=4

Best wishes,
Eliot

 

[Mycroft]

Great props always help like the feeling of a real tommy gun or .45 in your hand and the cold steel, gives you the "burden" of the ability to kill someone and the history behind the gun.

 

[Eliot]

You're right. But, real props like Ness' .38 Colt Detective Special or a G-man's Winchester sawed-off shotgun would be great props, but really hard to get them!

At the moment I'm going to collet everything I can get from that period.

Best wishes,
Eliot

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Cleveland, Ohio.

Dear Peter,

thank you for your tip! :cheers1:

This is as interesting as helpful. I have found five pages of pictures from from the "Cleveland Memory" in the internet - may they will also help me with finding the G-man's style...

http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cgi-...ate2_comprehensive.html&CISOROWS=2&CISOCOLS=4

Best wishes,
Eliot

Is my home town, so I have read a little bit about him in various books and articles. If I can find anything that may be useful to you, I'll forward it to you.

 

[John in Covina]

Auto biography?

I think Ness wrote a book about his exploits. If so start there.

 

[shamus]

what are you going to shoot it on?

 

[Patrick]

You're right. But, real props like Ness' .38 Colt Detective Special or a G-man's Winchester sawed-off shotgun would be great props, but really hard to get them!

At the moment I'm going to collet everything I can get from that period.

Best wishes,
Eliot

I don't know what kind of gun law restrictions you have in your area, but replica winchester model 97's are available and not that hard to find. I believe that is what the g men would have used. Let me know if you need any more info on these. Man, we're talking awesome firepower with that 97!

P.