Cushing Top Signs

[hb88banzai]

Closeup of the Cushing top sign and housings from second movie:



Obviously white on blue (lighter than the box) and fully back-lit in this night shot.

The only shots of the complete signs are relatively low res due to being long shots (and not even being back-lit in the first movie), but this should help in basic layout of the sign box and the font used (full and customary "Police Public Call Box", BTW).

Note that there is an inset step/frame between the sign and the sign housing like on original police boxes.

 

[mark]

Well you have been busy Banzai, pretty cool (and useful) pictures, thanks for posting them.

Are there any good close-ups of the entire box (a while since I've seen them!)

 

[hb88banzai]

A few decent overall shots are there.  I'll post them later today in a separate thread for the overall box.

It's interesting, though, as I was capturing the long shots I kept marveling how similar the Cushing box proportions are to the new series TARDIS's in a lot of ways.  It's been a long time.  Many little differences, of course, but the new series box takes  a lot more cues than I would have thought from the movie version.  To me, both look like they've been taking a few too many steroids, but actually, I think the reason for this for both boxes were probably the same - practicality - they both are a whole lot easier to get in and out of. 

The movie TARDIS got wider by increasing the diameter of the stiles (vertical parts of the doors) while the inset panels kept their relative size and proportions, whereas the 2005 TARDIS does it primarily by widening the inset panels while leaving the stiles thin. 

I'm sure this wasn't deliberate, but still an interesting bit of evolutionary convergence.

 

[ironageman]

Hmm, the Cushing top sign was pretty convincing...
Yes one can forgive the new box its increased width just for the proportionally increased dignity of entering and leaving the box. I hadn't spotted the cunning widening on the Cushing prop; I wish the BBC had thought of that instead of widening the panels!

 

[mark]

I have to agree with you Ironage. That said, the last time I saw the Dalek films I thought it was a real life police box they had used! (I was about 10 if thats any excuse!)

 

[showstopper]

cushings i was always lead to belive was an exact prop of a met box and to me the movie and new box are same scale as a real box wernt they 10ft plus and generaly verry beefy

 

[mark]

The Cushing prop was certainly the most accurate representaion of a real police box.

As far as the discussion here goes, I think the concensus is that the box was almost 100% accurate except for the slight widening of the door sills, probably in order to facilitate easier entry/exit to the box.

Met police boxes were around the 10' mark but width wise, a little narrower at about 4' 7 1/2" at the base.