Movie TARDIS Indeed!

[typeforte]

Has anyone yet managed to verify the lineage of the box that stands in the back of The WHO Shop in East Ham?

I raised this a year or so ago on the strength of a conversation I had with a seemingly well-informed fellow working at the counter... he told me quite matter-of-factly that it was the/a Cushing movie prop (screen used) and acquired with the assistance of John Nathan-Turner many years ago.

Has no-one followed this up yet?  It's intriguing given the supposed fate of the (sole?) Cushing box - which it's believed was destroyed as part of pyrotechnic shot in The Avengers TV series.

A few pictures of the WHO Shop prop would be useful but there don't appear to be any online.  Are any of our members within easy reach of the shop (directly opposite the tube station at East Ham)?

TF.

[purpleblancmange]

I've seen the Who Shop box up close and spoken to the people there about it on a number of times... Alex tells me that JNT found it for her and that it was the Movie box - though I said to her that it's the wrong shape for that, also pointed out what happened to it in The Avengers.

I reckon it's one of the many Ealing Boxes, it's quite old, very knackered and quite crudely assembled (with lots of cheap hardboard backing) which makes me think it is a prop and not a replica built by a fan.

Unfortunately on the visits I've had there, I haven't ever had a camera with me.  Next time I'll take one with me, though I never actually buy anything from that shop, nice though the people are.

Purple

PS.  That first clickable thumbnail of the old Yale lock latch on the Movie prop - I bought one identical to that yesterday from B&Q for £20, I'll upload a picture of it later.

[Rassilons Rod]

A few pictures of the WHO Shop prop would be useful but there don't appear to be any online.  Are any of our members within easy reach of the shop (directly opposite the tube station at East Ham)?

I have one of me and "Geoff" Sax... Back when I had short hair. This was taken infront of the Who Shop TARDIS... Not sure how much of it is visible though...

I'll see if I can dig it out.

-Marc

[Rassilons Rod]

Why didn't the BBC try to acquire the movie prop after it was clear that there wouldn't be a third Dalek movie? After all, a movie dalek was reused for the television show (The Planet of the Daleks).  It would have made a good replacement for the original prop (which was looking particularly tatty by the end of the sixties) -  just imagine the newly regenerated Doctor (Jon Pertwee) stumbling out of it instead: at the very least it would have more closely matched the minature prop used just beforehand! It seems a shame when you consider it's undignified end.

What undignified end? Isn't it the one sitting in The Who Shop in east ham?

[kiwidoc]

What undignified end? Isn't it the one sitting in The Who Shop in east ham?

Conventional wisdom is that the AARU box was retained by Ealing studios and eventually was blown up in an epsidoeo f the Avengers by a Pram with a Bomb in it.  There are some captures on the this in the TARDIS Library somewhere but I'ev just found  couple of pags missing from the site on moive boxes so add that to the redesign list...

The WHO SHOP box is often said to be the original Hartnell or Movie box by people there but this is clearly not correct in many ways - Purple has confirmed this but I can't remeber if the box has any other provenance other than the guest appeanaces it's had from actors in the store.  It's just an old replica I think.

[timerotor]

RE: The Who shop Tardis in EastHam,
I was in the shop on Monday searching for sound effects records etc, and I asked about the police box.
The guy in the shop... (owner)
did say that it wasn't from DRWHO but was belived to have been bought from a film studio many years ago.
I could see imediately that it was over proportionate.
I know that when I stand next to a Police box the windows are in line with my head - this WHO shop tardis - well they were up there above me somewhere....
I find that shop quite sad. Its trying to be an exhibition and a shop all in one with no space to see anything clearly.
The staff are nice. I asked the chap about his roundel - he says its original from the studio set, but won't let anyone get close enough to see... He said he would sell it if he recieved a serious offer.... I expect he means a thousand at least.
I may venture upto see this Blackpool museum.
Haven't been yet.
I expect its just Longleat and Llangollen all mixed into one with many items missing due to auctions and the like. anyone been - is it any good? - am I right?
hey ho!

[mechanoid]

A photo of the Who shop TARDIS

EDIT: I just saw the date on the post requesting WHO shop pictures - 2007. So sorry, but someone may appreciate it! Despite what the sign says, I think it is safe to assume that this was never in the films! Maybe someone knows better?

[acquiesce]

great picture of the who shop tardis

an there by hangs a tale must say thay have done a pretty good job of gluing it back together from match wood and into a completely different shape an style too 

ho hum !!

[meantimebob]

They made the same claim about a season 18 Tom Baker costume that they have. Anyone with a pair of eyes can see its an extremely poor imitation, in fact the auction they bought it in even listed it as such.

[mechanoid]

Maybe the sign saying "This TARDIS was used in the film 'Dalek Invasion of Earth'" does not refer  to the 1966 movie, but a fan film of the same name. Which, if true, is very sneeky! Otherwise it is complete and utter Galifreyan ball ox!

[Kingpin]

In their defence, whilst some objects are of dubious provenance, they do have the actual Coronet of Rassilon from The Five Doctors, a Shan-gril-la staff jacket from Delta and the Bannermen as well as other identifiable costumes...

However as has been pointed out, that TARDIS definitely isn't what it's claimed to be.

[acquiesce]

Maybe the sign saying "This TARDIS was used in the film 'Dalek Invasion of Earth'" does not refer  to the 1966 movie, but a fan film of the same name. Which, if true, is very sneeky! Otherwise it is complete and utter Galifreyan ball ox!

Or perhaps a very very long shot of a police box in the background somewhere can,t say i have ever really looked to see if there actually is one caught on camera would be a nice get out of jail free card to the claim 

[parsons86]

I Think I can throw some light on this prop. It was made for a very amateur film called Ocean in The Sky made by the DWAS in the late 70's on super 8.
The man who made the film claimed it was from the Cushing Movies as was one of the Daleks used in his film which he claimed was the Dalek chucked down the lift shaft in Dr.WHO & THE DALEKS.
It obviously wasn't as it looked like one cobbled together from the notorious Radio Times special plans. I think a bit of wool was pulled over the WHO Shop owners' eyes when they bought this prop in good faith
many years ago.
Mike

[meantimebob]

That's fascinating, thank you. After all this time its great to know where that thing originated.

[Avadh]

Looking at the picture of the Who Shop Tardis it actually reminds me of the 1996 tv movie tardis. The roof stacking, sign boxes, doors and the base. There are some similiarities there and I actually saw this box in person last time I was at the who shop which must have been around 1997 long time ago. Time for another visit I think.