Tag Archives: Radios in Movies

Can you ID this radio in Twelve O’Clock High–?

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

At about the 15 minute mark in the classic movie, Twelve O’Clock High, about B-17 bomber groups in England during WWII, this scene shows a commander and his assistant listening to Lord Haw Haw from Nazi Germany on a small console radio. Anyone recognize it?

Brigadier General Frank Savage is played by Gregory Peck, his second-in-command by Hugh Marlowe, and Robert Patten and Dean Jagger also star.

If you can ID this radio model, please comment!

Spread the radio love

Can you identify this Hallicrafters in “Sky King”–?

7 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

Who can identify the classic Hallicrafters in the 1960s show Sky King?

Thanks, Dan! Readers: if you know the answer, please comment!

Spread the radio love

Dan spots an Icom HT in Netflix Series “Spy Ops”

4 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

In these screen grabs from Spy Ops, an Afghan military leader is shown using an ICOM HT as part of post 9/11 operations against Taliban forces.

Thanks for sharing this, Dan! One can almost read the model number on the HT.

Spread the radio love

Can you identify the radios in “In Harm’s Way”–?

5 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

From the 1965 classic In Harm’s Way about the U.S. Navy after the Pearl Harbor attack. In this scene, Patricia Neal is listening to a Tokyo Rose broadcast, and speaking to John Wayne. Neal asks Wayne “why can’t they jam that broadcast?” Can anyone identify the beautiful rig she’s listening to?

Other noteworthy actors in this great movie: Carroll O’Connor, Burgess Meredith, Kirk Douglas, Slim Pickens, Paula Prentiss, Henry Fonda, Larry Hagman, George Kennedy, Christopher George.

Here are two other receivers shown in same movie:

If you can identify the radios above, please comment!

Spread the radio love

Bill identifies a “credit card” HT in the movie “Hollow Man”

3 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Hemphill (WD9EQD) who writes:

Hi Thomas,

Last night, I was watching the movie “Hollow Man.” Being a ham, I’m always watching for ham gear being used in movies. Quite often they use various Kenwood or Icom handheld radios.

At about 1 and half hours in the movie, I caught a glimpse of what I thought was one
of the more usual (and unlikely) ham heldhelds:

Just from this screen clip, I was pretty sure that I was looking at the Alinco DJ-C5 credit card HT.

I was able to capture another clip that confirmed it:

In the late 90’s, Alinco made three credit card radios; DJ-C1 for two meters, DJ-C4 for 440 and finally the DJ-C5 dual band that could also receive the aircraft band.

The C1 and C4 were earpiece only radios while the C5 had a small speaker added which made it a lot more usable.

They are quite amazing little radios. It was great fun seeing them appear in a movie.

Here’s one of mine with a ink pen next to it to show size:

Thank you for sharing this, Bill! I remember when these credit card-sized HTs were on the market and I wanted one if for no other reason than to feel like a spy! Great catch, OM!

Spread the radio love

Dan spots radios in two Netflix series

3 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

Two of the best foreign shows on Netflix are Wrong Side of the Tracks, produced in Spain, and The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, from Israel.

Classic antique radios feature in both.

In Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, a wonderful old tube set appears in a scene set in a shop in old Jerusalem (the left of the shopkeeper).

Someone in Spain must be in love with old classic radios because we see a number of them in different scenes — primarily on a shelf in the shop of one of the main characters, along with a few portable radios. The large radio could be Grundig or any one of a number of other European sets — perhaps SWLing experts can provide the answer.

Click images to enlarge:

Can you ID some of these radios? Please comment!

Spread the radio love

A Hallicrafters SX-28/A in “Battle of the Bulge”

3 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

Not a false alarm this time — one of the most striking appearances of a classic shortwave receiver was in Battle of the Bulge, the 1960’s movie about the great battle between German and U.S. forces during World War II, lasting five weeks between the end of 1944 and beginning of 1945. This movie had some of the biggest stars of the time, including Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, and Charles Bronson. Robert Shaw played the German commander of the offensive in the Ardennes and scenes in his command trailer showed a beautiful Hallicrafters SX-28/A which audiences are led to believe was both a transmitter and a receiver.