Forget Their Holes, What Did They Cram in Their Mouths?

[lifesizehobbit]

I've been meaning to watch The Quiet Man for years. I've seen some of the more famous scenes from it, but -- not being a huge John Wayne fan -- I've never sat down to finish it. ... It's again in my to watch queue.

Soon my friend, soon! While The Duke is famous for Cowboy and WWII roles, in my humble opinion, this is his best film - and not so much because of him, but because of the story and supporting cast. Maureen O'Hara, Ward Bond and host of Irish Players. It comes off as a true gem.

 

[jbales]

Well my avatar says it all, doesn't it?
But my favourite is Colonel Mortimer.

 

[cynicismandsugar]

A solid lead!
I came across this online auction: NatedSanders.com

Lot #1550: Orson Welles Personal Signed Pipe Set
Orson Welles' personal eleven piece pipe set. The famous pipe smoking writer, director and actor signs one Hardcastle Argyll pipe, ''Orson'' in gold permanent pen. Welles often took his personal pipe smoking vice to his onscreen personas, including the iconic Charles Foster Kane from his seminal masterpiece, ''Citizen Kane.'' The eclectic pipe set includes eleven pipes from different worldwide pipe brands. Oval wooden display unit holds a possible 24 pipes and features two glass tobacco jars with wooden lids in the center. Unit measures 17'' x 5'' x 8'' and is very lightly chipped in places. Pipes have been smoked, most likely by Welles himself. Set is in very good plus condition. Originally from the February 1992 Orson Welles estate sale.

Great! So we know that, at least one, Hardcastle Argyll was part of Welles' collection. Of course, it would have been a far better find, if the original photograph from the auction was still available -- but alas -- no luck.
So, a little research at Pipedia.org tells us that:

The family owned Hardcastle Pipes Limited sold 49% of its equity to Dunhill In 1936.
Along with closing down it’s pipe factory in Notting Hill in 1946 Dunhill bought the reing shares turning Hardcastle into a 100% Dunhill subsidiary. As members of the Hardcastle family continued as executives in the company’s management Hardcastle retained a certain independence.
This ended in 1967. Dunhill merged Hardcastle with Parker (100% Dunhill as well). The new Parker Hardcastle Limited also absorbed the former Masta Patent Pipe Company. Hardcastle’s Forest Road plant was immediately given up and the production of Hardcastle pipes was shifted to Parker’s nearby St. Andrews Road factory – now consequently called Parker-Hardcastle factory.
In fact this put a definite end to Hardcastle as a own-standing pipe brand and no one minor than Edwin Hardcastle, the last of the family executives, spoke frankly and loudly of Hardcastle pipes being degenerated to an inferior Dunhill second.

While attempting to find images of a Hardcastle Argyll pipe, from the time period, I ran into an interesting estate pipe listing, from EstatePipes.co.uk:

Unlike other Savory branded pipes, that usually display the cursive S on the stems, this particular pipe (listed as a Dunhill 2nd) exhibits a mark similar to the pipe Orson is holding in the Getty image [previously posted]:

... Then again, I'm half blind, so that could be a tiny sketch of Mr. Magoo, for all I know.

 

[cynicismandsugar]

Soon my friend, soon! While The Duke is famous for Cowboy and WWII roles, in my humble opinion, this is his best film - and not so much because of him, but because of the story and supporting cast... It comes off as a true gem.

I'll watch it by the first week in January -- promise!

But my favourite is Colonel Mortimer.

Oooh -- good point! Okay, I'll have to rewatch the Dollars trilogy the second week in January. ... and maybe the opening scene from Inglourious Basterds, too.

 

[thedudeabides]

http://pipesmagazine.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/album/12760/orson-welles-1.jpg
This image previously posted by Stan Laurel certainly could be a Dunhill (or a Savory's).

 

[cynicismandsugar]

Thank you, Dude! [taking notes]

 

[misterlowercase]

This image previously posted by Stan Laurel certainly could be a Dunhill...

I agree.

To my eye it looks like an LB which is one of the most collectible and well-loved shapes in Dunhill history.
This larger image leaves no doubt about the White Spot:

http://www.ldwt.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/03_01.jpg
And this may or may not be another Comoy, sorta looks like the famous C to me, but a little too blurry to be sure:

http://www.lanacionweb.com/fotoedicion/2015/05/welles-radio.jpg
This pipe looks to me like a Kaywoodie:

http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/8635/9934261_1.jpg?v=8CD403C57281CD0
It may be difficult to pin down such things as most pipemen usually have a variety of brands, as is now as was then - the best we can do, I reckon, is try to gauge what a favored brand of whomever in particular may have been.
It is well known that Clark Gable was a Sasieni aficionado.

Here's an interesting tale:

Almost Gone with the Gargoyle:

The Mystery of Clark Gable's Magnificent Sasieni Briars
But, of course he also smoked other brands. Many pictures show him with dotless pipes which cannot really be identified - here's a pic of him smoking a Dunhill Duke:

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/3397108-actors-ricardo-montalban-clark-gable-and-john-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=OCUJ5gVf7YdJQI2Xhkc2QFwrmltIIfmZc6BC4lss4PkIbTA2LMzSkRKrccQGOczQ
One of my favorite actors, Leslie Howard, was known to favor Dunhill, but the pipe that he's smoking in The Petrified Forest seems to be sans White Spot:

Watch him in The First of the Few, however, and Dunhill pipes abound!
William Faulkner was also a known Dunhill lover, yet "lesser marques" still found their way onto his racks:

http://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/47/lot/10679/?url=%2Fview-auctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F47%2F
His Digby (a GBD 2nd) seems to have gone unsold.
Anyways,

very interesting topic here!

::

 

[stanlaurel]

Thanks lowercase. That's awesome. I love that LB. Especially the grain on Mr. Welles pipe. I assume that the LB is no longer made? Are they hard to find?

 

[misterlowercase]

I dunno what they're called now, but I think they still make them, probably a Grp. 6 something or other since Dunhill gave up on catalog shape numbers proper and went to that ridiculous 4 digit code.
When an LB is up for sale, there are a lot of eyes on it, if it is in good shape they usually go for a pretty penny, guaranteed.
John Loring has a good article here:

http://loringpage.com/pipearticles/CLASSIC%20DUNHILL%20LARGE%20BILIARD%20VARRIATIONS.htm
Even the Parkers in that shape can fetch good money, here, an unsmoked 1947 shape 95 which was pretty much the equivalent of an LB got $300:

Parker Briar Park Pipe in Original Box Unused
That was an unusual piece though because it was unsmoked with box and brochure, you can find plenty of Parker 95's out there for much much cheaper.
A Parker magnum billiard is much more rare though, and they are highly sought after, which is why this specimen fetched $510:

Giant Parker pipe
::

 

[iamn8]

I've only heard rumors concerning the OP's thread title... rumors I won't repeat in the virtual company of gentleman.

 

[stanlaurel]

I wondered what that meant.
Are you telling me I don't want to know?

 

[okiescout]

Great thread, Jeffrey. Really enjoyed the article on Wells.
I have enjoyed watching Leslie Howard in a number of films, and he has a pipe in all the film of him I have seen.