Looking for Info & Pipes for Movie about Oppenheimer

[Searock Fan]

!.

JR. is J. Robert (Oppenheimer), the subject of this discussion. Who else did you think it could it be?

I thought it might be Julius Rosenberg. He was involved with the A-bomb and he smoked.... although not the way you probably think.

 

[warren99]

I thought it might be Julius Rosenberg. He was involved with the A-bomb and he smoked.... although not the way you probably think.

I agree that Julius likely smoked, along with Ethel. High voltages of electricity in the human body tend to result in smoke.

 

[tamburellom]

After searching over thousands of pipes among many manufacturers, the best saddle stem I found that is the nearest match to the one pictured in the above post or Halsman's famous portrait below is BPK's Kenvelo Dark Saddle Stem Billiard. I don't know what the art director for the Oppenheimer film ultimately chose, but this one certainly would have been excellent, especially when he was portrayed in his later years in the mid-1950s where he is typically pictured with it. BPK is a 180-year-old company based out of the Czech Republic that is known for its classic designs. One feature that is especially attractive is also their price, which is in the range of a Grabow or Kaywoodie. Several distributors are selling BPK products online and this model can be found from around $40.00 to $70.00 depending on where you shop and are ordering it from. I decided to pick up one for the hell of it and puff one of my aromatics through it when I'm in one of my "scholarly" moods. Oh, I almost forgot, this model accepts 9mm filters too.

 

[pylorns]

Yeah at first it was very detailed requirements but now we are getting better communication and showing some samples I have in stock of 2-3 pipes that are the same, it’s going. I still want 3 saddle bit billiards that are pref 1940’s and 50’s. I’m thinking smooth as it seems the easiest to strip and stain the same for each 3. It’s a big bonus if we know what he smoked. The production knows he had a Grabow Starfire … but I don’t have more info. I think you’re right though. Just these and one more shape I will decide later tonight. 3 of each. I have a couple hundred grabow and kaywoodie but only a handful of duplicates and not many triplicates. I’m always selling them after all. Ok I’ll be back on tonight. Thanks for any replies. - P

Wish you'd come back and give us some more info about what was used

 

[jpmcwjr]

Wish you'd come back and give us some more info about what was used.

@Peter - CCB​

That would be a lovely followup.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Obviously the movie has already been made and released, but I would assume the reason the OP wanted multiples of the same exact pipe was for continuity, in case a particular scene required multiple takes or reshoots later on. Despite the PM peanut gallery saying just to use whatever straight billiards you can find, some people take continuity seriously.

 

[jpmcwjr]

That's why some of us hope the OP will return to this thread with some remarks.

 

[sablebrush52]

That be a Barling stem, rat thar...

I thought that the saddle looked like a Barling stem as, including the semicircular smear where the nomenclature is, but it wouldn’t have been likely unless the pipe was pre war. Briar shipments were pretty much ended during hostilities.

 

[PipeCat]

The Oppenheimer movie prop department/art director ended up buying 6 six pipes from me that were all from that period... all straight Billiards... Comoy's, Parkers, Savoys (Dunhill 2nds). They were purchased by Gadget Films, one of the many production companies involved in the film. I know there were a couple other pipe sellers that also sold pipes to them. So who know which pipes they used?! Hard to tell!