Starsky & Hutch Stuff

[frescadp]

My friend Mortmere [links to tumblr] [M's LJ here] and I have been wondering about (and researching) some of the stuff on the sets of Starsky & Hutch.
Like, what's this weird dog?


I rummaged around and discovered it’s a carnival prize, a bulldog made out of “chalkware”. They were usually handpainted (with water-soluble paint), so each one’s a little different.
Like this one:

From Collector’s Weekly:
“Made out of plaster of Paris, chalkware was used to create inexpensive versions of decorative objects such as animal figurines—so many small figurines were given away as prizes at carnivals, the pieces became known as “carnival chalk.”
“The heyday of the material was the early 19th to mid-20th centuries…”

So, OK, but what it is doing in-universe?

Comments

[mortmere.livejournal.com]

Hey, so I was right in thinking the dog could be from the 40s! Nice to learn about this "carnival chalk".

One of the things I really love about S&H (besides the main characters, of course) is how it's not really trying to present a polished, fashionable image of its own era but shows the world as it is (even today): a jumble of material from the last few decades, and everyone either delapidates along with it, makes do with it or makes it their purpose to replace it with more modern stuff (and that might apply to ideas and values and attitudes, too - so much "past" in this show that it's trying to shake off, sometimes successfully, sometimes not!).

As far as I can remember, this nightmarishly ugly dog figurine (which could still be a happy memento for someone not present anymore, in-universe) sat on a bureau in some dockyard office or some small-time crook's messy rooms in "Terror on the Docks". It is fun to wonder if it was placed there intentionally, to add some surreal menace to this shot of Starsky - who, I think, was at this point of the story suggesting the murderer they're looking for could be the fiancé of Hutch's childhood friend - Hutch didn't like that idea at all. Maybe there's an episode-wide discussion of nostalgia vs. reality going on in there, and this carnival memento turned into a menace adds to it in its own creepy way. (Ha, I've clearly been reading too much of "The Ollie Report". The people contributing to that blog really turn the show into a thing of beauty and wisdom, though never forgetting that it's still "just" a cheap 70's cop show.)

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Wow, you have amazing powers of observation. I've read posts about the little overall wearing piggy bank on their desk, but never noticed that doggy.

I love looking at the props in the background, and the costumes/clothing because I was in theatre.

One of my favorite props is the Picasso sketch of a hand holding flowers hung over Starsky's bed in second or third season. I've seen that poster in real life, too. ;-)

[taass64.livejournal.com]

I LOVE posts like this!! Keep it up!! You notice everything and it is fascinating. Thank you!!

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Here's a link to my page with Starsky's picture prominently displayed from a B&B I stayed in.

http://dawnebeth.livejournal.com/66988.html