RCF Maternity Jacket Movie Prop

[Red Devil]

Good day!

I would like to share a new find from a vintage shop. It is a "maternity" pattern jacket made of a gaberdine material that has a tag for a Hollywood prop house. There is slight wear and tear but nothing significant, a few hooks missing some rust spots on the lining.

I purchased it as a representative example for my teaching, but on close inspection and without handling a real original this appears to have some age to it that I did not anticipate. I believe the RCF wings are not WWI-era, but might this jacket stand a chance of being an original item? A blacklight shows no glow from synthetic threads anywhere on the jacket and buttons on the shoulders appear to be consistent with the pattern worn in the time period. There are no identifying marks other than the prop studio one sewn in below the neck. I know many prop studios used original items and thus have preserved them over time; on the other hand, they also fabricate them.

I'd greatly appreciate your input either way with this one.

[arrestingu]

Hi,
Wings are repro...100% , jacket in my humble opinion is not period .I don't like the cut at all, the brass button at top looks out of place and buttons "plastic" looks wrong .
I believe it is as stated a movie prop ,sadly nothing has convinced me otherwise.
Often ex service uniforms etc were used by prop houses and theatres as they still are today....but some were tailored to look earlier....
cheers
Steve

[asterperious]

This is a costume house made RFC jacket and it is not original to the 1912-17 period at all, probably made in the 30's. Many costumers did use a variety of original items when they could source them via surplus channels but more often than not they simply made them so as to better accommodate sizing for the actors.

[wizardman]

I would contact them to find out what WW1 movies they supplied..they are still in business History | Western Costume Company
https://www.facebook.com/westerncost...notes&filter=1

[harryamb2]

also women in them days could not fly especially if pregnant in the RFC.-----lol.

[Walkwolf]

Still a very nice tunic for display. You'd be hard
pressed to find a real one.........!

[Red Devil]

Thank you all for the feedback! I appreciate your time and assessment.

It came with a folded piece of paper in the pocket, which appears to list flying scenes and aircraft. Once the camera battery is charged I'll snap a photo and share that too.

[Walkwolf]

Would be interesting to know what film(s) it was
used in. "The Blue Max" with George Peppard
comes to mind.........

[Red Devil]

Here is the piece of paper. Looks like flying scenes and several aircraft are mentioned: Stampe (Belgian) and British "BE2, and "E3." Hopefully I can figure out what movie it came from. Two films that I've seen actors wearing this style jacket are "Hell's Angels" (1930) and "Aces High" (1976) that used a variety of biplanes, and Stampes for sure in the latter (though Aces High was a UK/French film and I'm not sure if they would have used props from Hollywood).

[wizardman]

Wow thats great, keep that with the jacket..many studios reuse these things and its not uncommon to have them in multiple movies ..if a stuntman or main actor used it,then their name would be on the tag where it says Name,you have British, so logically it would be an extras jacket i believe...still a great find a friend told me the number on it would enable the outfitters to tell you when it was worn, i would be chasing that up as that info would add value to it