Often one can catch a glimpse of Collins equipment on TV or at the Movies. It’s always interesting to see how accurate the particular scene portrays the equipment.
I thought it might be interesting to publish a list of “Collins Spots” based on notes I’ve made over the years.
By publishing this list, I hope you might add your “Collins Cameos” by dropping me an email.
Year | Title | Stars | Scene | Collins Equipment |
1954 | Them! Warner Bros. |
James Arness, James Witmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, Fess Parker | Nuclear Tests in desert create mutant giant ants & has a scene where a guy hurridly sends a CW message on a bug in front of Collins A/Line rigs. | Collins A/Line |
1955 | Strategic Air Command Paramount Pictures |
James Stewart & Harry Morgan, et al | Jimmie and Harry are crawling around inside their Convair B-36. | ART-13 |
1964 | Goldfinger United Artists |
Sean Connery, Honor Blackman | James Bond enters a Jet Star aircraft sporting a Collins VHF Blade antenna with the “meatball” logo. | VHF aircraft Blade antenna. |
1964 | Father Goose Universal Pictures |
Cary Grant, Trevor Howard | Several Collins radios are shown in the radio room of the British Base. | ?? |
1956 | the Flight of the Phoenix 20th Century Fox |
James Stewart & Richard Attenborough, et al | The aircraft’s radio was damaged (highly unlikely) in the crash of their Fairchild C-82. | ART-13 |
1966 | Mission Impossible, first episode Desilu Productions |
Barbara Bain, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Martin Landau | The IMF team is messing around with some S/Line Equipment. | Collins S/Line |
1966 | The Glass Bottom Boat Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Doris Day, Arthur Godfrey, Rod Taylor | Doris Day uses an S/Line frequently in the movie. Soviet spy station has old Collins St. James Gray Equipment. | Collins S/Line |
1968-1980 | Hawaii Five–O TV Series CBS Productions |
Jack Lord | Police station scenes often show a Collins KW-1 Transmitter. | KW-1 |
1968-1973 | Mission Impossible TV Series Paramount Television |
Greg Morris & Martin Landau | Rollin and Barney are moving some S/Line equipment. | S/Line |
1978 | Battlestar Galactica TV Series Universal Television |
Lorne Greene, Terry Carter, Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict | The ‘Viper’ spacecraft cockpit has a Rockwell-Collins 329B-8G Attitude Indicator and a 331A-10A Horizontal Situation Indicator. | Avionics |
1980 | The Final Countdown United Artists |
Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross | The aircraft carrier Nimitz is thrown back in time to December 6, 1941 – Just before Pearl Harbor is attacked. | KWM-2, SM-2, and perhaps, 312B-4 |
1983 | Never Say Never Again Warner Bros. |
Sean Connery | Sean Connery on board a ship, during a fake fire drill, sneaks into the radio room to send a message back to HQ on a KWM-380. | KWM-380 |
1990 | Memphis Belle Warner Bros. |
Mathew Modine, Harry Connic Jr., John Lithgow, Billy Zane, et al | WWII B-17 Bomber crew ready for their 25th mission & thus first to earn a trip home. | AN/ART-13 |
1992 | Crazy in Love Turner Home Entertainment |
Holly Hunter, Bill Pulman, Gena Rowlands | ? | Collins S/Line |
1996 | Phenomenon Buena Vista Pictures |
John Travolta | John Travolta’s friend is a ham with a KWM-2. | KWM-2 |
1997 | Contact Warner Bros. |
Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey | Dr. Eleanor Ann Arroway, as a young girl, uses a KWM-2. | KWM-2 |
1998 | Primary Colors Universal Pictures |
John Travolta, Kathy Bates | Politics and dirty tricks in a presidential race use KWM-380’s. | KWM-380 |