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.

EMAIL YOUR COLLINS CAMEO

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