""The Boss" Army - Things to Come" Topic

I am working on putting a HotT army together for the 196-70 time frame in the movie Things to Come, with "The Boss" as the general. I have watched the colorized version of the movie multiple times to try and determine uniforms and dress, and feel I can easily put together a pleasing result using Peter Pig WWI and WWII Russians and British.

However, I am struggling with trying to determine the tunic worn by "The Boss". It is obvious of German cut and style, even down to the collar device. So that is fine and I will use a modified German officer figure for him, and if possible add his sheepskin vest. But my dilemma is this.

In one scene the tunic looks to be feldgrau with a dark green collar, probably standard for the German army at the time the movie was made. In another scene it appears to be a blue gray with a black collar, which may be a theatrical make up along German lines, and in another scene it looks strongly the cornflower blue used by German Dragoons and also has a black collar. Which is correct?

An interesting observation. The standard of "The Boss' is yellow with a black Maltese cross with a central black circle. What makes this so interesting is that although it has an obvious German look to it, the colors and design are also those used for radioactive material. I wonder if that symbol was used back then or pure coincidence or a the colors selected by who ever did the colorization????

Any help, thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

Terry

Remember it was a B/W movie.

Yes, the original release was black and white. Sometime recently they did a colorized version of it, and you can get both versions on the same DVD. A really interesting story and prime for a couple of HotT armies.

I may read the book, but it's 500+ pages and the reviews I've read say he focused primarily on a socialistic from of government, and a book on politics would not have much appeal to me. But it may give some details about the amries too????

Terry

As Saber6 says it is a B/W movie. The colouriser would have decided the choice of colour. If I'm not mistaken costume colours in B/W films at times might be chosen on how they would film as B/W.

As the movie takes place in what was once England, I have always assumed that the uniforms were based on British 1938 -39 era uniforms. That is when the war starts roughly. There would not have been much of a clothing industry many years after the war started at the time of the movie.

Musketeers miniatures made a figure that represents the boss quite nicely. Take a look at a painted Version here that I think captures the image perfectly.

link

A British uniform, with some Ermine draped over the shoulders. The picture is dark, mine is a bit lighter, or whiter. Think of Henry the eighth dressed in a British army uniform of 1938, with some fancy trim.

I don't think the book is anything like the movie. It's more of a political essay, no military and uniform information.

link

Wasn't the movie released in 1936? This would mean the uniform could not be based on that of 1938-39. Unless they didn't change from 1935-36. Knowing nothing about the uniforms of the period this could well be the case. :-)

I just love the futuristic tanks in the film.

And it is not a political polemic, just read the book, it is Wells.

The movie is "Things to Come" The book is The Shape of Things to Come.
link

The movie: "The dialogue and plot were devised by H. G. Wells as "a new story" meant to "display" the "social and political forces and possibilities" that he had outlined in 1933 in The Shape of Things to Come, a work he considered less a novel than a "discussion" in fictional form that presented itself as the notes of a 22nd-century diplomat.[2] The film was also influenced by previous works, including his 1897 story "A Story of the Days to Come" and his 1931 work on society and economics, The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind;"

The book: link

here's the tunic i often see the boss wearing

Gentlemen, Thank you for the relies. However, his tunic really does look German, and it would not be impossible probably to get one in 1936. Here are a few clips from the movie that ill help show my dilemma

[URL=http://s257.photobucket.com/user/terry37photos/media/Painting/TheBossThingstoCome_zpse231fb9a.jpg.html]

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[URL=http://s257.photobucket.com/user/terry37photos/media/Painting/TheBoss6ThingstoCome_zpsa1426c3e.jpg.html]

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[URL=http://s257.photobucket.com/user/terry37photos/media/Painting/TheBoss5ThingstoCome_zps6eb03f9d.jpg.html]

[/URL]

[URL=http://s257.photobucket.com/user/terry37photos/media/Painting/TheBoss4ThingstoCome_zps889be459.jpg.html]

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If worse comes to worse, I'll go with the Dragoon tunic look, but I was hoping somebody might know for sure.

Thanks,

Terry

My copy is b/w.Wings Over The World!

With the ammo belt, perhaps look at Bore war ranges for Mounted Infantry.

Had forgotten it was the Late Great Ralph Richardson.