Vintage Film Vacuum Error

[Automatic-Shift]

Looks like the props department got it wrong in the '63 Jerry Lewis classic Who's Minding The Store. While the scene is a feast for the eyes for those of us who love vintage Hoover, it has an error. First, in the exploding vacuum scene a wealthy lady comes in with her (brand new looking) Hoover Model 68 lying flat. Then, the appliance salesman (Jerry Lewis) comes in and talks to her. She complains that she had bought it 6 years ago! And, that it does not have enough suction! Well, Model 68 is from '61 only, and the film was made in '63, then the vacuum would have been two years old. Had it been six years then a Model 65 would have been correct, minor error, but curious nonetheless. Perhaps one could say the old lady was confused, and she thought it was 6 years old, rather than two. I wish I was around back then to see the display, as it looks amazing. Anyone else see anything inaccurate? It's a cute film, and one of my favorites.

 

[twocvbloke]

The biggest error though is the bag inflating like a balloon, and floating too, I know hoover bags of that age were good at holding air inside and not letting it out, but I don't think it'd hold THAT much...

 

[DysonAnimal]

I think it was intended as a comedy, rather than a documentary...? To most people, a vacuum's a vacuum!

 

[twocvbloke]

I know, I was just being silly...

 

[super-sweeper]

hoover error

the lady probably had "weak suctoin" because she put a plastic bag in the bag.
(also causing it to bloat like a balloon,just maybe,they were quite powerful vacuums, especially after Norman screwed with it)!

ether way,it's still an awesome movie .

 

[eurekaprince]

The common error I see with vacuums in movies is that often they are being used in the background and the bag is not inflated! The prop guys may have connected the headlight to some battery, but they seem to ignore the bag.

I think I remember a scene in "Mrs. Doubtfire" where Robin Williams is using a Hoover Elite or something similar on a carpet, but the attachment hose is still stuck in it's port! No suction is making it to the floor in that configuration!

 

[Automatic-Shift]

Inflation

Who knew a Hoover bag could get so big

 

[tolivac]

A a Three Stooges show there was a similar grossly inflated bag vacuum-that exploded covering the stooges with dust and such.Another shows them as janitors-curly has an upright vacuum turned on-he was vacuuming the floor.He and Moe get into an argument-Curly sets his vacuum on the clients desk-the vacuum sucks in the papers on the desk-the man saying--"Your vacuum is sucking up my important papers!"so Curly shuts off the vacuum and tries to fish out the "papers" of course in shreds and he finds a hairpeice in the vacuum and tries to put it on the mans head.

 

[oreck_xl]

"Who's Minding the Store"

One thing I did notice was that the vacuum noise piped in was actually that of Lux and NOT a Hoover Convertible. I never knew a Hoover 68 bag could get so large either, especially since the vinyl material they were using at the time was so brittle....

- Hershel

 

[vac_whisperer]

Heres the Mrs. Doubtfire Elite.

I used my Eureka Boss Lite A LOT with the hose plugged into the port! (That would explain why I thought it was a crappy vacuum! )

Sorry, the pic is a little small.

 

[eurekaprince]

THERE IT IS! THE MRS. DOUBTFIRE ELITE ERROR!

Thanks for the photo, Sam! I am beginning to trust my memory the more I chat with all of you guys!!!

 

[tolivac]

and for Hoover bags-the vinyl was perforated-so it can't inflate like a balloon.