You know what they say: little things...

[thisbluespirit]

Because I finally got started on Ripper Street S4 (\o/ But I am only 1 ep in; don't spoil me) and THIS HAPPENED. (No, it was not that they shot Matthew Macfadyen in beautiful blue lighting with perfect matching tie; that happens a lot. It's one of the reasons I watch.) It was much better than that (but probably only if you are me):


A character (Elenora Freeman played by Clare Foster) turned up wearing this:



And, people, this is surely Suzanne Neve's jacket from the 1968 Dracula! Look:





That jacket has touched Suzanne Neve, James Maxwell, and Matthew Macfadyen, amazing. Even better, as collections of costumes tend to go together, chances are it may not even be the only Dracula item to have been used on both. Most of them aren't as distinctive, but the thought makes me ridiculously happy anyway.

Nice to see it's survived, however, even if they have possibly cut up the skirt to make that little belt thingy. After ages spent watching, screen-capping, and giffing that Dracula, I have become very impressed with the costumes. (Gallery shots reveal some really lovely extra detail - like the blood red collar on Lucy's coat - that the designer put in despite knowing it was never going to really be seen and appreciated via b&w videotape.) Not only do I now have a better idea of what colour Mina's outfit was, but the Ripper Street appearance shows up the texture, which old telly couldn't do - most of the time old telly costumes are amazing, it's just that BBC/ITV videotape is a horribly flat medium and does them no justice - and it's kind of velvety. Which is... fairly useless, but still. Could be useful when writing Mina/Lucy or something, yes?


In other news, Yuletide progress continues and I'm behind deadline for my Fourth Doctor recs post (the two facts are not unrelated) which I thought was today. Readers, it was yesterday. I hope to have it posted by at least tomorrow.

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Nice jacket catch!

[thisbluespirit]

*bows*

[liadt]

I'm impressed by your costume spotting skills! It is a pity old TV picture quality let down the costume designers.

I'm sure you're allowed to bend time if the Doctor is involved;)

[thisbluespirit]

It's amazing what excessive screencapping and giffing will do for a person. I was very impressed with myself. I've never spotted a reused costume from one of my favourites in real telly before!

Ha, but the Doctor would have gone back in time to post it yesterday anyway. or more probably two years ago, causing much confusion all round.

[john_amend_all]

Could be useful when writing Mina/Lucy or something, yes?

I'll have to bear that in mind if I write that pairing again. Though maybe they'll be wearing diaphanous nightgowns or less...

[thisbluespirit]

No, no, people are better in clothes! Lots of clothes! Many Victorian layers! *wraps up warmly*

Anyway, someone on tumblr linked me to recycledmoviecostumes. I follow their tumblr, but apparently they have a page for it and if it is the same article, which it does look like, it's also been worn by Julia Sawalha. :-)

[john_amend_all]

Not birthday suits, birthday cakes and birthday chains, then? *throws draft away*

[thisbluespirit]

Oh, well, cake fic! But even in that, one person has clothes. And a cape! :-D

[john_amend_all]

Well, the Count has a lovely cape, it'd be a shame not to make use of it.

[clocketpatch]

Heh! I love playing spot the reused costume/prop. Well... you already know how much I love a certain oft used rickety spiral staircase...

In the world of ridiculous coincidence, I just came onto livejournal to see the rec post that I was certain you'd just posted because a flock of kudus and comments has just unexpectedly descended on all of the Fourth Doctor fics I have posted to Ao3. From multiple people no less! This is extremely bizarre.

[thisbluespirit]

You should check out the recycled movie costumes if you haven't already. I check their tumblr, but their site has way more on. (Including, apparently, a page for this blue jacket.)

I think it made me especially happy because Dracula seems so b&w and faded and old and full of people who are dead now, and not quite real. And there was a real little bit of it still going and on screen right next to an actor I like a lot. (I mean, I enjoy Ripper Street for a whole bunch of reasons, but one of them is definitely how much it loves giving me beautiful blue-toned shots of Matthew Macfadyen in tasteful Victorian neckties.)

And, aha, I know how much you love that staircase. I do think, though, that in fact there must be several - they're probably used for light entertainment shows and then snagged as easy ways to add interest and levels to the set without blocking the camera too much. Or, of course, one very much in demand staircase, appearing in not only all the BBC things, but ITV as well... ;-)

That is very odd! Although not odd that someone has been maybe reccing or newly discovering you, because your fic is excellent. But it was not me! My list is still not quite done and certainly not posted anywhere.

ETA: And, lol, now Ripper Street are having a Dracula episode...

[scripsi.livejournal.com]

Nice spotting skills! :D

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you! I don't normally, but I have rather obsessively giffed that Dracula over the course of this year and it is a very distinctive jacket. It's been altered over the years, but I still feel sure it's the same one. :-)

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

Well spotted! It's undoubtedly the same. It doesn't really surprise me it's still going. The costume departments must spend a fortune on period costumes so I bet they keep them usable for as long as possible.

[thisbluespirit]

I think it is. It's been altered over the years, but it seems to be the same shape - I wish I could find a colour shot from the 60s to prove it, but the DVD doesn't have one. (It has some of the other characters, but not Suzanne Neve as Mina.)

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

That is so cool!! I would never have caught that!

*HUGS*

[thisbluespirit]

Haha, I have watched, giffed and screencapped that version of Dracula far, far too much, that's what it is! (I don't usually spot anything like that myself, but that one leapt out at me.)