I was tipped about a pair of vintage-looking Brooklyn street signs here at New Utrecht and 17th Avenues in Bensonhurst. They look real but were actually installed as movie props, since the movie in question ( help me in Comments) took place between 1964 and the mid-1980s, some authenticity was added by making the street signs black and white, as they were when street signs were color coded by borough during those years.
There are, though, some telltale signs that the practiced eye can determine as modern. Movie propmasters will sometimes take authenticity only so far, either because they have incomplete information or because they don’t want to be pegged as too obsessive about detail and be marked as nerdy.
Since I got over that years ago, I can say this:
–In the real McCoy signs from 1964-1985, the street designation, in this case, “Avenue” was always in all caps. Upper and lower case was not a “thing” on street signs until 2010-2011.
–The vintage signs had a white stripe at the top and bottom. Only recently has the Department of Transportation gotten away from that design element.
Other than that, things are hunky-dory, as the right variety of Highway Gothic font is here, and the letterspacing is correct for the era.
These pix are from Google Street View in 2022 and may have been replaced already.
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6/15/2024
10 comments
Two guesses as the movie props:
1972 French Connection movie, where the famous car vs. subway train chase scene took place along the West End route under 86th St. – today’s D line, then the B line. 17th Ave. and 86th St. is near New Utrecht Ave.
Welcome Back Kotter TV show from the latem1970s, which was supposed to take place in Brooklyn.
I do not think the prop was from the movie French Connection because Kevin states the original signs were there when the movie was made.
New Utrecht Ave. intersects 17th Ave at 79th St. Right down the block from the most prestigious temple of learning in NYC – New Utrecht High School! You should do a feature on Brooklyn’s higher education centers – NUHS would lead the pack!
Meanwhile, the 1971 movie The French Connection had a scene with Gene Hackman in a car chasing a West End elevated train up 86th St onto New Utrecht Ave., ending up around 60th St., so it would have passed right by 79th St.
Yes,a feature on Bklyn high schools would be a fine thing.And KW could show us around the grounds
of his old school.
Andy & Bill, both “Connection” and “Kotter” were filmed as contemporary, or contemporary “enough”, so would there have been any need to put up a prop sign at that time? IOW, the signs *would have* been “period-correct” already! So should we not, instead, perhaps be thinking about productions *filmed recently*, but *taking place* back then? (BTW *six* different “CAPTCHA” screens? YIKES.)
There’s only but so much detail that shows up unless, as here, you’re doing a close-up. If a street sign will appear fleetingly in the background, they may want to have one that’s “close enough for government work” just so you won’t get the nerds, who complain when things aren’t even attempted to be done right, all over your case.
I believe this was for a recent tv filming from a few weeks back. I recall seeing that corner shop being covered with prop sign and atmosphere, why they need fake trash, etc. bewilders me! Anyway I saw a fake shooting victim and loads of technicians and cameras, cables, and the like.
Mystery solved! I don’t think I’ve been back to that corner since 1964 when I graduated from New Utrecht HS. There weren’t many (or any) Chinese or Hispanic businesses in the area then.
Can confirm that it was definitely a show being filmed in the area of 78th street. I work in the area and filming lasted for a week or two on that corner and surrounding blocks.
The movie in question was The French Connection.