Mark Lyons O--O Cuffs
#1Hi all.
I just got back from a small vacation and wish to share a couple handcuff/restraint related findings in my travels.
I hope you will enjoy some or most of what I found fascinating.
This blog may be a work in progress as I took so many pictures and combined my love of cuff collecting as well as film location sites.
We might get off subject a bit with some of this, but it should be pretty interesting.
My travels took me to Salem and Portland Oregon and was fortunate to have had nice weather. Maybe a bit too hot since they had near record breaking temps.
A visit to Clyde's Locksmith was interesting as they have been in town since 1950 and have all kinds of cool old locks and keys.
I came upon some old newspaper articles that contained some funny stories about handcuffs, restraints and escape artistry.
Proprietor, Clyde Thommen was an active escape artist and once rescued a hazing victim who was tarred and feathers while handcuffed to a pipe.
He had a collection of some old cuffs, but they vanished over the years. A pair of McKenzie Mitts and what appears to be a factory Tower Ball and Chain was once part of his collection.
He did not consider himself a collector but did have a nice collection of restraints and cuff ephemera in his day.
I asked to see some of the collection but may have been 30 or 40 years too late. Maybe one of us has his Mitts.
Has anyone here ever heard of Clyde Thommen? Eventually, I will do more research on him and see what comes up.
Later on, in my travels, I saw some amazing Oregon and Northern California coastline, wildlife and flora.
On my next to last day of the trip, my friend suggested a visit to the Oregon State Mental Hospital.
Since it is still an active mental hospital, and I was from another state, for some reason, I had to check in with them.
So now I can say that I have checked myself into a mental hospital!
A couple weeks before Covid first hit, I had arranged a tour for my sheriff group to visit a working local hospital, but that plan turned to mush.
OSMH turned out to be a gem because it was used as the location for the movie; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
This great movie was released in 1975 and starred Jack Nicholson, even thought my docent kept calling him Jack Nicklaus.
It was and is one of my favorite movies.
Here is where I get off subject. Ken Kesey was one of the famous beat poets (Beatnik) in the early 60's and he wrote his book.
Interest in his book came to Hollywood and the studio knew they would need above average people to make such a sensitive film.
Michael Douglas (son of Kirk) was asked, and he accepted. Nicholson, and pre-Taxi stars Danny Devito and Chistopher LLoyd also signed up.
About 90 patients and hospital staff also had roles in front and behind the scenes. One patient who had a stutter for years, enjoyed the experience so much that the stutter went away.
Most of the cast actually lived and worked with the patients for several weeks.
The hospital Superintendent Dean Brooks gave his permission for the movie to be filmed at his facility since the production company was denied this opportunity at ever other hospital they contacted, His reward? He got to play himself in the movies. It was very slow at first, but the ice was broken when Nicholson and he ad libbed the admission interview and the scene made it to the movie in 2 takes.
In many scenes with Nurse Ratchet, there is an assistant nurse at her side. She was an actual hospital nurse at the time. Most of the other nurses were also real.
Many patients helped behind the scenes by preparing the set, moving furniture and doing odd jobs.
Some of the props are on display, such as the marble sink that Chief yanks off the floor and smashes it thru the gated window to make his escape. It sure looked like marble but is actually light weight wood with Formica veneer. The "Juicy Fruit" gum bench used a few times is on display as well. The TV where the guys wanted to watch the World Series on is on its original wall stand and the below picture shows the TV with the same TV as it was in the film.
OK, back on topic. I did not see too much in the way of restraints. Some Peerless and S&W cuffs, Leather (Humane Restraint Co? cuffs, a strait jacket was all on display. I asked to see more but they told me that restraints fell out of favor in later years.
Much of it was really creepy and mush of it shows the care and dedication the staff always had for the patients.
This movie and probably others on the subject depict the weird and dark side along with the mystery of what goes on at a mental hospital.
In reality, I believe most patients were well cared for and had nowhere else to go.
VERY interesting visit, for sure!
I will be adding more pics in the next few days. I took a lot!
This is the spot where Nicholson (McMurphy) is escorted and admitted to the hospital.
He is uncuffed once inside.
I just got back from a small vacation and wish to share a couple handcuff/restraint related findings in my travels.
I hope you will enjoy some or most of what I found fascinating.
This blog may be a work in progress as I took so many pictures and combined my love of cuff collecting as well as film location sites.
We might get off subject a bit with some of this, but it should be pretty interesting.
My travels took me to Salem and Portland Oregon and was fortunate to have had nice weather. Maybe a bit too hot since they had near record breaking temps.
A visit to Clyde's Locksmith was interesting as they have been in town since 1950 and have all kinds of cool old locks and keys.
I came upon some old newspaper articles that contained some funny stories about handcuffs, restraints and escape artistry.
Proprietor, Clyde Thommen was an active escape artist and once rescued a hazing victim who was tarred and feathers while handcuffed to a pipe.
He had a collection of some old cuffs, but they vanished over the years. A pair of McKenzie Mitts and what appears to be a factory Tower Ball and Chain was once part of his collection.
He did not consider himself a collector but did have a nice collection of restraints and cuff ephemera in his day.
I asked to see some of the collection but may have been 30 or 40 years too late. Maybe one of us has his Mitts.
Has anyone here ever heard of Clyde Thommen? Eventually, I will do more research on him and see what comes up.
Later on, in my travels, I saw some amazing Oregon and Northern California coastline, wildlife and flora.
On my next to last day of the trip, my friend suggested a visit to the Oregon State Mental Hospital.
Since it is still an active mental hospital, and I was from another state, for some reason, I had to check in with them.
So now I can say that I have checked myself into a mental hospital!
A couple weeks before Covid first hit, I had arranged a tour for my sheriff group to visit a working local hospital, but that plan turned to mush.
OSMH turned out to be a gem because it was used as the location for the movie; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
This great movie was released in 1975 and starred Jack Nicholson, even thought my docent kept calling him Jack Nicklaus.
It was and is one of my favorite movies.
Here is where I get off subject. Ken Kesey was one of the famous beat poets (Beatnik) in the early 60's and he wrote his book.
Interest in his book came to Hollywood and the studio knew they would need above average people to make such a sensitive film.
Michael Douglas (son of Kirk) was asked, and he accepted. Nicholson, and pre-Taxi stars Danny Devito and Chistopher LLoyd also signed up.
About 90 patients and hospital staff also had roles in front and behind the scenes. One patient who had a stutter for years, enjoyed the experience so much that the stutter went away.
Most of the cast actually lived and worked with the patients for several weeks.
The hospital Superintendent Dean Brooks gave his permission for the movie to be filmed at his facility since the production company was denied this opportunity at ever other hospital they contacted, His reward? He got to play himself in the movies. It was very slow at first, but the ice was broken when Nicholson and he ad libbed the admission interview and the scene made it to the movie in 2 takes.
In many scenes with Nurse Ratchet, there is an assistant nurse at her side. She was an actual hospital nurse at the time. Most of the other nurses were also real.
Many patients helped behind the scenes by preparing the set, moving furniture and doing odd jobs.
Some of the props are on display, such as the marble sink that Chief yanks off the floor and smashes it thru the gated window to make his escape. It sure looked like marble but is actually light weight wood with Formica veneer. The "Juicy Fruit" gum bench used a few times is on display as well. The TV where the guys wanted to watch the World Series on is on its original wall stand and the below picture shows the TV with the same TV as it was in the film.
OK, back on topic. I did not see too much in the way of restraints. Some Peerless and S&W cuffs, Leather (Humane Restraint Co? cuffs, a strait jacket was all on display. I asked to see more but they told me that restraints fell out of favor in later years.
Much of it was really creepy and mush of it shows the care and dedication the staff always had for the patients.
This movie and probably others on the subject depict the weird and dark side along with the mystery of what goes on at a mental hospital.
In reality, I believe most patients were well cared for and had nowhere else to go.
VERY interesting visit, for sure!
I will be adding more pics in the next few days. I took a lot!
This is the spot where Nicholson (McMurphy) is escorted and admitted to the hospital.
He is uncuffed once inside.