Production made and sold in auction by Screenused (see original listing here), this amazing prototype SFX General Klytus mask with interior skull was made for Peter Wyngarde’s gruesome/hilarious death scene.
A somewhat raw cast having been filled/sanded but abandoned before the iconic gold plating could be applied, the key identifier for its intended use is the fixed position of the lower jaw to allow the SFX tongue to protrude. According to the notes on the Screenused listing, the alien-looking skull was apparently created for an alternative ending but offers no further details. Interestingly both the alien skull and what could very well be this same mask appear in this group shot of Flash props and weapons (bottom left and right).
These new pictures above are from the prop’s latest owner where the original auction tags (from Sotheby’s) are present and still attached. Thankfully it seems the piece has been kept in pristine condition as private collection or no, it remains an important relic of the film’s history…
GREETINGS EARTHLINGS!
A very warm welcome to my brand-new site dedicated solely to the cult 1980 movie Flash Gordon. The mission is to explore and showcase a multitude of rare ephemera both vintage and modern to preserve the legacy of Mike Hodges Sci-Fi classic.
For a full introduction please go to the top right hand corner and click on the Sitemaster link and also bookmark the site as it will be constantly updated with many unseen treasures starting with the exclusive online first reproduced below…
Found only in German pop-culture magazine BRAVO and serialised in three parts over six pages – Gordon’s Alive! Is proud to present the official vintage Flash Gordon Photostory reproduced in its entirety for the first time since its original debut in print.
While the film somehow did not earn a full ‘Photonovel’ of its own unlike many Sci-Fi contemporaries of the 70’s and 80’s (including Close Encounters, Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek: The Motion Picture) this spread nonetheless is a great preview of what might have been (and in a grander format). BRAVO would continue to publish features and posters throughout the film’s run and many will feature here in future posts, but for now, enjoy this bona-fide rarity!
