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Post by nikeajax on Aug 31, 2012 9:21:17 GMT -8
We finally started watching the Jacques Cousteau DVD’s that are available on Netflix last night. We began with disc two as disc one is about the Nile, and my wife wanted to see scuba stuff. I haven’t seen any of these shows since they were first released. I had completely forgotten about Albert Falco; when I heard his name spoken after almost 40-years it hit me like a ton of bricks… I was transported back to my childhood!
It was evident that JC was slowing down—a lot! He needed help getting into his wetsuit, but anyone that had done as much as he did clearly deserved that privilege…
In part two, they made a model of a volcano. There was apprehension on faces of JC and the other guy, sorry don’t remember his name, because of the uncertainty of what the pyrotechnics were going to do. It felt like a sketch comedy routine, and you got the feeling that only seconds before the director said something like, “Okay fellahs, you don’t get a second take; we’ve only got one of these things…” So, it started sparking and spewing out smoke, then, more smoke and sparks, and finally collapsing on itself, the way the real volcano had, but at that point there was so much smoke in the room, that most of everything was obscured…WOW!
I sure wish they’d release the ones from the mid-1960’s on DVD!
Jaybird
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Post by nikeajax on Aug 31, 2012 16:36:27 GMT -8
 So what exactly is the logo on Mr. Falco's wetsuit? I think he had it on his hood too... Jaybird |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2012 17:03:45 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2012 17:06:26 GMT -8
Unfortunately, Falco died a few months ago. The HDS has an article about him in the latest issue of The Journal of Diving History. i believe his story might actually be more interesting than JYC's.
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Post by nikeajax on Aug 31, 2012 17:29:39 GMT -8
Sid, as usual, thanks!  As for your comment, with all due respect to JYC, yeah, that wouldn't surprise me... It's ALWAYS the the second guy that's actually running the show, while the front-man gets all the credit. To paraphrase Mr. Falco: "only the fish and birds know ho I am, as for the rest of the world..." I really want to know more about him... He's like Jim Fowler to JYC's Marlin Perkins  ... Jaybird |
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 8, 2012 12:35:41 GMT -8
Huh... I've been noticing all the different brands of gear used by the crew of the Calypso. Kinda odd that he was Chairman of the Board of USD, yet I see Scubapro regs, and as mentioned above Beuchat, amongst others... I'd think if your mug is plastered on a product's label, you might want to actually use it?  Jaybird |
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Post by SeaRat on Sept 8, 2012 13:41:27 GMT -8
Huh... I've been noticing all the different brands of gear used by the crew of the Calypso. Kinda odd that he was Chairman of the Board of USD, yet I see Scubapro regs, and as mentioned above Beuchat, amongst others... I'd think if your mug is plastered on a product's label, you might want to actually use it? Jaybird Jaybird, I cannot recall ever seeing JYC in anything but Spiro or USD gear. His Oceanauts used Jet Fins, but that was when they were made by Beuchat, before Scubapro got their rights. If you look at the Beuchat regulator pictured in the Wiki link, it has a Calypso first stage and a second stage with the Scubapro "S", which is pretty weird; it was never available in the USA. There was a lot of mixing of gear in the European arena that we don't see here. John |
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 10, 2012 8:24:08 GMT -8
John, in I think the episode, "Diving for Roman Plunder", I saw that unmistakable "S" of a Scubapro, it was on a second stage, of course: it was while they were on the deck of the Calypso sorting through small bits of coral.
Last night we watched "Clipperton: The Island Time Forgot", where they go 800 ft straight down the throat of a volcano into, bathing in hydrogen-sulfide...ICK! It discolored the paint on the tanks too, I wonder if those exposure suits were any good after? They were using regs with side exhaust, like an Aqua-Matic, but I don't think they were, so what could they have been? It had a silver bezel around the exhaust area...
Thanks again,
Jaybird
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Post by SeaRat on Sept 10, 2012 9:23:46 GMT -8
Jaybird, what was the time period of the movie? If it was the 1970s, it could have been a Poseidon Cyclon 300 regulator. That was a pretty persnickety but high-performance regulator. I have a study on it showing an initial inhalation resistance of between 1.1 and 1.3 cm, whereas the Dacor Olypmic 400, Scubapro Mark V and U.S. Divers Calypso and Royal Aquamaster had inhalation resistances of 2.6-3.8 cm. An article I have on the Cyclon 300 in Undercurrent[/U] is dated August 1980.
John
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 10, 2012 9:59:40 GMT -8
John, it was 1978: "Los Angeles, March 1978" was written on a wall behind JYC's head while they were interviewing one the survivors of the tragedy of 1914-17: I thought that was a bit curious! Perhaps it could have been late 1977, but who knows how they edited the film?
Do you have any insight as to what caused the falling out between JYC and his son, Jean-Michel? I know JMC opened his own resort trying to capitalize on the success of what they had done earlier, but I get the feeling there was a massive clash of ego's involved, or was it jealousy (having to be in his older brother's or Falco's shadow) that separated the two of them? A Wikipedia article mention there was a law-suit... that's really a shame!
Jaybird
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Post by SeaRat on Sept 10, 2012 20:40:20 GMT -8
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 11, 2012 6:49:29 GMT -8
John, yeah, I realized that after posting: I know I'd have had the same response too! I can't help but wonder where JMC is in those shows from the mid to late 1970's? Hmmm, too bad Thor Heyerdahl wasn't know for doing his work underwater... I'd totally dig seeing Norsk scuba gear!  Jaybird |
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Post by nikeajax on Sept 19, 2012 8:39:19 GMT -8
Saw ol' JYC using one of these last night:  Well, it was black anyway! Thought it was a Calypso-II, same second stage, but remembered Dan has an image of the Conshelf, so I borrowed it... Gosh, I wonder if gun-bluing would do anything to the chrome, I know it turns brass black  He had his tank painted black with a big yellow stripe down the side to match his Tarzan suit: thought that was totally overboard... Also noticed some of his divers were using re-breathers, "Hey, wait, back that up... he ain't got no tank on his back!" Jaybird |
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As for your comment, with all due respect to JYC, yeah, that wouldn't surprise me... It's ALWAYS the the second guy that's actually running the show, while the front-man gets all the credit. To paraphrase Mr. Falco: "only the fish and birds know ho I am, as for the rest of the world..." I really want to know more about him... He's like Jim Fowler to JYC's Marlin Perkins 
...
