Municipal Double-Decker Bus Filming Miniature from the Laurel & Hardy Comedy The Dancing Masters (TCF, 1943).

Vintage original filming model miniature double-decker bus constructed of metal, wood, cast composite elements, rubber tires, Bakelite panels, and mixed-media components, assembled, painted, and finished to appear as a full-size municipal bus. The bus model features smoked windows, a hollow interior, rows of seats on the upper deck, back stairway, an internal mechanism for maneuvering tires (untested), decal lettering and hand painted embellishment. In the movie's spectacular, climactic gag, in the hands of Stan and Ollie, a bus goes on a runaway rampage through the city streets, ending up crashing through an amusement park and riding the rails of a rollercoaster. This is the miniature version of the bus that was used for the FX shots, including those on the elaborate, miniature rollercoaster. While the model builders are uncredited, FX legend Fred Sersen was the photographic FX supervisor on the film. Sersen was one of the first to successfully combine live action sequences with matte shots and miniatures. By 1937, Sersen helmed one of the best special FX departments in Hollywood, supervising matte painters, optical effects wizards, model builders, film editors, and cinematographers. The 2-time Oscar winner is remembered for his miniature pyro work on Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944), the creation of the iconic spaceship in The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), and much more. The 30" x 8" x 11.5" model exhibits expected age, production wear, rubbing and chipping to paint, rubber deterioration, some cracked and broken window panes, and general soiling. When asked about his favorite piece in his vaunted collection, Greg Jein named this miniature bus as his all-time favorite. Comes with a COA from Heritage Auctions. From the Collection of Greg Jein.