Different Wheelchair

I think they might of changed to accommodate a slightly larger Raymond Burr. these recent 2 parters have been quite enjoyable although predictable, but I guess every drama show in 1974 had to have a devil possession episode. thank you Linda Blair!

sueeastlake: Everest & Jennings, the then still world's dominant wheelchair manufacturer, and developer supplied all the manual chairs used to represent Chief Ironside"s distinctive chair which Burr was seen using on camera throughout the series. E&J created two principle wheelchair models beginning in the late 1930's. The original (the first of those) was, and still is referred to by name as "The Traveler," which has always only had just a few optional features including two choices for seat width, as well as two choices of upholstery color. The second model to come along was initially named by Mr. Everest and Mr. Jennings "The Universal," which unlike "The Traveler" was intended from the get go to be progressively developed to ultimately become a fully customizable chair which would accommodate not only every possible type of physical deficiency requiring the use of such a device as a wheelchair, but also be able to be fully tailored in every possible way to each individual user's unique set of anatomical dimensions. In the ensuing years that objective of E&J's was more than fully realized. The name of the chair was soon changed to "The Premier," which is what it was long known as. Unfortunately, during the 1950's, and 1960's, as well as nearly all of the 1970's, patients requiring the prescription of such a fully customizable mobility device were often kept in the dark regarding the very existence of E&J's Premier model's extensively customizable capabilities, as the company's promotional department was not only at the restricting mercy of largely disinterested, limited experiential knowledge regarding the "Premier" then prevalent among disability equipment retail shops serving as the company's go between(s), which were often small establishments found in equally small strip malls, and the like, but most particularly there was also the then more prevailing mindset that physicians could do no wrong, and that they knew all that was needed to be known regarding the requirements as well as selection of such equipment for patients. Hence, many current old-time manual wheelchair users from that era were subject to the deficient knowledge, and understanding widely evident among physicians, as well as personnel, and owners of many of those previously mentioned retail shops, including of course, insurance providers of that time regarding all of the available, innumerable, essential accommodating custom modifications developed for potential selection to be built into each Premier. Also, as has always been the case, insurance companies then as now were far more interested in avoiding spending any money than in purchasing much needed medical hardware equipment for clients. Therefore, more often than not patients were saddled with having to accept, and use full time, one of E&J's moderate to light use "Traveler" models with just a couple of the few standard options available for the unit selected via consensus of their physician, their insurance provider, and the retail shop through which the chair was ordered. Also, it should be noted that the patient was allowed virtually no input to the process. To this day, as you might expect, many of those old-time wheelchair users from that era have long had nothing but largely misinformed disdain for E&J, The only ones to have for the most part benefited properly from all that E&J had so carefully, and meticulously developed over the years as custom modifications for this chair were primarily some of the military rehab patients housed in the paralytic wards of certain of our nation's VA hospitals. In regards to the "prop" E&J built for Mr. Burr to use in his role of Chief Ironside, and more particularly regarding the specific topic of this thread, i. e. the chair with the orange custom-fitted "leatherette" upholstery, it was just one in a succession of units that were fully customized dimensionally to exactly accommodate Mr. Burr's six foot three inch tall heavy frame during the long hours of filming. The very first chairs were only modified to conform to Mr. Burr's height and seat width. They were fitted with standard solid rubber snap on tires on both the rear push wheels as well as the front casters. They also were built with a pair of special custom wheel locks which were referred to by the company as "short throw pull-to-lock" wheel locks. The version of the chair that was utilized throughout the majority of the series was first introduced in several random scenes of the series' episode entitled, "Robert Phillips Vs. The Man," which had actor, Paul Winfield as the principle guest star. In addition to the custom modified seat width, seat height, and back height, and those custom wheel locks, those chairs had a custom seat depth, and what E&J called an amputee frame which moved the rear push wheels backward by 2 1/2 inches each. Also, the rear wheels were fitted with pneumatic tires. I was privileged in the mid-1980's to visit, and tour E&J's then new Camarillo, California based manufacturing facility, and at the very beginning of the tour I had the additional, unexpected privilege of meeting, and shaking the hand of the old gentleman who had done all the custom upholstery work on the very first original Premier used in the made-for-television motion picture pilot for the Ironside TV series. The upholstery material that was seen on that chair as well as all the chairs later purchased for the show until some of the episodes in the fall 1974 season is a cream colored velvet product with an overlay pattern of close-fitted random-repeated various shapes of dark brown oak leaves having tiny bits of their vein patterns highlighted here and there with more of the back ground cream color. Because of the velvet sheen of the material, some portions of some of the oak leaves appeared under various lighting sources utilized during filming to be of a lighter, more golden brown color. Near the end of the episodes of Ironside filmed during the spring of 1974 there were occasional scenes where the nape of the velvet was looking a bit flat, and the material--especially that which the sling back of the chair was made from--looked a bit strained by Mr. Burr's additional weight. I speculate that the material was regularly dry cleaned, then as needed, replaced over the years with more of the same until the supplier could no longer provide any further "bolts" of it. As the set was given an update for a more contemporary "feel" visually to that aspect of the production design for the series in preparation for resumption of shooting for the fall '74 season, it was likely decided that the possibly no longer available velvet material should be replaced on a couple of new chairs to be ordered from E&J for regular use in the upcoming episodes with noticeably different orange "leatherette" material as a compliment to the new orange paint color replacing the medium-light green paint on portions of the set that had formerly always been a constant identifying design element to viewers of the series.

Amy Grant * I Will Remember You - Rhythm Remix Vietnam War Casualties Memorium Promo Music Video

Terry,

Thanks for your detailed information about the wheelchair. You seem to be so knowledgeable about the series and know so much detail. I had the fortune to email Joel Rogosin to ask him if he remembered about the layout of the set once Ironside's bed was removed from the office area. He was very nice and even said that I would make a excellent story consultant, because I was able to comment on the specific aspects of the story. I think you would be even more qualified to be a story consultant with your wealth of knowledge. Thanks for your contributions to this board. I was so glad to find it to share thoughts about the series with like-minded people.

He also had a different one (an electric one, no less) during some first year episodes.