The world of film and TV is full of rich characters, each with their own traits and quirks. Among these stand out characters, it’s often a particular gimmick or affectation that makes them instantly recognizable. For some characters, it’s the hat that brings us that famous silhouette, and here are four famous hats and their wearers.
Quint – Jaws
Played by Robert Shaw, Sam Quint is the grizzled anti-hero fisherman from Steven Spielberg’s classic thriller Jaws. Appearing in his weather beaten peaked cap, he offers to hunt the eponymous shark – at a high fee – to protect the income from Amity Island’s holiday makers.
Despite Shaw’s incredible performance as Quint, he wasn’t Spielberg’s first choice to play the part. Spielberg originally approached Lee Marvin, who turned the part down straight away. The director then sought to get actor Sterling Hayden to play the part, however certain issues relating to taxes scuppered the plans. Now it’s hard to imagine anyone playing Quint other than Robert Shaw.
Thomas Magnum – Magnum P.I.
Magnum P.I. was a TV show that had instantly recognizable elements, from the red Ferrari, to the detective himself, played by Tom Selleck. The first discernible feature is that moustache, but he’d often be seen solving cases in his signature Detroit Tigers snapback cap.
Making its debut in 1980, Magnum P.I. became the highest rated show on US television. The program reached a high of nearly 19 million viewers in America, until its reign was challenged, and eventually toppled, by The Cosby Show.
John Steed – The Avengers
There are very few characters on television as impeccably dressed as John Steed. Although The Avengers was notable for its strong, catsuit-clad female leads such as Cathy Gale (honor Blackman) and Emma Peel (Diana Rigg), Patrick Macnee’s portrayal of Steed was there from the beginning.
The Avengers began in 1961, but it was a far cry from the highly-stylized action adventure series it was to become. John Steed was a shadowy figure, who occasionally wore the bowler that would later become a trademark, along with his furled umbrella. The Avengers continued to evolve from one end of the 60s to the other, adding more and more affectations. Rarely seen with a gun, John Steed would dispatch his assailants in other ways, such as giving them a quick bang on the head with his steel-lined bowler.
Indiana Jones
Is there a more famous hat in cinematic history? Indiana Jones has to be one of the most recognized hat wearers in popular culture. The dusty, wide-brimmed fedora worn by Harrison Ford in all four of the Indiana Jones film series is true icon.
The hat originally came from Saville Row in London, specifically from the shop ‘Herbert Johnson’. To give the hat the right look of having survived many adventures, costume designer Deborah Nadoolman spent time stretching and pulling the hat. To add the finishing touches, both Nadoolman and Harrison Ford sat on it.
The Alternative Store sell all sorts of hats for heroes including snapback caps.
