Bryan Davis Metal Figures Bill Nevins Collection Bill shows us another person who made figures. Bryan did them in metal and advertise them in PFPC. Beside doing the copies of the hard to find figures Bryan did variations.
Bryan Davis Metal Figures Bill Nevins Collection Bill’s Comments
Larry Patterson was not the only one who looked to populate the Marx Western towns back in the 90’s. Bryan and Val Davis produced outstanding metal castings of many of the Marx character figures.
Like Larry, Bryan produced his own versions of many Marx western figures.
Here are some of what I have in my collection.
The first photo shows unpainted castings, so you can see how they were originally sold. You can see that Wyatt Earp has not been primed yet.
The next picture shows the 4 Gunsmoke character figures with a cream falling horse for color reference. The Gunsmoke figures are Davis figures, painted to match the Marx cream color of the originals. I paid 5 bucks each per figure!!
Let’s face it. Most of us will never be able to acquire an original Gunsmoke set
of figures. This is the next best thing.
Picture 3 shows a few genuine Marx figures mixed among the Gunsmoke
set. The Marx cream color match is really close. I’ve fooled several collectors with these. They think that they are originals until they pick them up and feel the weight difference.
A shot of the Gunsmoke characters alone.
Bryan Davis Metal Figures Bill Nevins Collection Custer
Next, we have the silly expensive Custer figure. I found a Games Workshop paint color named Hawk Turquoise which I used to paint the General and Mark McCain. I think that it’s a close enough match for the original color for George Armstrong. Since I had 2 Mark McCain castings and I wanted to see what he would look like in that turquoise color. I may add a rifle in his hand, just like the original figure was intended to have
It is a little know fact, that General G.A. Custer invented the “High Five”.
A photoof Lucas and Mark McCain in cream and Custer and Mark in turquoise.
An excellent casting of Zorro.
Bryan Davis Metal Figures Bill Nevins Collection Final Thoughts
Finally, a group shot of all my one color Davis figures.
Each casting here was five dollars.
I wonder how much it would cost to buy all original Marx figures?
Bill, these look really good and the paint is very close to original colors at least on my computer! Really like the Zorro figure. Bryan Davis did some nice work to give collectors the figures that otherwise would only exist on their wish lists. I wonder if I can locate the Zorro for my collection!
The Davis brothers were/are saddle makers out in Arizona. I too purchased a number of their figures including the Gunsmoke ones.
I met Bryan many years in his Tucson. He is very nice guy.
I got a metal set of the Airfix 7th Cavalry foot figures, I should paint them up.
Since it doesn’t appear that Bryan Davis metal figures are any longer available: I have accumulated quite a few cowboys from Ukraine and Russia. Figures start at $6.99 (higher priced have make an offer feature) plus $9.99 shipping with great packing. (USPS Priority for USA is now around $7.) Figures are highly detailed and are available in an interesting variety of poses not available in plastic, such as the trio from “The good, the bad, and the ugly”. I have not personally seen any Marx recasts offered at this point. They paint up well and blend in perfectly with 54mm plastic. The only way to detect the metal ones, as Bill stated, is their weight. They’ve offered some good additions to my collection.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-West-The-Man-With-No-Name-Kit-Tin-toy-soldier-54-mm-metal-sculpture-/262757173838?hash=item3d2d8c4a4e:g:k2AAAOSwayZXjVcY
Andy.
I agree these are same maker of metal awesome figures that EB and PLV made figures too, same from where No name brand extract Romans,knights and Greeks poses. The detail is awesome.
there is a distributor here I think.
will google later x you guys.
Erwin, would be interested in a USA distributor if you can find one. I’d be curious to see prices. For example, it is almost $10 per box of figures cheaper to order ExForce direct from Singapore vs. USA prices that I’ve seen. Same with Replicants directly from Steve Weston, even with shipping.
The paint technique is great.
I like the humor of (High Five).
I’m also again seen the observation in MARX 60’s figures see more about so tight clothing!
Why these was used so much by MARX artist.
I love MARX faces and poses ,deep detail is awesome.
Only I never like much was the clothing tight to body that much. I notice it way more in the 54 mm range from early to late 60s
My personal opinion only of course….
Best…
As for the Custer aka Legend of Custer TV Series, the uniforms pants were pretty close-fitted, so Marx followed closely what TV offered. I think this also follows the close fitting jeans and pants styles of the mid sixties; still better than the later bell bottoms, but a product of the times and what the studio/director/props departments wanted. Not necessarily any less authentic than the series, meaning they got the colors right and some names, but they weren’t doing history on this series! I remember watching this probably on reruns.
I also note from watching one of the episodes that Custer’s clothing was a tighter fit than the other cavalrymen. At least Slim Pickens is not wearing skin tight leather buckskins! That’s a scary thought. Slim is playing a scout in the show.
My thinking is that the sculptor was very good at following a Hollywood Costume and the figure sure looks like Wayne Maunder, the show’s star. So I think it’s a good sculpt of an inauthentic subject. The Custer Sculpt is probably the best thing to come out of this very forgettable series.
It lasted 17 episodes and Wikipedia says “the show was canceled due to wide protest of Native American tribes throughout the United States.” (I think that was a good excuse to cancel a poor show.) Also on Wikipedia: “Custer faced competition from NBC’s long-running 90-minute western The Virginian starring James Drury and Doug McClure and CBS’s Lost in Space starring Guy Williams, June Lockhart, and Mark Goddard.” So Custer was killed by the studio instead of the Sioux in 1967.
You have it right the Marx Custer figure was based the television show. The show had so much against it. I watched an episode or two and found it disappointing.
I just watched the first episode of the Custer TV show on You Tube. Toward the end, Custer appears in a pose almost identical to the Marx figure, and you can easily see where the Marx sculptor got the inspiration for the pose.
I used to watch that show – a guy named Wayne Maunder played Custer. I guess his career lasted about as long as the show…
I think the Marx sculptor was being stylish for the times. Just glad he didn’t give some of the figures bell bottoms later on in the decade…
LOL!!!
Yes, the Marx Germans great faces, helmets and poses but the uniform is too tight. I made this observation years ago on a forum and was kind of ridiculed. Nice to see Erwin agrees. If someone could copy the faces and poses but add fuller uniforms they would sell very well. Copyright could also be avoided I would think.
The same in Gis too ….
and Japanese.
The marines were a bit better.They lack gear too.
I personally think while the Custer sculpt is nicely done, the pose leaves a lot to be desired. I mean he died with his boots on, he could at least be shooting at something. Heck he looks like he’s waving at Mark McCain. Speaking of Mark, is it just the picture or does he have an extra long left arm? He should have been a boxer he’d have a heck of a reach advantage.
Exactly Ed, not a good pose! And Mark has a long arm! Ha!
I never cared for the Custer sculpt, either. I think that the TSSD sculpt is probably the best plastic depiction of Custer.
The 12 inch pose able Marx Custer looks like it was based on that figure. Same uniform face.
It is. Marx was trying to tie into the television show. It must have been cheaper than Bonazana.
Did Couster was left handed?
Also the revolver figure has is way too small .The shirt is base in one photo I think.
There the Custer 60mm on pedestal Marx pose too.I do not remember well how was depicted but aa typical nt actions series was not in action too.
I looked up on internet and the view is Custer was right handed. He did fold his hands like a lefty would.
Maybe he was just in a people gang, they represent left.
Well looks like here is show as left handed.The revolver holster is position as to be drawn with left hand and he has it in his left.Intersting.
A fast draw cowboy that is right handed would wear their holster on the right side. Custer has his holster on his right side, so he must be quicksdraw Custer. No guitar so he can’t be El Ka Bong. I any case it’s still a crappy pose. Maybe he has a torn rotator cuff and can’t wave with his left arm.
Thinking about it and studying the pose, I think that Custer is offering a peace sign. He’s holding the gun in his off hand and he is holding it downwards. The rigght hand is giving “high sign” which was the universal sign of friendship, showing that you were not concealing a weapon.
I watched the show and remember being profoundly disappointed. Errol Flynn he was not. In fact, I seem to recall it as being more of a “peaceful” series.
Sign of the times, I guess.
I suppose anything is possible, but if you are giving a peace sign wouldn’t it be more believable if the gun remained holstered?
A very peaceful Custer!? . Not quite his charters I guess, specially for his last stand base that most figures made in Marx set are in action.
Any how I did a quick research in actual pictures/photos of Custers and in all his holsters is position in his right and saber in left as US cavalry custom .But one photo posing as cavalry cadet show him seating and if look well he is actually posing with a very small revolver holding it front of his chest in left hand.
So that may be is were artist got the impression!?
The high five I can not figure out where come from …
I do not know if this link will show it up right or not.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=custer's+photos&id=1FAF4FF1FD155A6D8334E308932AF4F0BF3384A7&FORM=IQFRBA
I was wondering whether the actor, Wayne Maunder, was left-handed and Marx copied off him, but I couldn’t find anything. I did find out why the show died – it was going up against “The Virginian,” which probably had the adult audience; and “Lost in Space” – the kiddies. And looking back, it probably wasn’t that good – not to mention revisionist history was getting started and Custer, rightly or wrongly, caught a lot of flak as a symbol of the evils of Westward expansion. As a book in my library says, “Custer Died for Your Sins.”
The poor guy never really had a successful series, he was in a couple that are pretty much forgotten (I’d forgotten them until I read about them tonight) – “Lancer” and “Chase.” After that…
Bill, I agree with you on Errol Flynn- “They Died with their Boots On” may be the least accurate of the Custer movies but it remains my favorite because I think Flynn captured something of the essence of the man so many other movies miss. I love “Son of the Morning Star” for its accuracy – walk the Little Big Horn battlefield and you realize they got a place almost exactly like it (about 20 miles away) for that movie. But even now, though I’m more forgiving, I managed to get the miniseries on DVD; when I watch it I keep wishing they’d somehow gotten Errol Flynn to play the part instead of Gary Cole – THEN you would have had Custer the way I think he was. JMO.
We always watched the Virginian, so I am pretty sure I didn’t see Custer until it was in reruns, and also Lost in Space as reruns. I can remember watching Lancer, too so I guess I saw Mr. Maunder in that series.
I was in the middle of high school when the Custer TV show ran, in 1967. Somehow, I missed it entirely.
But I watch videos of various episodes of it now on YouTube, and I think it’s pretty good. I always preferred Cavalry vs. Indian shows, to just cowboy shows, or Sheriffs vs. Robbers.
When I watch the old Custer episodes now, I see it shows plenty of U.S. Cavalry riding in and out of the fort, charging across the plains, and fighting Sioux, Cheyenne, and Kiowa. And basically the show depicts young Custer as he really was —- ambitious, driven to glory, wanting to be in the action, and dedicated to soldiering as a capable, confident leader, but not always appreciated or admired by his subordinates, peers, or superiors.
All in all, I like the show, and it isn’t the first time a TV show or movie which I liked wasn’t much accepted by the rest of the public. “The Travels of Jamie McPheeters” TV show, and the movie “Gods and Generals” both come to mind.
I think if the type of people who show up on this website would watch a few of the one-hour, color episodes available on YouTube, you’d find yourself enjoying it.
I was in high school when those shows were on TV and I rarely watched TV other than sports . In fact I rarely watched TV from high school until I was like 25 unless I was at someone’s house and they were watching TV . I don’t remember ever watching Wagon Train, Rawhide,Captain Gallant, Richard Greene, Custer or any of those shows. Now however I’m a couch potato and watch TV constantly, but strangely not what I would consider regular TV like sitcoms or other weekly shows.
I grew up on the Western TV series explosion. I don’t recall Richard Greene and although I remember Capt Gallant, I never much cared for the show.
Most people remember Davy Crockett , Zorro and maybe the Swamp Fox or Johnny Tremain on the Walt Disney Show.
Who remembers Tom Tryon as Texas John Slaughter?
Or Robert Loggia as a Mexican in the Nine Lives of Elfego Baca?
Those were great shows. Are they ever repeated?
Disney has run some of the shows on the disney channels. Some were released at various times on DVD.
On another matter the Wayne Mauder Custer is in DVD as a friend got it for Christmas. Wayne is still alive.
Last night I found an old blank order form for the Davis brothers metal castings. The address on it is:
Bryan and Val Davis
3132 E. Prince Road
Tucson, Az 85716
I haven’t yet tried to contact them. I was hoping to find them online with a Google search, which led me to this thread. I got some missing Rex Mars/Tom Corbett figures to complete my collection; also the Zorro character figures. Sure would like to buy more from them if they still do business.
That’d be great, Bill – thanks. If it’s not proper to post it here ‘publicly
I’ll send it in an email later tonight.