Inside Hollywood props house that upset Secret Service with very convincing fake money
Some of the most famous props used in Hollywood films come from the same place.
Whether it’s a newspaper, license plate, or milk carton, chances are it was made in the oldest props house, the Earl Hays Press.
Located in Burbank, California, the prop house has been in operation for 106 years as of 31 January 2023.
It first opened its doors in 1917 and, to this day, specializes in making printed gear for film and TV productions.
Products sitting in the prop house include posters, newspapers, official documents, signage, and even food and drink packaging.
Founder Earl Hays began the business as a small commercial printing shop in Hollywood.
He would travel often and sketch the license plates of vehicles from countries that he visited.
When he returned to America, he was asked to do so much work for movies that he decided to dedicate himself to making props.
By 1944, the business had commissioned a press writer and four printers to use for creating newspapers, magazines, and other printed objects for movies.
Today, the company has a simple process for creating props or art needed for films - someone will read through a script and make a note of everything that might be needed.
Clients will then either buy props directly from Earl Hays or have the company design and print something from scratch.
The company also offers non-copyrighted versions of products for productions that either can’t afford or simply refuse to license real products.
Earl Hays also maintains multiple antique printing presses to ensure the authenticity of its products.
There is currently a stock of about 25,000 items at the business, one of which is the most reused prop.
Although Earl Hays produces multiple generic newspapers, one stands out among the rest.
The Recurring Newspaper is a dummy newspaper with multiple pages of stories.
The paper is mostly lorem ipsum (traditional printer’s placeholder gibberish) but the front page is blank, which allows for custom stories and pictures to be added.
The newspaper has been conservatively predicted to have appeared in more than 10,000 film and TV productions since its introduction in the 1960s.
Another product Earl Hays is well known for producing is fake money for use in productions.
The money created is similar to regular US dollar bills but features the signature of the graphic designer rather than the US Treasurer and each of the bills has the same serial number.
The fake money is checked and approved by the US Secret Service before it is produced to ensure it is different enough from authentic money in circulation.
Although procedures were followed when creating the cash, the bills produced by Earl Hays Press for the production of the 1965 film The Cincinnati Kid caused problems.
The fake currency used in a poker scene was taken by crew members and dispersed throughout New Orleans bars and clubs.
The currency accidentally entered circulation around the world until the Secret Service stepped in and forced the Earl Hays Press to burn the remaining stock as they supervised.
In addition to money, the Earl Hays Press says they can build any packaging and graphics needed.
In fact, the Earl Hays Type Collection has nearly 1,000 fonts of metal and wood type dating from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century.
It is likely the last known compilation of type of such historical importance.
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