Prop

If you're between a rock and a hard place, you better hope it's one of these rocks. As realistic as they look, they're actually the soft and incredibly light products of a California company called World Treasures. Floyd Appel started the firm in the early 1970s when he recognized that movie studios needed fake rocks and boulders that were light and safe. A little upholstery foam, a little proprietary coating, and a star was born. Appel's creations had featured roles in TV series such as "The Six-Million-Dollar Man," "Star Trek, Deep Space Nine," and numerous movies like "The Flintstones." As Appel explained in an August 2009 letter, "Many other boulders were used for movie avalanches to protect both actors and the equipment. Diatomaceous earth was dusted on the boulders so that when rolling donhill they would realistically throw off the powder." World Treasures also promoted its rocks as novelties, turning out gift versions as key chains, necklaces, and pencil holders.