Alien: Key To Mother

Leading from

Alien: Making the Movie
and
Roger Shaw

a) Need for a key
In the Alien movie, a complex series of entry procedures allowed only the crew member that knew the codes in, and in this case it was the captain, Dallas, and the scene would be enough to show that he was captain of the ship without actually saying it in dialogue. Later Ripley would have the key to use.

(Source: www.bonhams.com/auctions/17974/lot/50/)

b) Building the key
Roger Christian has his personal prop maker Roger Shaw make up the entry key for using scrape computer parts encased in perspex, a handle painted green and row of magnets along the end.

(Source: http://www.propstore.com/product/alien/key-to-mother/)

c) Effect
For Roger Christian, it gave the impression of a different type of electronic key, all designed to support this idea that no one could enter the Mother computer room unless permitted

(Source: http://www.propstore.com/product/alien/key-to-mother/)

Source quotes

1. Roger Christian: Along a narrower corridor on the set lay the door to Mother. In the movie, a complex series of entry procedures allowed only the crew member that knew the codes in, in this case the captain, Dallas.  In the movie, that was enough to show that he was the captain of the ship without actually saying it in dialogue, and therefore an important procedure. Roger Shaw made up the entry key for me from scrap computer parts encased in Perspex. It gave the impression of a different type of electronic key, all designed to support this idea that no one could enter Mother unless permitted. The original key was recently sold at an auction in Bonhams. Certainly it was never expected when we built all these props from scrap and found objects that they'd become iconic items sought after by collectors (Cinema Alchemist)
   
2. Bonhams: Lot 50, Alien, 1979 The prop 'Key To Mother', as used by Sigourney Weaver,
   

   
   

   Sold for £5,040 inc. premium
   The prop 'Key To Mother', as used by Sigourney Weaver, of moulded plastic, metal and wood construction, painted green and red, with electrical components embedded in plastic/resin, together with a certificate of authenticity, height 6½ inches, handle width 5 inches The 'Key To Mother' is used in the film to access "Mother", during two major scenes.
   
   The letter sold together with this piece, from The Prop Store Of London dated 2004, states that the piece was in a private collection for 15 years, who was a fan of the film and co-creator of the Alien War attraction at the Trocedero in London. It states the collector obtained the piece from an original film crew member. (https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/17974/lot/50/)
3. Propstore: The key to Mother used in the Sigourney Weaver classic Alien. This extremely rare and famous prop can be seen being used by Tom Skerritt as Dallas in a scene near the beginning of the movie as he gains access to Mother by inserting the key in the corridor outside and Sigourney Weaver as Ripley can be seen later on in the film accessing mother with the key just before Ash, played by Iam Holm, attacks her. The prop is made from resin with the handle painted green and the main body being translucent with electronic and metal components cast into it, with four red magnets are attached to one end. The key has been chipped slightly, but this is very minor damage considering it’s age. Measures 12cm x 4.5cm (16.5" x 6.5") (Source: http://www.propstore.com/product/alien/key-to-mother/

(Source: http://www.propstore.com/product/alien/key-to-mother/)