Made by
- Design
- Harvey Heiss
Vision analysis
On the backglass
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- red
- yellow
- white
- black
Fingerprint: "BIG TOP" white block lettering on bulb-studded yellow circus marquee. Jagged "MILLION" burst with three triangular pennant flags on black sky. Fan of nine differently coloured numbered score reels radiating like carousel canopy beneath title. Grinning striped-cone-hat clown, blonde showgirl in yellow polka-dot dress, moustached man in peaked cap, top-hatted man in scarlet coat. Flat saturated red-yellow-white-black cartoon palette.
The single most memorable element is the huge white 'BIG TOP' block lettering across a bulb-studded yellow circus marquee, paired with the jagged 'MILLION' burst and three little triangular pennant flags on a black sky. Second, the fan of nine differently coloured numbered score reels (10 through 90) radiating like a carousel canopy directly beneath the title. Third, the circus cast below - a grinning striped-cone-hat clown, a blonde showgirl in a yellow polka-dot dress, a moustached man in a peaked cap, and a top-hatted man in a scarlet coat. Fourth, the flat saturated red-yellow-white-black cartoon palette with heavy outlines and painted light bulbs.
Setting
- Circus big-top facade with scalloped light-bulb marquee
- Deep red stage curtain
- Black night sky behind the pennant flags
Symbols
- Three triangular pennant flags (red, yellow, orange)
- Rows of round light bulbs along the marquee
- Scalloped marquee edging
- Star motifs on the coloured reel stripes
- Large pale circular discs with dark centres
Lettering
- Giant white sans-serif block capitals with heavy blue drop shadows for the main title; small dark blue capitals for the maker line; jagged comic-book style white capitals for the word beside the flags
Themes
- Circus
- Big top
- Showgirl
- Clown
- Bingo
- Score reels
Title on it
- Genco's big top
Text on it
- GENCO'S
- BIG TOP
- MILLION
- 10
- 20
- 30
- 40
- 50
- 60
- 70
- 80
- 90
- 000
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Grinning clown at far left, red-and-white striped conical party hat, white ruffled collar, round red nose, painted white face with red cheeks |
| Woman | Central blonde showgirl, short wavy hair, yellow dress with white polka dots and puffed sleeves, standing front-on with bare shoulders |
| Woman | A line of four smaller female dancers in the background centre, dark leotards, arms raised, standing on a platform |
| Man | At right, dark-haired man with a black moustache wearing a peaked military-style cap and dark uniform, stern expression |
| Man | Lower right, man in a black top hat and long scarlet coat with white shirt front, ringmaster-like |
| Woman | Lower left, a female face with bright red/orange hair and a large light-coloured collar framed inside a pale circular disc |
A brightly coloured painted backglass built as a circus big-top facade. Across the top, a wide yellow marquee with a scalloped edge and rows of small light bulbs carries 'GENCO'S' in small dark blue capitals, then 'BIG TOP' in enormous white block letters with heavy blue drop shadows. To its right, on a dark navy-black field, the word 'MILLION' is written in jagged white capitals beside three pennant flags on poles - red, yellow and orange. Below the marquee is a fan of coloured score reels angled like a carousel canopy, each reel striped in a different colour and topped with digit windows: 10 (yellow), 20 (pink), 30 (green), 40 (red), 50 (yellow), 60 (pink), 70 (red), 80 (green) and 90 (yellow), each with '000' beneath. The lower half is set against a deep red circus curtain and shows a fairground scene: a grinning clown in a red-and-white striped conical hat and ruff at far left, a blonde showgirl in a yellow polka-dot dress standing centre, a small line of four dancers in dark leotards further back, and at right a stern moustached man in a peaked cap and dark uniform beside another man in a black top hat and scarlet coat. Several large pale circular discs with dark centres are scattered among the figures. The palette is saturated red, yellow, white and black in a flat cartoon style with heavy outlines.