1974–1975 · Bally
Boomerang / Flicker
Known for Center spinner, Thunderdome, Captive ball lanes and Top saucer. Bright blue sky with dark rock overhang at top, ochre-yellow arid plain, sparse eucalyptus gum trees, green shrubs and bushes and large dark tree trunk at left edge.
- Years
- 1974–1975
- Maker
- Bally
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
Known for
- Spinner
Center spinner
- bumper area
Thunderdome
- Captive ball
Captive ball lanes
- saucer
Top saucer
- Target
Lower playfield targets
- Goal
ABCD
2 games under this title
-
Boomerang 1974 · 4 players -
Flicker 1975 · 2 players
On the playfield
Orbit 1
- Inner star arcs arcs
Hole 1
- Top saucer saucer
Captive ball 1
- Captive ball lanes
Spinner 1
- Center spinner
Bumper 1
- Thunderdome bumper area
Targets 2
- Red standup targets
- Lower playfield targets
Lane 1
- Star rollovers rollovers
Lights 1
- Half-moon lamps lamps
On the backglass
Who and what
- man Bare-chested aboriginal man, black hair, full beard, yellow ochre body paint on chest and shoulders, seated in the lower left corner looking forward, drawn larger than life
- animal Grey kangaroo standing upright on its hind legs beside a dead tree trunk, mid-left of the scene
- other Smaller standing figure in red body paint with a long spear or digging stick, mid-distance centre
- animal Large tan kangaroo on the right, head down grazing, prominent ears
- animal Second smaller tan kangaroo crouched low beside the larger one, far right
Setting
- Bright blue sky with dark rock overhang at top
- Ochre-yellow arid plain
- Sparse eucalyptus gum trees
- Green shrubs and bushes
- Large dark tree trunk at left edge
Text on it
- Bally
- BOOMERANG
- 1 UP
- 2 UP
- 3 UP
- 4 UP
- 6 8 3 7 0
- 0 0 0 0 0
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1 2 3 4
How it plays
-
Goals 1
- ABCD
-
Awards 1
- Double Bonus
Made by
- Design
- Jim Patla
- Art
- Christian Marche
- Art
- Dick White
Reference
Linked terms
- Center spinner also called Center spinner route
- Thunderdome also called Bumper area
- Captive ball lanes also called Captive balls
- Inner star arcs also called Tight inner star arcs
- Lower playfield targets also called Four letter targets
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass Boomerang
- yellow
- blue
- orange
- black
Fingerprint: BOOMERANG: Ochre-yellow outback landscape with kangaroos, Aboriginal man in yellow ochre body paint seated large in lower left, dead tree, grey and tan kangaroos grazing, painted wooden boomerang at bottom, wide blue sky.
The unmistakable centrepiece is an ochre outback landscape with kangaroos and a painted Aboriginal hunter, under a huge orange banner reading BOOMERANG in white block letters. Four score windows framed by gold thorn-scrollwork, each paired with a red circular player-number medallion reading 1 UP, 2 UP, 3 UP and 4 UP. A bare-chested, black-haired, bearded Aboriginal man in yellow body paint sits in the lower left corner in close-up, larger than any other figure. A painted wooden boomerang lies diagonally across the bottom centre, just left of the BALL IN PLAY lettering.
Setting
- Bright blue sky with dark rock overhang at top
- Ochre-yellow arid plain
- Sparse eucalyptus gum trees
- Green shrubs and bushes
- Large dark tree trunk at left edge
Symbols
- Painted wooden boomerang
- Red circular player medallions
- Gold thorn-and-scroll window frames
- Circled player numerals 1-4
Lettering
- Large white block capitals with black outline on an orange banner, plus a white cursive script maker mark above
Themes
- Australian outback
- Aboriginal culture
- Kangaroos
- Boomerang throwing
- Western desert
Title on it
- Boomerang
Text on it
- Bally
- BOOMERANG
- 1 UP
- 2 UP
- 3 UP
- 4 UP
- 6 8 3 7 0
- 0 0 0 0 0
- 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1 2 3 4
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Bare-chested aboriginal man, black hair, full beard, yellow ochre body paint on chest and shoulders, seated in the lower left corner looking forward, drawn larger than life |
| Animal | Grey kangaroo standing upright on its hind legs beside a dead tree trunk, mid-left of the scene |
| Other | Smaller standing figure in red body paint with a long spear or digging stick, mid-distance centre |
| Animal | Large tan kangaroo on the right, head down grazing, prominent ears |
| Animal | Second smaller tan kangaroo crouched low beside the larger one, far right |
Painted electro-mechanical backglass with a bright blue sky over an ochre-yellow outback plain. A wide orange-red banner band across the top carries the word BOOMERANG in huge white block capitals outlined in black, with a white script maker name above it. Four white rectangular score windows with black-and-gold thorny ornamental frames are set two above and two below, separated by round red medallions lettered 1 UP, 2 UP, 3 UP and 4 UP. The upper-left window shows 6 8 3 7 0 digits and the other three read 0 0 0 0 0. The painted scene shows an Aboriginal Australian setting: at lower left a bare-chested, black-haired, bearded Aboriginal man in yellow body paint sits beside a dark tree trunk; behind him a grey kangaroo stands upright beside a dead tree, and a second smaller figure in red paint stands in the mid-distance. On the right, two tan kangaroos graze on the yellow ground among green shrubs and sparse gum trees. A painted wooden boomerang lies diagonally at the bottom centre. Along the bottom edge, white outlined text reads 1 TO 4 CAN PLAY above four circled numerals 1 2 3 4, and BALL IN PLAY at lower right.
Backglass Flicker
- red
- green
- blue
- yellow
Fingerprint: flicker in cream light-bulb letters, five grinning performers including blonde woman with cocktail glass, carnival setting with red arches and scalloped valances, yellow bulb strings and gold ornament, blue peaked crest displaying script logo, small caricature heads flanking borders, red star lower right, vibrant festive palette
The title is rendered as individual round cream light bulbs set into a plain black rectangle in chunky capital dot-matrix letters, with a small yellow cursive script logo sitting directly above it in a blue arched crest. Five caricatured performers crowd together across the middle, including a blonde woman holding a martini glass between two bowler-hatted men. Small framed cartoon heads border both side edges, and a row of blank orange-red marquee panels runs across the top. A red five-pointed star sits low on the right beside a red status banner.
Setting
- Carnival or fairground facade of scalloped arches
- Green marquee lettering and gold bulb strings
- Red and gold scrolled valances
- Black title panel
- Cabinet interior side rails visible left and right
- Grey-white cabinet bottom lip
Symbols
- Rows of round yellow marquee light bulbs
- Red five-pointed star low on the right
- Purple stars behind the top caricature heads
- Yellow star accents on the red valances
- Orange coin-in slots
- Cigar
- Martini glass
- Bowler hats
- Red circular 1 up and 2 up discs
- White 10-cell score reels
- Green arrow play indicator beside ball in play
Lettering
- Mixed: chunky cream dot-matrix bulb capitals for the main title on black; yellow cursive script logo with swash capitals in a blue arch; gold serif capitals on blue gradient panels for the player labels; condensed gold capitals on red bands for the status banners; white sans-serif capitals on diagonal side banners.
Themes
- Showbiz
- Music hall
- Vaudeville
- Carnival
- Showpeople
- Flashing lights
Title on it
- Flicker
Text on it
- Bally
- 1ST PLAYER
- 2ND PLAYER
- FLICKER
- BALLY
- 1 UP
- 2 UP
- 1 or 2 CAN PLAY
- BALL IN PLAY
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Stout grinning man in a purple suit jacket, purple shirt and tall purple top hat with black band, right hand raised with index finger pointing up, left hand holding a small dark object, pale skin |
| Woman | Blonde woman with curled hair, blue eye shadow, red strapless dress and white fur stole, pearl necklace with green pendant, holding a filled martini glass up in her right hand, red lipstick, smiling |
| Man | Lanky man with long face and a wide toothy grin, brown hair, white collar with red polka-dot bow tie, hand raised near his chin, pale skin |
| Man | Large broad man in a blue suit jacket, yellow shirt, green striped tie and tall black bowler hat, heavy eyebrows, smirking, a cigar at his mouth |
| Man | Thin man on the far right in a black bowler hat, white shirt and dark bow tie, deep crow feet, sly grin, pale skin |
| Other | Several small framed cartoon head portraits stacked vertically down both the left and right borders, each in its own coloured square panel, showing men and women in hats |
| Other | Two larger floating caricature heads above the top arch, one at the top left in a hat and one at the top centre-right with a moustache, with purple star shapes behind them |
A brightly coloured backglass dominated by five larger-than-life cartoon showmen and showgirls shoulder to shoulder across the lower half, backed by a red, green and gold scrolled carnival-fairground background of arches, scalloped valances, strings of round yellow bulbs and green marquee lettering. Centre top is a blue arched crest carrying a yellow cursive script logo, flanked by two blue-and-white score windows. Below that a black rectangular panel holds the main title spelled out in cream dot-matrix bulbs. Left to right the figures are: a stout man in a purple suit and purple top hat raising one index finger; a blonde woman in a low-cut red dress with a fur stole holding a martini glass; a lanky grinning man in a white collar and red bow tie with a cigar; a broad-shouldered man in a blue suit, black bowler hat and green striped tie; and a thin man in a black bowler hat and dark bow tie. Narrow vertical borders down both sides carry small framed caricature head portraits, with larger floating caricature heads above them at the top corners. A row of blank orange-red rectangular panels runs across the very top, and a red five-pointed star sits low on the right.