1950 · Gottlieb
Knock Out
Bright flat yellow upper field behind the title, boxing ring with blue apron, ropes and corner posts, crowd of cartoon onlookers and brawlers filling the lower half, dark navy crowd silhouettes behind the ring and wooden cabinet frame visible around all edges.
- Year
- 1950
- Maker
- Gottlieb
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Backglass lights
- Players
- 1
Made by
- Design
- Harry Mabs
- Art
- Roy Parker
Vision analysis
On the playfield
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- cream
- sky blue
- red
- yellow
Fingerprint: Clenched fist bursting through blue starburst knocking grinning blond boxer backward at center. White diamond-shaped glazed trough in upper playfield with bouncing steel balls visible inside, flanked by five numbered pop-bumper caps 1-5. Red-white-blue ribbon banners reading Harlem Globetrotters arcing both sides. Basketball sports theme, cream and sky blue.
The single most memorable element is the huge clenched fist bursting through a blue starburst to knock a grinning blond boxer backwards in the centre of the playfield, directly beneath the arched red 'KNOCKDOWN' banner. Second, a white diamond-shaped glazed trough sits in the upper playfield with steel balls visibly rattling inside it, framed by five numbered pop-bumper caps and a printed 'Harlem Globetrotters' script logo at the very top. Third, two 'LIFES BUMPERS 100,000 WHEN LIT' caps with red and white concentric rings sit left and right of the fist. Fourth, the lower third is a big cream instruction card headed 'KNOCKOUT' with '5 BALLS' and '5 CENTS' either side, flanked by two slanted 'FLIPPER' logos. Fifth, a red-white-blue ribbon banner reading 'HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS' arcs down both sides of the central artwork.
Setting
- Cream and pale-blue indoor basketball court
- Sky-blue lower playfield apron area
- Cream top deck with a small painted crowd and city skyline
Symbols
- Starbursts carrying score numbers
- Five numbered pop-bumper caps 1 to 5
- Red-white-blue ribbon banner
- Concentric-ring bumper caps
- Curved red-and-white arch arrow
- Yellow and red star shapes
- Wooden cabinet with purple and orange zigzag side rails
Notable shapes
- Diamond-shaped glazed trough
- Wide red-and-white sweeping arch
- Large blue starburst behind the central fist
- V-shaped wood drain cutout in the apron
- Wooden cabinet with angled legs and purple/orange chevron graphics
Art motifs
- Impact bursts and radiating star shapes
- Ribbon banners with folded ends
- Comic-strip speed lines
- Halftone dotted shading
Themes
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Harlem globetrotters
- Sports
- Vintage electro-mechanical
Title on it
- Knockdown
Text on it
- Harlem Globetrotters
- KNOCKDOWN
- When Lit
- HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
- LIFES BUMPERS 100,000 WHEN LIT
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- SPOTS 1-2-3
- SPOTS 3-4-5
- KNOCKDOWN WHEN LIT
- 5,000
- 20,000
- 500,000
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- FLIPPER
- BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET
- NO BALLS RETURN TO FREE BALL
- MUST HIT FLIPPER TO ACTIVATE RIGHT FLIPPER
- PUSH START
- TILT
- ENDS GAME
- 5 BALLS
- KNOCKOUT
- 5 CENTS
- HITTING BUMPERS 1 TO 5 SCORES 1 BANG.
- POP BUMPER BONUS
- PASSING THROUGH SIDE ROLLOVERS
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT ROLLOVERS AWARD
- LANE CHANGE
- SPECIAL WHEN HIT ROLLOVER AWARD
- 1 REPLAY FOR 4 MILLION 500 TH.
- 1 REPLAY FOR 4 MILLION 800 TH.
- 1 REPLAY FOR 4 MILLION 900 TH.
- 1 REPLAY FOR 4 MILLION 950 TH.
- 1 REPLAY FOR 4 MILLION 990 TH.
- 1 REPLAY FOR 1 MILLION
- D. GOTTLIEB & CO.
- CHICAGO 11, ILL.
- D. Gottlieb
- PUSH LOWER PLUNGER FOR BALL
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | A large grinning blond boxer in a red singlet and red trunks, head snapped backwards, being struck, drawn as a flat cartoon at the centre of the playfield |
| Other | An oversized clenched fist punching right-to-left into the boxer, emerging from a blue starburst |
| Man | A cartoon basketball player in a yellow-and-blue uniform with arms up, painted on the upper playfield behind the ball trough, arms raised in defence |
| Man | A second cartoon basketball player in a red-and-white uniform at the top right, one arm raised |
| Man | A slim cartoon player in a red singlet and dark shorts with white shoes, standing in the round medallion on the red-and-white arch, appearing to punch or grapple |
A vintage basketball-themed electro-mechanical playfield in cream, sky blue, red and yellow, with a wooden cabinet and purple-and-orange zigzag side rails. The lower half is pale sky blue carrying a large white instruction card with red heading, two slanted 'FLIPPER' bumpers in orange-and-white bursts, and a red 'PUSH START / TILT / ENDS GAME' instruction box. The mid-playfield is dominated by a curved yellow banner reading 'KNOCKDOWN' in big red-and-blue block capitals, over 'When Lit' in script, and a large illustration of a clenched fist punching a grinning blond boxer in a red singlet. Around it are yellow starbursts containing the numerals 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, two red 'LIFES BUMPERS 100,000 WHEN LIT' bumper caps, and two 'SPECIAL WHEN LIT' rollovers. Above, a white diamond-shaped clear plastic ball trough holds bouncing steel balls, flanked by numbered pop-bumper caps 1 to 5 and two flat 'SPOTS 1-2-3' and 'SPOTS 3-4-5' target banks. Two red-white-blue ribbon banners read 'HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS', and a curved red-and-white arch sweeps across the upper mid-field. Printed at the top is a script 'Harlem Globetrotters' logo.
On the backglass
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- yellow
- magenta-red
- blue
- white
Fingerprint: Chaotic boxing-ring cartoon brawl. Dozens of men in caps and striped boxer shorts trading punches, swinging clubs, grappling around ring apron. Blonde woman in red two-piece holding wooden cash crate at bottom right. Enormous white numeral 6 with five-pointed stars, "KNOCK" arched above, "OUT" to right. Magenta 5-4-3-2-1 counting band, "MILLION" swoosh. Score value ladders down both edges. Yellow TILT badge. Blue boxing ring with ropes.
The most memorable element is the boxing-ring cartoon free-for-all filling the lower two thirds: dozens of grinning, floppy-limbed men in caps, waistcoats and polka-dot or striped boxer shorts trading punches and swinging clubs, with figures grappling in pairs around the ring apron. Close behind is the enormous white star-spangled numeral 6 at centre, with KNOCK arced above it and OUT to the right, ringed by a magenta 5-4-3-2-1 counting band and a MILLION swoosh. Also striking is the blonde woman in a red two-piece at bottom right carrying a crate of money while chaos erupts beside her, and the mirrored ladders of six-digit score values in stacked coloured boxes down both edges. A yellow oval TILT badge and a white cartouche with the maker line sit over the melee.
Setting
- Bright flat yellow upper field behind the title
- Boxing ring with blue apron, ropes and corner posts
- Crowd of cartoon onlookers and brawlers filling the lower half
- Dark navy crowd silhouettes behind the ring
- Wooden cabinet frame visible around all edges
Symbols
- Five-pointed stars in red, blue, green and orange
- Boxing ring ropes and corner posts
- Boxing gloves
- Wooden clubs and bats
- Numeral 6 as the central logo device
- Counting numerals 5 4 3 2 1
- Punching bag
- Cash crates and money sacks
- Yellow tilt oval badge
Lettering
- Large white block capitals with heavy black outline and drop shadow, slightly arched, over a bright yellow field; score values in plain rounded numerals inside stacked coloured panels
Themes
- Boxing
- Prize fight
- Prize money
- Million dollar jackpot
- Comical violence
- Crowd
Title on it
- Knock out
Text on it
- 5 4 3 2 1
- MILLION
- KNOCK
- 6
- OUT
- 100 000
- 200 000
- 300 000
- 400 000
- 500 000
- 600 000
- 900 000
- 800 000
- 700 000
- TILT
- A PRODUCT OF
- D. Gottlieb & Co
- CHICAGO, ILL.
- SHOO!
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Bare-chested boxer in the ring at upper centre in blue trunks, one arm raised, held by a man in a white shirt |
| Man | Man in white shirt and dark trousers inside the ring gripping the raised boxer's arm |
| Man | Man in dark green jacket, red-and-white checkered shorts and cap lunging right with fist cocked back |
| Man | Man in a yellow-and-black horizontally striped jersey and blue shorts, both arms flung up, laughing |
| Man | Man in a red polka-dot shirt and blue trousers, mouth open, arms wide |
| Man | Several men in caps and bowler hats grappling in pairs along the left and right of the ring apron, one in a dark suit being struck |
| Man | Shirtless man in pale grey trunks with an open white shirt at left foreground, fists up |
| Man | Thin man in white jacket and cap just left of the tilt oval, arms extended |
| Man | Bald grinning man in green-and-white checkered trousers at bottom centre, arms spread wide |
| Man | Man in an orange-brown coat and cap at lower right of centre, holding up a large sack or purse |
| Man | Man in a dark suit at lower left, head down, being grabbed by two women |
| Man | Man in a yellow-and-red checked shirt and cap at the right edge, seen in profile beside a barrel |
| Man | Small pair of men running at the upper right edge, one in a yellow shirt and one in red |
| Man | Man in red-and-white checked trousers and dark shirt centre-left, gripping a woman |
| Woman | Red-haired woman in a dark blue dress at lower left, grabbing a suited man |
| Woman | Blonde woman in a red polka-dot skirt and blue top beside her |
| Woman | Blonde woman in a red two-piece outfit at lower right with large earrings, holding a wooden cash crate and looking left |
| Other | Bald man's head at lower left with a hand raised beside a balloon reading shoo |
Translucent-lit style backglass set in a wooden cabinet, with a bright yellow upper field and a crowded cartoon boxing-ring brawl filling the lower two thirds. Across the top a magenta-red curved band carries large white-outlined numerals 5 4 3 2 1 reading left to right, with the word MILLION in white block letters on a dark green-black swoosh at upper right. The centre logo is KNOCK OUT set around a giant white numeral 6 decorated with red, blue, green and orange five-pointed stars; KNOCK arches above in white with a black shadow and OUT sits to the right. Two ladders of score values run down the side edges: left column 100 000, 200 000, 300 000, 400 000, 500 000, 600 000 in stacked coloured boxes (yellow, green, magenta, red, orange, red); right column 900 000, 800 000, 700 000. Below is a chaotic boxing scene: a ring with blue apron, ropes and posts, and dozens of brawling cartoon men in vests, striped or polka-dot boxer shorts, caps and bowler hats, swinging fists and clubs. A blonde woman in a red two-piece stands at lower right holding a wooden crate. A yellow oval reads TILT. A white cartouche at mid-left carries the maker line. Dominant colours are yellow, magenta-red, blue and white.