Made by
- Design
- Norm Clark
Vision analysis
On the playfield
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- cream
- olive green
- red
- orange-gold
Fingerprint: River boat title, two enormous fanned playing-card hands lower playfield, black suits left red suits right, grey king card overlapping queen center, two flat cartoon card-players leaning above fans, dark-haired teal jacket fair-haired pale striped, huge white inverted chevron SPOT LIFT CARD 50 POINTS, red circle bumper sitting point, unusual duel scoring bands both sides, cream olive-green red orange-gold palette.
The single most memorable feature is the two enormous printed fans of playing cards spreading out across the lower playfield, black suits on the left and red suits on the right, with a grey king card overlapping a queen card in the middle. Second, the pair of flat cartoon card-player figures leaning in from above the fans, one dark-haired, one fair-haired. Third, the huge white inverted chevron in the centre reading SPOT LIFT CARD / 50 POINTS with a red circle pop bumper sitting in its point. Fourth, the unusual duel-style scoring bands along both side lanes reading ON YELLOW 5 POINTS / ON GREEN 10 POINTS / ON RED 100 POINTS, which is unusual for a card-themed table. Fifth, the eight large round pop-bumper caps arranged in two rows of four, each stamped 10.
Setting
- River or lake scene with paddle steamboats and smokestacks behind the upper playfield
- Open blue sky with white clouds at the top of the card fans
- Cream and gold framed panel work rather than a photographic backdrop
Symbols
- Playing-card suits: spades, hearts, clubs, diamonds
- Suicide king and queen card faces
- Red round bumper caps and one blue bumper cap
- White card flags on poles
- Paddle-wheel steamboats
- Black five-pointed star
- Green teardrop target lanes at upper right
- Red-rimmed oval saucer at top right
- Curved red and green trim stripes framing the lower field
- Red rubber flipper bats with white flipper lettering
Notable shapes
- Huge downward-pointing white chevron in the centre of the playfield
- Fanned playing-card hands forming two wide arcs
- Eight round bumper caps in a 4x2 grid
- Long narrow vertical scoring lanes along both outer side rails
- Red-rimmed oval saucer at the top right
Art motifs
- Fanned card hands
- Card-flags chevron
- Arrowhead and chevron shapes
- Oval plaque shapes
- Ribbon banners with serif block lettering
Themes
- Playing cards
- Poker
- Gambling
- River boat
- Casino
Title on it
- River boat
Text on it
- RIVER BOAT
- Score Used at Game is Winded
- For Amusement Only
- Williams
- ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING CORP.
- CHICAGO 50, ILLINOIS
- BALLS PLAYED
- NO
- FLIPPER BUTTONS
- ON SIDE OF CABINET
- FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY
- PAINT NAMES TILT ENDS GAME
- 5 BALLS
- 10c PER PLAY
- 3 PLAYS 25c
- SPOT LIFT CARD
- 50 POINTS
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- OFF
- YELLOW
- GREEN
- BUMPERS
- ON YELLOW 5 POINTS
- ON GREEN 10 POINTS
- 100 POINTS
- FLIPPER
- SPOT JOKER
- SPOT QUEEN
- K
- Q
- PUSH LOWER PUSHER TO BALL
- A-114-1
- 1-69-14
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Flat printed cartoon gambler, dark slicked-back hair, teal/blue-green jacket over white shirt and dark tie, leaning forward over the left card fan with hands near the cards, centre-left |
| Man | Flat printed cartoon gambler, short fair grey-blond hair, pale blue-and-white striped jacket with white shirt and red tie, leaning forward over the right card fan, centre-right |
| Woman | Smaller printed blonde woman with upswept hair and red lips, head and shoulders only, at lower left in front of the left card fan |
| Other | Grey king playing card with a bearded crowned face, printed large at centre-left overlapping a queen card |
| Other | Cream queen playing card with a tiaraed face, printed large at centre |
| Vehicle | Two printed paddle-wheel river steamboats with tall smokestacks, one left and one right of the central chevron in the upper playfield |
A card-themed electro-mechanical playfield in cream, olive-green, red and orange-gold. The lower half is dominated by two oversized fanned hands of playing cards: black suits on the left, red suits on the right, with a grey king card overlapping a queen card at centre. Two flat printed cartoon gamblers lean over the fans from above, one dark-haired in a teal jacket, one fair-haired in a pale striped jacket, plus a smaller blonde woman's head at lower left. Two round bumpers, one red and one blue, flank an OFF/YELLOW/GREEN/BUMPERS legend, with a black star and a row of lamps above. The upper field is an orange-gold panel with two rows of four round bumper caps printed 10, flanked by printed steamboats on water, with a large white downward chevron reading SPOT LIFT CARD. Red rubber flipper bats and triangular slingshots sit at the bottom, below a silver apron carrying rules and price cards. The cabinet is chrome-edged and worn.
On the backglass
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- red
- green
- yellow
- blue
Fingerprint: river boat, blood-red serif RIVER BOAT title top, grinning riverboat gambler white top hat red suit cigar left half, two-deck white paddle steamer number windows 1 0 6 4 hull, two women blonde pink hat red-haired flowered hat smiling right, green field scattered playing cards red GAME OVER panel center
A grinning riverboat gambler in a white top hat and red suit, cigar in hand, dominates the left half. Beside him a four-decked paddle steamer bears the number 1 0 6 4 in square hull windows. The bottom third is a green field strewn with playing cards of mixed suits, centred on a red GAME OVER panel. The word RIVER BOAT arches across the top in blood-red serif capitals.
Setting
- Riverside scene
- Wooden dock
- Steamer riverboat
- Distant hills and trees
- Flat playing-card field
Symbols
- Playing cards of spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs
- Queen, jack and ace court cards
- Paddle wheel
- Cigar
- Coiled rope
- Small american flag
- Ornate yellow scrollwork
- Red cloud-scroll band
Lettering
- Very large red slab-serif capitals with dark outline and light cream drop shadow, slightly arched across the top
Themes
- Riverboat
- Gambling
- Mississippi paddle steamer
- Playing cards
- Showboat
Title on it
- River boat
Text on it
- RIVER BOAT
- Williams
- 1
- 0
- 6
- 4
- 9
- GAME OVER
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Tall adult riverboat gambler, white top hat, red halftone-dot suit jacket, cream waistcoat, yellow neckerchief, cigar in raised right hand, wide grin, left hand on the red scroll band |
| Woman | Blonde in a broad-brimmed pink hat and pale dress, red lipstick, looking up at her companion |
| Woman | Red-haired in an orange flowered hat with teal band, blue dress and white ruffled collar, hand raised to her mouth, smiling |
| Woman | Small full-length figure in a blue dress with orange topknot hair, standing on the dock beside coiled rope |
| Vehicle | Two-deck white paddle steamer with tall blue smokestack, rear paddle wheel, yellow-red marque, number windows reading 1 0 6 4 |
A landscape-format backglass in a bright mid-century cartoon style, dominated by a huge red serif title reading RIVER BOAT across the top, with a puff of dark blue smoke curling above the final letters. Below the title a riverside scene: a tall, red-cheeked riverboat gambler in a white top hat, red check-patterned suit jacket, cream waistcoat and yellow neck scarf stands left of centre, cigar in his raised right hand, grinning, with his left hand resting on a red cloud-scroll band. To the right, a two-deck white paddle steamer with tall blue smokestack and paddle wheel at the rear, its hull carrying four square number windows reading 1 0 6 4, and a yellow-and-red oval marque above the upper deck. In the lower right two women lean together: one blonde in a wide pink hat and pale dress, one red-haired in a flowered hat and blue dress with a white collar, hand raised to her mouth, both smiling. Left of them a small woman in a blue dress and orange topknot stands on a wooden dock beside coiled rope, with a small American flag, distant trees, green hills and yellow-green water behind. The lower third is a green field scattered with playing cards, framed by red cloud scrollwork and yellow flourishes, with a red GAME OVER panel centred. Cream cabinet border carries red and blue geometric inlays.