Boland Black Beauty, Screen Stars, Brooklands, White City...

[pennymachines]

So is the Mills Black Beauty not really a Mills machine at all, but a Boland revamp? The one pictured has a jackpot.

Here's another Stars of the Silver Screen from Southern Counties auction 2006:

[daveslot]

Yes, I have never seen one with a live jackpot, they have always been false ones. They used any old mech that was handy. I have seen them with Jennings and Watling mechs.

[davidcoplansky]

Hi all

Here you go a White City Picture! Any idea of the production year?

I guess the inside might be a Mills and not Jennings

[Jack Pot]

First Post: -

I have recently acquired a Brooklands Totalisator machine which is different from the others shown in this thread.

I am interested in spares availability/sources - the numbers on the reels are in some cases illegible. These appear to be inserts. Does anyone make new ones?

The only fruit machine restoration experience I have is a Rotomat which I think was converted to pennies from another currency (German?)

It was a 'pig' to restore as all the main castings appear to be made of an alloy with rather less strength than cheese. I had to remanufacture many parts. Steep learning curve and all that.

Anyway, the Mills mech in my latest machine seems much more solid. Any tips and guidance much appreciated.

I'd be interested to know the date of manufacture of the original mech and the date of the conversion? (MLB 217A stamped on the mech). The wood of the case appears to have been 'extended' vertically.

I found a website for someone in USA who offers resto books for Mills and maintenance/adjustment data but would welcome recommendations before I part with cash.

Addictive, isn't it?

[operator bell]

the castings on the Black Beauty is all Bollands, nothing remains of the Mills

Aha! That explains a lot. A mate of mine has one exactly like JC's picture and up until about 90 seconds ago I believed it was a German machine, a Rheinlander. The front casting is the worst I've ever seen, exceptionally rough, like the foundry used beach shingle instead of proper sand. The mech is clearly Mills but yes, a very old one. Mills strips and spares fit it but usually some bending or filing is called for.

[malcymal]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Can anybody shed any light on this machine
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MILLS-one-arm-ban ... 2|294%3A50

[treefrog]

Malc,

If you do a search on this site there is a thread that has covered this. (Merged above - Site Admin.)
They appear to have been Mills conversions by Tom Boland and included a variety of other machines you will have seen before, including the Brooklands, Totaliser and Screen Stars (single reel).
The mechanism looks like an early one probably from a gooseneck type machine, which make sense as the coin slot is on that side. I seen seen some nice ones before that are totally veneered, but this one is a later Formica type.
Tom

[treefrog]

Topic merged - Site Admin

Very nice looking Tom Bolands Black Beauty Brooklands on 50C. Never seen one not on 1D or later conversion.

BLACK BEAUTY

[operator bell]

An American half dollar (50c) is almost exactly the same size as an old penny, so the only conversion on this machine would be the denomination sign!

[pennymachines]

Two old penny examples from Tennants auction in 2007 and the one at the bottom appeared in a Canterbury saleroom a couple of days ago - estimate £200-300. Don't know if it sold.

[treefrog]

There is another one state side, although this is on 25c. This may have been achieved by using a Sega mechanism and I had always assumed most of these conversions were based on revamping older 10 stop Poinsettia type mechanisms. This is a nice looking machine and has been modified the way I believe Bolands should have done them with a nice oak cabinet. The one thing that has always put me off these Boland type slots is the style of the castings are not in keeping with the cheap Formica look. I know others did reuse existing cabinets, even sometimes adding wood sections to match the front casting. Don't get me wrong Formica on the right style machine looks great if it is in the 50s/60s period. This one would look great anywhere - bit on the expensive side though.

BLACK BEAUTY

[special when lit]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Always thought these were re-vamped Hi-Tops made by Bolands in England, but I've just seen this on Ebay USA.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... SS:GB:1123

[coin-op]

I'd agree that it's a Bollands machine. If you look at the Mills output of machines, there is no way that the standards of this cabinet match that of Mills.... it has all the hallmarks of an Englishman in a shed (and I mean that in a nice way - honest!). But talk the talk and many will swallow it hook, line and sinker... and such is ebay, sometimes....and definitely, I suspect, on this occasion.

[gameswat]

I just wrote to this seller to ask what proof he was basing his "Mills" claim on as he's the first person I've ever seen do so. His reply "I'll do some research and will get back to you." Usually done the other way around though, research and then make your claims!!

[pennymachines]

You hit the nail on the head there Gameswat!
He makes a very specific claim:

Mills manufactured these machines for overseas markets in Chicago beginning in 1940 for about a year. In this case it was made for export to the UK, and accepted the 1d (English penny).

The output of the Mills Novelty Co. from 1940-41 is quite well documented and has been studied by several historians of the industry, so it will be interesting to hear what grounds he had for saying this. It will be more interesting to see if he withdraws the claim after admitting he had none. No doubt his eccentric "appraiser", who valued the restored machine at $3000, was to blame.

Coin-op: you're talking Bollands... when you should be talking Tom Boland.

[gameswat]

You were dead on PM! Another reply from the seller today:
I got the information from Don Creekmore of Nation's Attic, who did the formal appraisal on the slot machine. A quote from his appraisal includes, "This machine call The Film Stars, was made in 1940 in the Mills Chicago, IL factory. Being introduced in 1940, its production time was halted due to the United States entry into World War 2. This machine was produced for approximately one year and was made for the overseas markets. It has also been called Film Stars as well." You can go to that site at http://www.nationsattic.com.

[coin-op]

Coin-op: you're talking Bollands... when you should be talking Tom Boland.

So I made one L of a mistake there

[treefrog]

If you search Bollands on this forum (or Bolands, I never can remember the right spelling) you will get lots of info, as this is a Mills conversion by them. The mechanism should be a standard Mills item, either the older 30s type or later Mill Top version.

If you have access to the Arena, the last auction posted there at Fieldings will show 2 that sold in the summer, between 150-180....pictures below (I will probably be told off for posting these, if you are not registered to the Arena, you should as it is a good reference as you see).

Yours appears to be missing a few things from the picture, e.g. the top flash, award, ashtray type coin-tray... May be difficult to replace unless you find a breaker or someone on here may help...

There you gooopp