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I found this link to the building of a full size working replica of the 'Zoltar Speaks' fortune teller that was used in the film Big (1988)

It is a very long article with photos and video. There is also a detailed description of the trials and tribulations of applying the Crackle Finish that is used on the machine.

https://www.technitoys.com/building-a-wo ... -teller-2/

John

In 2012 I was visiting John Peterson in Minneapolis and we got to see this machine in person and play it. Truly amazing to say the very least!!

Roger Hess built the Zoltar replica, he is currently adapting the coin mech to make it slightly more reliable as it currently 'holds' the quarter once inserted until the opening and closing mouth timing is in sync with the coin about to run down the ramp. The problem has been players thinking the coin has jammed or not worked resulting in them putting another coin in the slot and properly jamming it ! It is a wonderful machine and is mainly electromechanical in keeping with a vintage look and providing reliability moving forward. I have played it, and it has many quirky features built in, it even flashes its red eyes for a split second when not being played every so often that you think did it just do that or did i imagine it. It has been with Kevin at Kilroys on display for a few years now and has been a spectacular display piece. It has just been sold.

The latest display piece now on show at Kilroys now is an exact replica of the famous original Mills speaking fortune teller machine that David Copperfield is still trying to buy.
This replica is one of a limited run of only 5 machines made if you would like to own it the price tag is $60,000. Now you may roll your eyes and think not in a million years, but they already sold 2 of them!

Gameswat and I were able to also see the reproduction 1908 Mills Novelty Talking Gypsy Fortune Teller referenced above at the home of the creator. He too lives in Minneapolis. It must have something to do with the long winters and too much time on their hands.

J Peterson
Cold too but not so much now in Tennessee

One of the arcades at Bridlington sells Zoltar machines http://zoltaruk.com/ imported from here http://zoltarmachine.com/

The zoltarmachine.com company make modern fortune tellers with little or no game play resemblance to the machine from 'Big' yet they get away with incorporating the Zoltar name. They are around $8,000 and yet they do very little compared to the brilliant replica at Kilroys which has all of the same operations as the machine in the film.

It is surprising how many dumb people on youtube film themselves next to a zoltarmachine model and think they are standing next to the original from the film.

Although the original machine seen in the film never existed as a functioning machine ( filming used a series of props ), a cabinet and non working doll from the film remain and discretely sits in a corner of a theatre lobby in California owned by the producers family.

I hope I'm not getting into a questionable area regarding forum rules (particularly on my first post/reply), but I do want to clarify that the Zoltar replica has not yet sold. I am the builder/owner, and the machine was still there the last time I checked, although moonriver seems to know of what he speaks!! I was performing the coin-entry modifications only last weekend...

My thanks to the original poster for leading me to this site.

R. Hess

Let me shake you by the virtual hand, Roger, welcome you to PennyMachines and congratulate you on bringing such a truly ambitious and exciting creation into being!

Topic moved & merged - Site Admin.

Hello
We manufacture the GREAT ZOLTAR in the UK and have very carefully ensured that every detail is carefully put together.
If you have seen the film BIG you will recognise him, but we believe ours does even more AND is available to hire or purchase.
ZOLTAR'S HEAD MOVES
ZOLTAR'S EYES MOVE
ZOLTAR’S EYES LIGHT UP AS HE SPEAKS
ZOLTARS MOUTH MOVES IN SYNC WITH THE SPOKEN WORD
ZOLTARS ARM MOVES
ZOLTAR HAS VARIOUS PRE-SET WORDS TO ATTRACT THE CUSTOMER TO HIM
ZOLTAR SAYS NUMEROUS WORDS OF WISDOM AFTER THE CUSTOMER HAS PRESSED PLAY
ZOLTAR ISSUES A FORTUNE CARD AT THE END OF HIS SPEECH
ZOLTAR STANDS WITHIN A BEAUTIFULLY COLOURFUL HAND-FINISHED CABINET
ZOLTAR'S CABINET IS FULLY LIT WITH BRIGHT LED LIGHTS
ZOLTAR'S CABINET IS FULLY MOBILE ON CASTERS.
ZOLTAR'S CABINET IS 220CM X 78CM X 78CM
ZOLTAR IS HAND BUILT IN THE UK
ZOLTAR HAS THE OPTION OF A REMOTE MICROPHONE, THIS GIVES THE ADDITIONAL FUN OF SOMEONE BECOMING ZOLTAR (PLUS Zoltar's mouth will move in sync with the remote microphone user!)
SEE ZOLTAR’S WEBSITE: http://zoltaruk.com/

I'm not impressed at all, slightly better head than the horrendous American revamped version, but still no skill game element of shooting the coin into the opening and closing mouth off a movable ramp which would actually involve some clever engineering. An opportunity missed, and nothing like the original game play.

Another Arabian-style fortune-teller with the same name as the one in the film.
Has nobody noticed that the eeriness of the original is in the mouth operation. His lower jaw is fixed, and the rest of his head opens!
That, and the music, is the essence of it.
Surely someone can re-create that.

A very good replica has already been made, with specially composed authentic music.

John Peterson took me to that store in Minneapolis called Kilroys that had the reproduction Zoltar shown above on display. Damn, what an incredible piece! And the only plans were made from movie stills. We got to look inside and out the thing and play it. The guy who made it had put it up for sale and I even tried to talk a local friend into buying it because I was so impressed with the time and careful effort put into building it. Was being offered for a fraction of what it would've cost to commision that guy to build it from scratch.