Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

1966 TV show type Bat-Items found on eBay, Collectibles, etc.

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Bill S.C.
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Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by Bill S.C. »

Howdy Batfolks,

I came across the following item on ebay and thought I'd pass it along:

Batzooka
"Oh soon we'll be out amid the cold world's strife. Soon we'll be sliding down the razor blade of life." - Tom Lehrer
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Phil B
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Re: Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by Phil B »

I not sure what surprises me more. ***Admin edit - We don't discuss pricing on auctions.***
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Meule
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Re: Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by Meule »

Wasn't the real Batzooka supposed to be blue? You can somewhat see it in this pic
Image

But this one is black. Cool as it is I suspect this is a replica, not an original
"...The agony of my soul found vent in one loud, long and final scream of despair..." - Edgar Allan Poe
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Ben Bentley
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Re: Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by Ben Bentley »

I spent a little time looking at the various auction images earlier this afternoon and comparing them to screen captures of the Batzooka's appearance in the movie and also "Penguin's Distastrous End" from S2.

There are a number of details that read right to me, (i.e. potentially screen used), but the thing my eye kept being drawn back to time and time again is the shape of the front of the three cut-out Bat shapes on the barrel.

Click the comparison to view a larger version:


Batman S02E44 - Penguin's Disastrous End - 1038.jpg
Batman S02E44 - Penguin's Disastrous End - 1026.jpg
Auction-Batzooka-Sept_2017.jpg
Batzooka_Comparison-Sept_2017-Ben_Bentley-Board_Res.jpg
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A. Pennyworth
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Re: Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by A. Pennyworth »

This exact Batzooka was previous up for auction in 2009 at Bonhams

click for Bonhams auction page

and discussed a bit on this site then 66batman link

and I agree, it is also missing the side scope and the front 3 bats are not screen correct from the screen grabs we have so were they replaced at some point if original? a reproduction? or is it one of the 3 Batzookas that Burt states in his letter, maybe period but not screen used as it was given to him later on?
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SteveA
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Re: Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by SteveA »

this is clearly a reproduction. The fins are all wrong and the original did not have a bolt holding down the front of the orange cone. Also Burt states in his letter it was a gift and so not screen used. I would like to see the Bat-A-Rang though. Burt goes on to state : I took one. Years after the series I was given one as a gift. I purchased the Bat-a-Rang, used in publicity shots and on the show from Burt when I did a show with him in 1997.
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Ben Bentley
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Re: Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by Ben Bentley »

A. Pennyworth wrote: Fri Sep 08, 2017 4:09 pm This exact Batzooka was previous up for auction in 2009 at Bonhams

click for Bonhams auction page

and discussed a bit on this site then 66batman link

and I agree, it is also missing the side scope and the front 3 bats are not screen correct from the screen grabs we have so were they replaced at some point if original? a reproduction? or is it one of the 3 Batzookas that Burt states in his letter, maybe period but not screen used as it was given to him later on?
Thanks, AP. My next step was to see if this matched with the one I recalled being offered at some point over the last decade. From a little additional digging on the Bonhams site, it appears that the gun did NOT sell at this auction, unlike the cowl for example that was also being offered as part of the Peter Golding Collection auction.

The damage and the smear of yellow paint confirms that this is indeed the same gun that is currently listed on eBay. Since it was photographed back in '09, it appears it has lost the yellow coil that was previously visible on the rear of the gun.

[Click each image for a larger view]
Batzooka_Comparison-Damage-Sept_2017-Ben_Bentley-Board.jpg


In terms of other differences between the auction gun and the screen-used Batzooka worth mentioning is the area on the rear of the gun where the yellow hose connects to the body.
Batzooka_Comparison-Rear_Hose_Mount-Sept_2017-Ben_Bentley-BOARD.jpg
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Meule
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Re: Anyone want to buy the Batzooka?

Post by Meule »

You're right Ben, the back of that area is completely gone. See my pic of what it's supposed to look like
Image

Whoever made that Batzooka destroyed that back. I suspect they accidentally broke that part while trying to remove the red handle on top of the toy bazooka. I've done that twice already and it's not easy. If this was done by the prop department of the show they wouldn't have destroyed it.
Not to mention that yellow hose looks very cheaply made. And if we assume the Batzooka was originally navy blue that is more proof this Batzooka wasn't screen used... or even made by the same builders...
"...The agony of my soul found vent in one loud, long and final scream of despair..." - Edgar Allan Poe
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