The repair

The condition of Rocky was not good when we received him. Both his feet were broken off from the stage. He didn't move and sound even with new batteries. We opened Rocky up completely and found that the problem was due to several broken gears, moving parts and a faulty switch. We fixed the faulty switch, replaced and repaired several moving parts and gears. Another issue is the inadequate leg support in the original design. Rocky has a big heavy head and a heavy body truck which contains 4 motors. All these were only supported by two tiny pins inside the feet. No wonders the feets were so badly broken. To solve this problem, we re-attached Rocky back to his stage with larger and longer bolts. We also added a few screws for extra support of the heavy head and body. After lots of efforts, Rocky was finally brought back to life with its legendary sound and punching motion.

About this item

Gemmy Industries Rocky Balboa animated talking figure (Pop Culture Series, circa 2002) is a licensed Rocky (1976) shelf piece about 18 in (45 cm) tall on a blue ring stage with red corner posts and a ROCKY apron graphic. The figure wears red gloves, white trunks with a red stripe, and white boots. The base hides speakers, a PCB, and a multi-motor gear train for arm swings, head turns, jaw motion, and about twenty film phrases including Gonna Fly Now. Feet clip to the stage with small pins—a known weak point when the upper body is heavy.