Antique Mechanical Racing Game, "Jeu de Course" by M.J. & Cie
Located in San Francisco, CA
This antique mechanical game is known as "Jeu de Course" (The Race Game). Not for kiddies, it was a popular parlor and betting game produced in France during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The game includes six hand-painted lead horses ridden by jockeys in colorful silks. A lever on the front (marked with a cast plaque with the letters M.J. & Cie) activates the internal mechanism, causing the horses to revolve around the felt-covered track on a circular lane with cast metal "lamp post" gates. The winner is the horse that stops closest to the finish line, which was originally marked by a small flag (missing in this antique example). This game is housed in a wooden box with lid, finished in black with gold accents.
A Jeu de Course game (specifically one by M.J. & Cie) is featured in a key scene in the 1993 movie “Dave.” It is central during an emotional moment between Dave Kovic (played by Kevin Kline, impersonating President Bill Mitchell) and First Lady Ellen Mitchell (played by Sigourney Weaver). Dave is playing with the mechanical horse race game...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Folk Art Game Boards