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| Image: The Ferris File |
Seen in FBDO
The clock radio is difficult to see in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off without paying especially close attention and the probable need for the pause button. Located on the nightstand to Ferris’s right side as he lays in bed, the clock radio can be seen at 00:01:10 when Ferris attempts to get out of bed.
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| Image: Paramount Pictures |
It can also be seen late in the film at 01:37:00 as Ferris silences his stereo with a thrown baseball.
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| Image: Paramount Pictures |
Description
The Proton 320 AM/FM Dual Alarm Clock Radio was produced in the early 1980s and was considered a cutting edge model at the time. According to a 2009 blog post written by a former Proton employee, the 320 model was the “Cadillac of clock radios in 1983” and boasted a price tag around $100 – a price significantly higher than most common clock radios of the time.
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| Image: The Ferris File |
The Proton 320 featured dual alarms, an automatic display dimmer, and a 3-watt amplifier for the radio’s 4” speaker.
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| Image: The Ferris File |
Finding This Item
Largely shadowed in the scenes showing the Proton 320, the details of the clock radio are better recognized by adjusting the brightness and contrast of the picture.
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| Image: Paramount Pictures (altered) |
These visual adjustments allow for a clear view of the display window and, more importantly, the large red knob on the side. This red volume knob turned out to be the key to identifying this model through an online image search of clock radios from this era.
Find Your Own
- Check eBay for a Proton 320 clock radio of your own!
Learn More
- Visit Hi-Fi Engine to view the original Proton 320 Owner’s Manual and Service Manual.