These copies of the Aztec atlatl in the British Museum collection were featured on "Dr. Who and the Aztecs", which was released in 1964. When I first saw them sitting on a table in an establishing shot, I was rather impressed, the finger loops looked a little thin and were tied to the lower surface instead of sides, but that's ok. Then they showed them in relation to the actors, and it became apparent someone had misread a memo. The atlatls are gigantic, with finger loops almost large enough to accommodate a fist. The real fun started when I realized they never showed them in association to darts, and then eventually one was used as a club, the handle end used as a striking weapon. Still, this is part of our "atlatls in modern media" heritage-and I'm not really making fun of it.
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From "Doctor who and the aztecs", BBC,...
From "Doctor who and the aztecs", BBC,...