1975–1977 · Gottlieb
Abra Ca Dabra / Team One
Known for 1-2-3-4, Center bullseye target and 1-2-3-4-5-6 lanes. Black night sky with a large brownish-purple planet or moon disc at top centre, scattered round moons and planets, a flock of small bat silhouettes at top left, yellow-green radiating starburst behind the title, jagged stone ruins and blocks at bottom left and purple and turquoise swirling mist across the lower half.
- Years
- 1975–1977
- Maker
- Gottlieb
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 1
Known for
- Lane
1-2-3-4
- Target
Center bullseye target
- Lane
1-2-3-4-5-6 lanes
3 games under this title
On the playfield
On the backglass
Who and what
- man Elderly wizard, long white beard to the waist, stern heavy-lidded face, wearing a magenta and purple vertically striped robe with wide sleeves and a tall gold horned crown-like headdress with black points; hands raised with fingers splayed
- woman Green-skinned woman in a floor-length teal hooded gown with a plunging neckline and a round medallion belt buckle, long teal hair, one arm raised with hand open, calm half-lidded expression
- monster Huge yellow-green furry monster head at right edge with enormous white eyes, black pupils, heavy black brows and a wide nose, only the top half of the face visible
- creature Smaller blue-green long-snouted creature below the monster face, with a yellow slit eye, a fang in the open mouth, and a small yellow skull motif on its head
- animal Large turquoise snake with a pink forked tongue and yellow eye, snaking from bottom left up the left edge and across the top of the panel
Setting
- Black night sky with a large brownish-purple planet or moon disc at top centre
- Scattered round moons and planets
- A flock of small bat silhouettes at top left
- Yellow-green radiating starburst behind the title
- Jagged stone ruins and blocks at bottom left
- Purple and turquoise swirling mist across the lower half
Text on it
- GAME OVER
- 20
- 10,350
- Gottlieb's
- ABRA
- CA
- DABRA
- BALL IN PLAY
- REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.
- D. Gottlieb & Co
- CHICAGO, U.S.A.
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Made by
- Design
- Jeff Brenner
- Art
- Gordon Morison
Reference
Linked terms
- 1-2-3-4 also called Numbers
- Center bullseye target also called Center reset target also called center target
- 1-2-3-4-5-6 lanes also called Six numbered lanes
- Lower inlanes also called Lower number inlanes
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield Abra Ca Dabra
- turquoise
- yellow-orange
- red
- white
Fingerprint: Robed turbaned magician with arms skyward inside yellow-orange flame column, two large round bumpers with WHEN BONUS VALUE IS 5000 ring, two yellow diagonal ABRA CA DABRA banners at top corners, transparent orange-red demon faces, turquoise field
The unmistakable centrepiece is a robed, turbaned magician figure with arms flung skyward, standing inside a tall tongue of yellow-orange flame. Framing him are two large circular bumpers reading 1000 with WHEN BONUS VALUE IS 5000 around the rim, on a turquoise field of stylised flames. Two mirrored yellow banners reading ABRA CA DABRA / BONUS / WHEN LIT are angled diagonally at the top corners like exclamation marks. Matching pointed demon faces glare from the transparent plastics at both upper sides.
Setting
- Flat turquoise/teal field
- Stylised red and yellow flames rising from the lower centre
- Tan/brown lower playfield wedge
- Pale grey-white apron with printed instruction cards
Symbols
- Five-pointed stars
- Flames
- Row of black value ovals
- Circular bumper rings
- Painted wood-grain band under the apron cards
Notable shapes
- Large triangular flame wedge in the lower centre
- Two mirrored circular bumper caps
- Angled yellow banner panels at both upper corners
- Arched rounded playfield top with a metal ball-guide rail
Art motifs
- Stylised fire
- Sweeping diagonal banners
- Symmetrical mirror layout
Themes
- Magic
- Wizard
- Flames
- Bonus values
Title on it
- Abra ca dabra
Text on it
- ABRA CA DABRA
- BONUS
- WHEN LIT
- BONUS VALUE
- 1000
- WHEN BONUS VALUE IS 5000
- 5000
- 4000
- 3000
- 2000
- SPECIAL
- 500
- INSTRUCTIONS
- 3 BALLS PER PLAY
- COMPLETING 1234 SEQUENCE SCORES BONUS - INCREASES BONUS VALUE AND RESETS SEQUENCE
- COMPLETING BOTH DROP TARGETS LIGHTS CENTER TARGET
- HITTING CENTER TARGET WHEN LIT INCREASES BONUS VALUE AND RESETS DROP TARGETS
- COMPLETING 1234 SEQUENCE SCORES SPECIAL WHEN BONUS VALUE IS 5000
- CENTER TARGET LIGHTS FOR SPECIAL WHEN BONUS VALUE IS 5000 AND ALL DROP TARGETS ARE DOWN
- SPECIAL SCORES 1 REPLAY
- MATCHING LAST TWO NUMBERS IN SCORE TO NUMBER THAT APPEARS ON BACK GLASS AFTER GAME IS OVER SCORES 1 REPLAY
- FLIPPER BUTTONS
- ON SIDE OF CABINET
- INSERT COIN ONLY WHEN COIN ENTRANCE IS LIT
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 77,000 POINTS
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 68,000 POINTS
- 1 REPLAY FOR EACH SCORE OF 56,000 POINTS
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Central painted magician/genie figure in a striped red-and-white pointed turban and long dark robe, pale grinning face, both arms raised high with open palms, standing inside a column of yellow-orange flame; dark scribbled smoke at his feet |
| Monster | Orange-red demonic face with heavy pointed black brow and snarling mouth, painted on the transparent upper-left plastic |
| Monster | Matching orange-red demonic face on the upper-right transparent plastic |
Electro-mechanical playfield shot from above through glass, a tall rounded-top wedge on a pale grey-white apron. At centre a sinister magician in a striped red-and-white turban and long dark robe throws both arms up, palms out, standing inside a rising column of yellow-orange flame. BONUS VALUE runs down his chest above a descending ladder of black oval value windows reading 5000, 4000, 3000, 2000, 1000. Two large round pop-bumper caps flank him, white with a red 1000 and the curved legend WHEN BONUS VALUE IS 5000, ringed in flame on a turquoise ground. Two yellow diagonal banners at the upper left and upper right read ABRA CA DABRA over a large BONUS with WHEN LIT beneath, bordered by red stars. Transparent plastics over both upper corners show orange-red demonic faces with pointed brows. Four numbered rollovers with lit green and yellow lamps line the top, and matching BONUS kickers 1 to 4 sit low left and right, each pair flanked by white 500 panels. The apron carries black instruction cards.
Playfield Team One
- olive green
- yellow
- red
- blue
Fingerprint: Life-size painted footballer in hooped yellow-red number 14 shirt striding down blue center wedge, two giant cream-and-red star medallions flanking him, four illuminated rollover lanes numbered 1-2-3-4 under red 500, double-headed red arrows
The most memorable element is the life-size painted footballer in a hooped number 14 shirt striding down a blue centre wedge, flanked symmetrically by two giant star medallions. Directly above his head is a red upward arrow reading COMPLETED DROP TARGETS with a circular BALL A TRIGGERED emblem, framed by two yellow triangular panels that threaten WOW. Four numbered rollover lanes 1-2-3-4 with a red 500 over them cap the top, and the whole apron carries a large double-headed red arrow reading FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET. Two big 5000 numerals painted in red sit at the lower left and right of the wooden-looking wedge above the flippers.
Setting
- Flat olive-green painted field with no scenic depth
- Sky-blue central wedge running from top to bottom
- Grey metal apron with a plain wood-grain wedge above the flippers
Symbols
- Five-pointed stars
- Footballs
- Diamonds in a ring around each star
- Red upward arrow
- Double-headed red arrow
- Numbered circles 1 2 3 4 5 6
- Roundel lamp badges
Notable shapes
- Two large yellow triangular bonus panels
- Two circular star medallions
- V-shaped wooden wedge between the flippers
- V-shaped grey apron wings either side of the flippers
Art motifs
- Symmetrical mirrored bonus panels
- Striped dropshadow wedges
- Gold and yellow burst lighting behind the centre bumpers
- Score numerals 500, 5000, 50,000
Themes
- Association football
- Sports
- Single-player or team competition
- Drop target scoring
Title on it
- Team one
Text on it
- 500
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- INDICATED SCORE 5000 OR WOW
- COMPLETED DROP TARGETS
- BALL A TRIGGERED
- 14
- D. Gottlieb & Co.
- 5000 AND RESETS COMPLETED DROP TARGETS
- WHEN LIT
- 5
- 6
- 5000
- CREDIT WHEN LIT
- TEAM ONE
- INSTRUCTIONS
- 3 BALLS PER PLAY
- POINTS ARE SCORED AS INDICATED.
- FOR BUMPER SCORE 1000 POINTS.
- COMPLETING LEFT DROP TARGET SEQUENCE LIGHTS CENTER TARGET FOR WOW AND LIGHTS BOTTOM ROLLOVER COMPLETING RIGHT DROP TARGET SEQUENCE LIGHTS CENTER TARGET FOR WOW AND RIGHT BOTTOM ROLLOVER.
- COMPLETING 1-2-3-4-5-6 SEQUENCE LIGHTS DROP TARGETS FOR WOW HITTING 2 OR 3 GIVES 2 AND 3.
- WOW VALUE IS 50,000 POINTS.
- FLIPPER BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET
- 165 W LAKE ST
- Repair Requests/Came Info 1977 Gottlieb Team One
- 2444
- 6-1124
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Painted adult male footballer, short dark hair, clean-shaven, yellow shirt with red hoops and number 14 on the chest, red shorts, yellow-and-red hooped socks, dark boots with white toe caps, arms held slightly away from the body, legs together mid-stride, walking toward the viewer |
| Other | Two small painted footballers in yellow-and-red kit on the upper left and upper right of the playfield, shown kicking a football |
| Other | Several painted black-and-white footballs and a pile of footballs scattered around the top left and top right corners |
A tall electro-mechanical football/soccer-themed playfield photographed at a slight angle inside its cabinet, with the whole surface in service and the playfield glass off. Colour scheme is dominated by bright olive and yellow-green on the upper two-thirds, a wedge of sky blue running down the centre, and maroon-red accents, with a plain silver-grey metal apron across the bottom. At the centre stands a painted male footballer in a yellow-and-red hooped shirt with the number 14, red shorts, hooped socks and dark boots, arms slightly out, legs together in a walking pose. Flanking him at mid-height are two large cream-and-red circular medallions containing five-pointed stars in a ring of small red diamonds. Above him, four illuminated rollover lanes numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 sit under a red 500, with two red post targets between them and a pair of clear-lens bumpers below. Two big yellow triangular bonus panels read INDICATED SCORE 5000 or WOW, mirrored left and right, with blue-and-red striped dropshadow wedges beneath. Below the medallions are two yellow panels reading 5000 AND RESETS COMPLETED DROP TARGETS, each with a black-on-white 5 or 6 disc and a WHEN LIT roundel. The bottom apron carries a white instruction card, a red arrow banner and a QR code sticker.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass Abra Ca Dabra
- yellow
- turquoise
- magenta
- black
Fingerprint: Long turquoise snake with pink forked tongue winds around left side and across top framing "GAME OVER" panel, white-bearded wizard in magenta robe beside green-skinned hooded woman, enormous yellow-green monster head with huge staring eyes crowding right edge, "ABRA CA DABRA" stacked title in white serif capitals over yellow starburst, fantasy gothic.
A long turquoise snake with a pink tongue winds all the way around the left side and across the top of the artwork, doubling as the frame for the GAME OVER panel. Beside a white-bearded wizard in a magenta robe stands a green-skinned hooded woman, while an enormous yellow-green monster head with huge staring eyes crowds the right edge. The stacked title 'ABRA CA DABRA' is stencilled in three lines of white serif capitals over a yellow starburst, with 'Gottlieb's' in script above. A mechanical score wheel in a black window at top right reads 10,350.
Setting
- Black night sky with a large brownish-purple planet or moon disc at top centre
- Scattered round moons and planets
- A flock of small bat silhouettes at top left
- Yellow-green radiating starburst behind the title
- Jagged stone ruins and blocks at bottom left
- Purple and turquoise swirling mist across the lower half
Symbols
- Snake
- Bats
- Planets and moons
- Golden horseshoe arch
- Skull emblem
- Small skull in the stone ruins
- Playing-card diamond shapes at left edge
- Starburst rays
Lettering
- Small white script wordmark with black outline above three stacked lines of tall white serif capitals with heavy black drop shadow; plain white sans-serif capitals for the game over and ball in play labels; italic black script in the maker's signature box
Themes
- Wizardry
- Sorcery
- Occult
- Monsters
- Night sky
- Snake
- Gothic fantasy
Title on it
- Abra ca dabra
Text on it
- GAME OVER
- 20
- 10,350
- Gottlieb's
- ABRA
- CA
- DABRA
- BALL IN PLAY
- REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.
- D. Gottlieb & Co
- CHICAGO, U.S.A.
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Elderly wizard, long white beard to the waist, stern heavy-lidded face, wearing a magenta and purple vertically striped robe with wide sleeves and a tall gold horned crown-like headdress with black points; hands raised with fingers splayed |
| Woman | Green-skinned woman in a floor-length teal hooded gown with a plunging neckline and a round medallion belt buckle, long teal hair, one arm raised with hand open, calm half-lidded expression |
| Monster | Huge yellow-green furry monster head at right edge with enormous white eyes, black pupils, heavy black brows and a wide nose, only the top half of the face visible |
| Creature | Smaller blue-green long-snouted creature below the monster face, with a yellow slit eye, a fang in the open mouth, and a small yellow skull motif on its head |
| Animal | Large turquoise snake with a pink forked tongue and yellow eye, snaking from bottom left up the left edge and across the top of the panel |
Painted rectangular backglass with a rounded-corner art panel set inside a cream cabinet surround with red and yellow curved stripes and heavy craquelure. The title sits left of centre: 'Gottlieb's' in small white-and-black script above 'ABRA' over 'CA' over 'DABRA' in large white serif capitals with heavy black outline, stacked over a yellow-green burst. A long turquoise snake with a pink forked tongue winds from the bottom left up the left side and across the top, carrying a white 'GAME OVER' panel and a white '20' in a roundel. A black window at top right holds a mechanical score wheel reading 10,350 in black numerals on cream reels. Centre stands an elderly white-bearded wizard in a magenta and purple robe with a horned gold crown-like hat; to his right a green-skinned woman in a teal hooded gown raises one arm. Far right is a huge yellow-green monster head with enormous eyes, and below it a smaller blue-green long-snouted creature. Bottom shows 'BALL IN PLAY', stone ruins, a snake head, and a golden horseshoe-arch lamp shape.
Backglass Kicker
- green
- red
- blue
- pink
Fingerprint: KICKER in big slanted red block capitals with white outline, rectangular score card floating in sky with digits 5-3,130, cartoon schoolboy footballers in hoop-striped socks, white suspended football, red triangular bunting diagonal across clouds
The single most memorable element is the white, black-bordered rectangular score card floating in the sky like a signboard, printed with the spaced-out digits '5 3 , 1 3 0'. Just below it, the title 'KICKER' in big slanted red block capitals with a white outline and dark shadow. A crowd of cartoon schoolboy footballers in hoop-striped socks crowds the green pitch, with a white ball suspended in mid-air and a goal with a keeper at the right edge. A string of red triangular bunting hangs diagonally across the pink-and-white cloud bank on the upper left.
Setting
- Pale blue sky with large pink and white cumulus clouds
- Tan-brown sloping hill or stand behind the pitch
- Flat green football pitch across the lower third
- White goal frame with net at the right edge
Symbols
- Row of small red triangular pennant flags
- White rectangular score card with black border
- Shirt back numbers
- White goal frame with net
- White football
- Small blue rectangular logo box top-right with cursive script
Lettering
- Large slanted red sans-serif capitals with white outline and dark drop shadow, plus a cursive script word above and a second cursive script word near the score card
Themes
- Association football
- Soccer pitch
- Team sport
- Boys playing football
Title on it
- Kicker
Text on it
- KICKER
- 5 3 , 1 3 0
- BALLS TO PLAY
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Central player seen from behind in a red shirt, blue shorts and hoop-striped socks, legs spread in a running stance |
| Man | Player just left of centre in a red shirt, blue shorts, striped socks, leaning forward |
| Man | Player to the left in a mauve/purple shirt and shorts with pale blond hair, arms out |
| Man | Player in a gold/yellow shirt near centre, partially overlapping others |
| Man | Player at right of the cluster in blue shorts and striped socks, turning toward the ball |
| Man | Smaller figure standing in the goal mouth at right, in front of the net |
| Other | White football suspended in mid-air right of centre |
A printed backglass panel with a thick white outer border and pale green speckled side rails and bottom apron, enclosing a cartoon football (soccer) scene. The sky is flat pale blue with big fluffy pink-and-white clouds; a tan-brown hill or stand slopes across the middle-right. A white rectangular score card with a heavy black border sits high in the sky, printed with spaced black digits '5 3 , 1 3 0', with a cursive script word just below and to its left. The main title reads 'KICKER' in large slanted red capital letters with a white outline and dark drop shadow, with a small cursive word above it. A string of small red triangular pennant flags runs diagonally across the upper left. About six or seven teenage male players in red, blue, mauve and gold shirts with blue shorts and hoop-striped socks cluster mid-panel, several with back numbers visible, one standing in the goal mouth on the right beside a white goal and net. A white football hangs in mid-air right of centre. Yellow lettering sits bottom-left on green and a small white instruction card with a yellow header strip sits bottom-right.
Backglass Team One
- green
- blue
- yellow
- red
Fingerprint: Cartoon brawl at goalmouth with three red-bibbed players numbered 8 9 11 grappling purple opponents before drawn net, yellow-black ball in mid-air, enormous red TEAM ONE title beneath black cursive Gottlieb's on mustard-yellow corrugated wall, six red triangular pennant flags above, five-digit score 19,780 top right, Gottlieb football illustration
A cartoon brawl at a football goalmouth, with three red-bibbed players numbered 8, 9 and 11 grappling three purple-striped opponents in front of a drawn goal net, and a yellow-and-black ball hanging in mid-air above them. The enormous red block title 'TEAM ONE' beneath black cursive 'Gottlieb's' is set into a mustard-yellow corrugated stand wall, with a row of six red triangular pennant flags flying above it. A five-digit mechanical score window in a black bezel at top right reads 19,780, and a 'PREVIOUS HIGH SCORE' white card window sits bottom right.
Setting
- Football stadium stand with mustard-yellow corrugated rear wall
- Turquoise blue sky with tan-and-white cumulus clouds
- Green grass pitch with white penalty-area line markings
- White goal frame with black mesh net
- Row of six red triangular pennant flags on poles
Symbols
- Yellow-and-black paneled football
- Six red triangular pennant flags
- Goal frame and mesh net
- Large shirt numbers 8, 9, 11 and 2
- Five-digit mechanical score reel window
Lettering
- Black cursive script for the maker name above a huge red block-serif title with white and dark outline drop shadow; yellow condensed sans caps for game over; cream outlined caps for balls to play
Themes
- Association football
- Soccer
- Stadium
- Team sport
- Goal mouth scramble
Title on it
- Team one
Text on it
- Gottlieb's
- TEAM ONE
- BALLS TO PLAY
- GAME OVER
- PREVIOUS HIGH SCORE
- 19,780
- D. Gottlieb & Co.
- 8
- 9
- 11
- 2
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Player in red bib with large yellow number 8, yellow long-sleeved shirt, grey shorts, red-and-white hooped socks, blond hair, seen from behind running right |
| Man | Player in red bib with large yellow number 9, yellow shirt, grey shorts, hooped socks, blond hair, back to viewer, arms up grappling |
| Man | Player in red bib with large yellow number 11, yellow shirt, grey shorts, hooped socks, brown hair, leaping to the right with right fist raised |
| Man | Purple shirt with red horizontal stripes and purple shorts, grey hair, arms flung out, running left across the goalmouth |
| Man | Purple-and-red striped shirt, purple shorts, blond hair, moustache, mouth open, one arm raised, facing the viewer behind the group |
| Man | Goalkeeper in purple shirt with yellow sleeves, white cap, diving horizontally to the right with both arms extended |
| Man | Goalkeeper or defender in a plain blue jersey, dark shorts and socks, standing in front of the net at far right |
| Other | Three small seated spectators in dark clothing at the far left behind a low stand wall |
A cartoon-style football (soccer) backglass framed by a speckled cream/tan cabinet surround with green painted triangular accents at the corners. The scene shows a goalmouth on a bright green pitch under a turquoise blue sky filled with stylised tan-and-white cumulus clouds and horizontal speed streaks. Six male footballers fill the lower two-thirds: three in red bibs numbered 8, 9 and 11 over yellow shirts, grey shorts and red-and-white hooped socks, colliding before the goal; three opponents in purple shirts with red stripes, one goalkeeper diving with arms out and one in blue by the net. A yellow-and-black football hangs mid-air above them. Six red triangular pennant flags on poles line the stand roofline left of the title, with three seated spectators at far left. Black cursive script 'Gottlieb's' sits above the huge red block title 'TEAM ONE' outlined in white and dark, on a mustard-yellow ribbed stand wall. A five-window mechanical score display in a black bezel shows 19,780 top right. Along the bottom: 'BALLS TO PLAY' at left, 'GAME OVER' in yellow at right, and a white 'PREVIOUS HIGH SCORE' card window.