1965 · Bally
Blue Ribbon
Known for Selector, Ribbons and Mushroom bumpers. Stylised white and pink cloud streaks, painted beach scene with striped kiosk at lower left and painted beach scene at lower right.
- Year
- 1965
- Maker
- Bally
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 4
Known for
- inserts
Selector
- inserts
Ribbons
- Bumper
Mushroom bumpers
On the playfield
Bumper 1
- Mushroom bumpers
Lane 1
- Left out lane Special
Lights 2
- Selector inserts
- Ribbons inserts
On the backglass
Who and what
- woman Tall blonde, small gold crown, red-and-white striped one-piece swimsuit with blue sheer sash, holding a large bouquet of red roses, centre of the glass, smiling
- woman Short dark-bobbed brunette, blue frilled costume, standing left of the blonde
- woman Smaller red-haired girl in costume, standing right of the blonde, partly behind her arm
- other Several tiny background figures in summer hats and beach clothes at lower left
- other Two or three tiny background figures near a striped kiosk at lower right
Setting
- Stylised white and pink cloud streaks
- Painted beach scene with striped kiosk at lower left
- Painted beach scene at lower right
Text on it
- Bally
- BLUE
- RIBBON
- 1. SPIELER
- 2. SPIELER
- 3. SPIELER
- 4. SPIELER
- KUGEL IM SPIEL
- FÜR 1-4 SPIELER
- WERTKAMPE
- NACHT MEHR SPASS
How it plays
-
Goals 1
- Ribbon prize
Made by
- Design
- Ted Zale
Reference
Linked terms
- Left out lane Special also called Special
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- pink
- yellow
- blue
- white
Fingerprint: BLUE RIBBON with crowned blonde in red-white striped swimsuit holding red roses, four yellow shield-shaped score windows numbered 1-4 SPIELER, dark-bobbed brunette and red-haired girl flanking, German four-player scoring, beach scenes bottom corners
The three-girl centrepiece: a crowned blonde in a red-and-white striped swimsuit holding an oversized bouquet of red roses, flanked by a dark-bobbed brunette and a smaller redhead, all set against candy-pink and white clouds. Around it, four bright yellow shield-shaped score panels with red numbered medallions reading 1., 2., 3., 4. SPIELER — unmistakably four-player German scoring. The title BLUE RIBBON in fat yellow serif letters with a red drop shadow, with the word Bally in white cursive script floating above it. Tiny painted beach-with-striped-kiosk scenes tucked into both bottom corners, easily missed.
Setting
- Stylised white and pink cloud streaks
- Painted beach scene with striped kiosk at lower left
- Painted beach scene at lower right
Symbols
- Red roses bouquet
- Gold crown
- Red-and-white striped suit
- Red circular number medallions with cream scalloped rings
- Blue and red striped border rails
- Striped beach kiosk awning
- Cloud streaks
Lettering
- Large yellow serif capitals with heavy red drop shadow and white keyline for the title; a white flowing cursive script maker word above it; black-outlined white sans-serif capitals on the yellow panels
Themes
- Ribbon competition
- Beauty pageant
- Beach
- Swimsuit
- Four player
- German scoring
Title on it
- Blue ribbon
Text on it
- Bally
- BLUE
- RIBBON
- 1. SPIELER
- 2. SPIELER
- 3. SPIELER
- 4. SPIELER
- KUGEL IM SPIEL
- FÜR 1-4 SPIELER
- WERTKAMPE
- NACHT MEHR SPASS
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Tall blonde, small gold crown, red-and-white striped one-piece swimsuit with blue sheer sash, holding a large bouquet of red roses, centre of the glass, smiling |
| Woman | Short dark-bobbed brunette, blue frilled costume, standing left of the blonde |
| Woman | Smaller red-haired girl in costume, standing right of the blonde, partly behind her arm |
| Other | Several tiny background figures in summer hats and beach clothes at lower left |
| Other | Two or three tiny background figures near a striped kiosk at lower right |
A German-language pinball backglass with a hot pink and white cloud-streaked background, framed by red-and-white and blue-and-white striped rails. Centre top is a two-line block logo reading BLUE RIBBON in large yellow serif letters with heavy red drop shadow and white outline; above it, in white cursive script, the word Bally. Four large yellow shield-shaped score windows with black outlines are arranged two left, two right, each headed by a red circle with a cream scalloped ring and a white number (1, 2, 3, 4); the left pair read 1. SPIELER and 3. SPIELER, the right pair 2. SPIELER and 4. SPIELER, each with a row of small dark rectangular score windows beneath. Centre of the glass are three women: a tall blonde in the middle wearing a small crown and a red-and-white striped swimsuit with a blue sheer sash, holding a big bouquet of red roses; to her left a brunette with a short dark bob in a blue frilled costume; to her right a smaller red-haired girl also in costume. Lower left is a small painted beach scene with tiny standing figures in hats near a striped kiosk; lower right a similar beach scene with figures. A pink instruction panel at bottom right reads KUGEL IM SPIEL and lists FÜR 1-4 SPIELER WERTKAMPE NACHT MEHR SPASS. Condition: chipped and scuffed paint, worn lower edge, slight surface scratches.