1971 · Playmatic
Clown
Indoors on a circus or fairground stage: draped blue and red curtains across the top, candy-striped poles at left and centre, a lit hanging bulb, paper lanterns and coloured balls, with a warm amber-lit floor.
- Year
- 1971
- Maker
- Playmatic
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 1
Vision analysis
On the playfield
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- yellow
- red
- blue
- white
Fingerprint: Pair of mirrored circus clowns in ruffled collars and striped caps dancing either side of chrome-framed rectangular opening at playfield middle, woman in blue top with both arms thrown joyfully overhead framed by huge yellow sunburst of colored discs and blue triangles reading LIGHTS FLASH, four white pop bumpers printed III cluster at top around fan of bright colored scoring wedges radiating from blank white circle, unusually large red-yellow sunray emblem on apron
A pair of mirrored circus clowns in ruffled collars and striped caps dancing either side of a chrome-framed rectangular opening in the middle of the playfield. Directly beneath them, a woman in a blue top with both arms thrown joyfully overhead, framed by a huge yellow sunburst of coloured discs and blue triangles reading 'LIGHTS FLASH'. Four white pop bumpers printed 'III' cluster at the top around a fan of bright coloured scoring wedges (500/200/100 POINTS) radiating from a blank white circle. The apron carries an unusually large red-and-yellow sunray emblem with two white flipper buttons moulded into it.
Setting
- Flat pale yellow-cream field
- Carnival midway/tent implied by red-and-white striped posts
- Red white and blue pinwheel sunburst border
- Pale blue triangular inlays around the lower arc
Symbols
- Playing-card-suit-like coloured wedges
- Red white and blue sunburst pinwheel
- Striped candy-cane posts
- Colourful discs and pie-slice wheel
- Red triangular inserts
- Blank white central circle with black ring
Notable shapes
- Large plain white circle with black ring in the upper centre
- Chrome-framed rectangular opening in the middle of the playfield
- Two red triangular inserts framing the lower slings
- Large arch of blue and red triangles around the lights flash arc
- Pale blue triangular inlays around the perimeter
- Curved wire ball guides over the upper bumpers
Art motifs
- Radiating scoring wedges
- Mirrored clown pair
- Celebratory raised arms
- Big-top tent striping
Themes
- Carnival
- Circus
- Clowns
- Fairground
- Midway
- Big top
Text on it
- III
- POINTS 100
- 500 POINTS
- 200 POINTS
- 100 POINTS
- SCORE TARGET
- LIGHTS
- FLASH
- 500
- 2000
- POINTS
- BALL IN PLAY
- FLIPPER BUTTONS
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Left clown: white face with red nose and painted red cheeks, black bowler-style hat with red band and a small propeller/feather, green ruffled collar, yellow-green baggy trousers, oversized blue shoes; striding left with arms out, one hand raised |
| Other | Right clown: mirror image, white face, red nose and cheeks, red-and-dark cap, green ruffled collar, checked/plaid yellow-green trousers, big black-and-white shoes; both arms raised in a dancing pose |
| Woman | Bottom centre, large smiling cartoon woman with long blonde hair, red lipstick, blue sleeveless top and a blue beaded necklace, both arms thrown up and out with open palms in celebration |
| Other | Small clown head-and-shoulders on a post flanking the left and right lower-mid areas, near the red triangular inserts |
A single-level carnival/circus-themed pinball playfield shot from above through the glass, its yellow-cream background ringed by a red, white and blue pinwheel/sunburst border. Four pop bumpers in the upper third are modelled as white discs on chrome stalks, each printed 'III', set above a fan of coloured scoring panels radiating around a plain white circular centre with a black metal ring. Readable scoring text includes '500 POINTS', '200 POINTS', '100 POINTS' and white ovals reading 'POINTS 100' on both upper left and upper right. Below centre a chrome-framed rectangular opening sits above a red-on-yellow shield reading 'SCORE TARGET'. Two mirrored clowns stand either side of it - each in a striped cap, ruffled collar, baggy green or yellow trousers and big blue shoes, posed mid-stride with arms flung out. Below that a broad yellow arc reads 'LIGHTS' over 'FLASH' in red lettering, framed by coloured discs, pie-slice wheel and blue triangles, with a long yellow banner reading '500 2000 POINTS'. At the bottom centre a smiling woman in a blue top and necklace throws both arms up. 'BALL IN PLAY' and 'FLIPPER BUTTONS' are printed on the white apron.
On the backglass
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- orange
- red
- white
Fingerprint: CLOWN word on scalloped olive cartouche, enormous grinning clown head with red nose and blue teardrop markings, four-digit reel window 7 2 5 5 in bright green frame, ballerina in white tutu on striped circus drum, clown in blue tailcoat blowing horn, background clowns, striped candy-cane poles, hanging bulb, coloured paper lanterns
The artwork is dominated by a single huge grinning clown head filling the entire bottom-left quadrant, complete with a comically oversized red nose and blue teardrop markings under green eyes. The title is a five-letter word in cream-with-red-shadow capitals on an olive-green scalloped cartouche, not on a solid plaque. A four-digit mechanical reel window reading 7 2 5 5 sits centre-low inside a bright green scalloped frame, unusual for the piece as it is clearly legible against the illustration. The right third shows a full-length ballerina in a white tutu balancing en pointe on a blue-and-white striped circus drum, flanked by a clown in a blue tailcoat blowing a horn and two background clowns in conical hats. Small staging details include striped candy-cane poles, a bare hanging bulb, coloured paper balls and a beach-ball motif.
Setting
- Indoors on a circus or fairground stage: draped blue and red curtains across the top, candy-striped poles at left and centre, a lit hanging bulb, paper lanterns and coloured balls, with a warm amber-lit floor
Symbols
- Hanging light bulb, striped candy-cane poles, multicoloured pinwheel/beach ball, yellow parasol, green and blue spotted paper balls, blue-and-white striped circus drum, a plain white rectangular instruction card in a yellow frame mid-left, yellow flower on the hat, red curtain swags
Lettering
- Large cream/ivory serif-less capitals with a red drop shadow, centred on a scalloped pale olive-green cloud banner; simple hand-painted display type
Themes
- Circus
- Clown
- Ballet dancer
- Carnival
- Big top
- Sideshow
Title on it
- Clown
Text on it
- CLOWN
- 7
- 2
- 5
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Five figures plus two partials: (1) huge clown head, bottom left, black eyebrows, green eyes with blue teardrops, red nose, red lips, blue-and-green patterned floppy hat with yellow flower; (2) ballerina centre-right, white tutu, dark hair, arms outstretched, one leg extended, standing on a blue-and-white striped drum; (3) clown at right in a blue tailcoat, green hat, red shorts and patterned socks, holding a horn; (4) small clown upper right in red with a blue conical hat; (5) another small clown in green further back right; (6) tiny dancer upper left in a green tutu on a pole with a yellow parasol; (7) partial male figure in a blue suit behind the ballerina's raised arm |
Painted, cartoon-styled backglass of a circus interior framed by a bold white outer border decorated with red circles and red-and-blue radiating sunburst/arrow shapes. The word CLOWN appears in large cream capitals with a red drop shadow on a scalloped, pale olive-green cloud-shaped banner hung across the top of the inner picture. Behind it hang blue and red stage curtains, striped candy-cane poles, a hanging light bulb, and paper lanterns/balls. Dominant colours: warm orange/amber stage lighting, sky and royal blue, tomato red, and white. Lower left is an enormous grinning clown head in three-quarter view with a red bulbous nose, red painted smile lines, blue teardrop shapes under green eyes, black arched eyebrows, and a floppy blue-and-green patterned hat with a yellow flower. Lower centre-right a white rectangular reel window set in a green ornate frame shows four black digits on cream reels, 7 2 5 5. At right a smiling ballerina in a white tutu balances on a blue drum with one leg raised and arms out, beside a clown in a blue tailcoat with a green hat holding a horn, and two smaller clowns behind.