Flipper

A wide, bright red-and-yellow pinball playfield with a strongly symmetrical layout and no human figures at all. Down the upper third runs a row of lane guides and white posts with red rubber rings, topped by small playing-card-suit inserts (spade, heart, diamond, club and a red JOKER) and flanked by two green domed bumpers reading '10 WHEN LIT'. Below them a yellow arrow banner reads 'JOKER WHEN LIT' at both left and right, and a second arrow reads '10 POINTS'. Two large bumpers with scalloped white-and-red skirts sit left and right, each capped '10 WHEN LIT', with a chrome-and-red ball-like dome on a pedestal between them. The centre of the field is dominated by a fan of overlapping playing cards spreading upwards, lettered A, K, Q, J and 9, with card-pip lane markings in red, yellow and blue set into the red field around it, plus a red rectangular window reading 'JOKER WHEN LIT' and a yellow arrow above reading '200 POINTS'. Beneath the card fan sits a large red circle outlined in yellow and black reading 'DN' over 'RED BUMPERS' with a chrome ball at its centre. Mirrored on both left and right are stacked yellow arrows marked 150, 100 and 50 POINTS, cream oval 'CHANGE ARROW' panels at the slingshot area, and '10 POINTS' boxes with round yellow lamps. Two large white flippers and a '50 POINTS' lightning bolt sit at the bottom. Condition: heavy scratches, dust and discolouration across the plastics.

A rectangular painted backglass set in a cream-white outer frame with a broad royal-blue painted border, the blue paint heavily chipped and rubbed away along the edges. The upper third is a blue sky-and-swag curtain banner carrying the word FLIPPER in huge white block capitals with red and yellow drop shadow and blue outline, and, above and left of it, Gottlieb's written diagonally in yellow cursive script. Just below sits a small white plaque outlined in red bearing a red cursive signature, D. Gottlieb & Co. The centre holds a gold-framed score window with four mechanical reels reading 7, 6, 5, 7, and beneath it a tiny line reading A FLIPPER BALL GAME with a miniature logo. To the left is a yellow sign box reading PREVIOUS HI-SCORE over a blank yellow panel with a curling arrow. The scene shows a casino game table: a grinning dark-haired man in a black top hat with a blue band, white shirt, black bow tie and blue-black waistcoat fans out a huge spread of playing cards, while a blonde woman in a red beaded halter top and a blue sequined fringed mini-skirt leans across the table dealing cards. A brunette in a green top stands behind her. On the round green-baize table with gold fringe sit a tilted silver ice bucket, two tall glasses and a tray of small blue glasses. The background is a yellow wall with heavy green drapery. Along the bottom runs a BALLS TO PLAY panel followed by ten numbered squares.