1950 · Gottlieb
Spot Bowler
Flat dark blue sky background, cream wooden bowling lane in one-point perspective, green, red and yellow diagonal lane stripes and pale tan wooden cabinet border framing all four edges.
- Year
- 1950
- Maker
- Gottlieb
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Backglass lights
- Players
- 1
Made by
- Design
- Wayne Neyens
- Art
- Roy Parker
Vision analysis
On the playfield
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- blue
- red
- cream
- white
Fingerprint: Huge red concentric starburst at top with two cartoon bowlers leaning from it, five red-capped mushroom bumpers in rings with cream inserts numbered like bowling pinfall patterns, two rows of upright white bowling skittles flanking lower playfield, natural-wood-grain double lane down middle of royal-blue field, cream strike when lit banner across center with special panels at shoulders
A huge red concentric starburst at the top with two cartoon bowlers leaning out of it, five red-capped mushroom bumpers sitting in the rings, and rings of cream inserts numbered 1-5, 4-7, 3-9 and 6-10 like bowling pinfall patterns. Two rows of upright white bowling skittles flanking the lower playfield. A natural-wood-grain double lane painted down the middle of an otherwise royal-blue field. A cream STRIKE WHEN LIT banner across the centre with SPECIAL WHEN LIT panels at both shoulders.
Setting
- Bowling alley lane
- Concentric starburst target rings
- Wood-grain cabinet interior
Symbols
- Bowling pins
- Concentric scoring rings
- Red starburst
- Red strike ovals
- Green arrow markers a b c
- Playing-card style banners
- Qr code sticker
- Curved arrows
Notable shapes
- Red concentric starburst filling the top third
- Central wood-grain double lane tapering to the flippers
- Curved red strike ovals on both lower sides
- Five chrome-dark guide posts in a row at bottom centre
Art motifs
- Mid-century pinball illustration
- Flat screen-print colours
- Cream ribbon banners
- Hand-lettered numerals
Themes
- Bowling
- Ten-pin
- Lanes
- Strike
- Skittles
- Scores
Title on it
- Strike when lit
Text on it
- STRIKE WHEN LIT
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- WHEN LIT SPOTS
- 1-5
- 4-7
- 6-10
- 3-9
- 100,000 WHEN LIT
- 200,000 WHEN LIT
- STRIKES
- LITES WHEN BALL IS ALLEY
- LITES WHEN BALL IS LIT
- FLIPPER
- A
- B
- C
- NO WAGERING NO PRIZES
- MINORS NOT PERMITTED TO PLAY THIS GAME
- BUTTONS ON SIDE OF CABINET
- A PRODUCT OF
- D. Gottlieb & Co.
- CHICAGO, ILL.
- CHICAGO 31, ILL.
- ORDER FROM
- Williams
- ELECTRONICS CORP.
- 46 WELLE RO. R.D. #3
- LAKEWOOD N.J. 08701
- MANUFACTURED UNDER LICENSE FROM
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 20
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Man | Cartoon bowler on the upper left of the red starburst: light skin, tan peaked cap, white shirt with rolled sleeves, olive-green trousers, leaning forward with both arms outstretched toward the centre |
| Man | Cartoon bowler on the upper right of the red starburst: light skin, tan peaked cap, white shirt, olive trousers, mirrored pose leaning in with arms outstretched |
A bowling-themed electro-mechanical playfield photographed in its wooden cabinet with the backbox lower edge visible at the bottom. Background is a bold royal-blue field with a pale natural-wood-grain double lane running from a cream banner down the centre to the lower deck, flanked by dark navy chevron panels. At the top a huge red radial starburst of concentric rings sits behind five mushroom pop bumpers with white bases and red domed caps, each ringed by a cream insert disc numbered 1-5, 4-7, 3-9, 6-10. Two cartoon bowler figures in caps and shirts lean in from either side of the starburst with arms outstretched. Cream ribbon banners read STRIKE WHEN LIT across the centre, with SPECIAL WHEN LIT panels at both upper shoulders and pale green WHEN LIT SPOTS inserts numbered 1-5 and 4-7 or 6-10. Vertical STRIKES lettering flanks two banks of cream circles numbered 1-6 and 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20. Rows of white bowling skittles stand on both lower sides beside curved red STRIKE ovals and green arrows lettered A, B, C. The pale blue lower deck carries two white flipper bats printed FLIPPER, scroll notices, a QR code sticker and a white order-from card.
On the backglass
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- blue
- magenta
- cream
- green
Fingerprint: SPOT BOWLER title in white with yellow interior shading and black drop shadow, cream bowling lane in exaggerated perspective with green, red, yellow stripes, two rows of tilted cream award panels with six-digit scores, white bowling pins at top corners flanking green and red bowling balls, mid-century illustration style figures
The most memorable element is the giant slanted 'SPOT BOWLER' logo, white block letters with yellow interior shading and a thick black drop shadow, stacked on two lines over a dark blue sky. A cream bowling lane drawn in exaggerated one-point perspective cuts diagonally across the whole lower half, banded with green, red and yellow stripes. Above the title sit ten tilted cream award panels in two rows, each with a six-digit score, giving a stepped 'staircase' of numbers. Two clusters of white bowling pins frame the top corners like sentinels, flanking a green and a red bowling ball.
Setting
- Flat dark blue sky background
- Cream wooden bowling lane in one-point perspective
- Green, red and yellow diagonal lane stripes
- Pale tan wooden cabinet border framing all four edges
Symbols
- Two clusters of white bowling pins at the top left and top right corners
- Green bowling ball
- Red bowling ball
- Ten tilted award panels with six-digit scores
- Wire-frame scoring grid
- Green chair
Lettering
- Large white block capitals with yellow inner shading and heavy black drop shadow for the title; white script with dark shadow on a magenta banner at top; bold red, green and black numerals on cream rectangles for the score panels
Themes
- Bowling
- Ten-pin
- Score values
- Sports
- Mid-century leisure
Title on it
- Spot bowler
Text on it
- 5·4·3·2·1 MILLION
- 500,000
- 600,000
- 700,000
- 800,000
- 900,000
- 100,000
- 200,000
- 300,000
- 400,000
- 5,000
- SPOT BOWLER
- A PROMOTION
- D. Campbell
- CHICAGO
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Black curly shoulder-length hair, yellow crop top with a red waistband, purple shorts, hands on hips, smiling, standing at lower left |
| Man | Blond hair, red short-sleeved shirt, seated on a small green chair, leaning forward over a wire-frame grid/scoring chart |
| Man | Short dark hair, magenta/pink shirt, green trousers, lunging forward with arm extended in a bowling delivery at lower right |
A vertically oriented backglass with a cream-and-blue racing-lane layout. Across the top a magenta banner reads '5·4·3·2·1 MILLION' in white script with dark shadow. Below it two staggered rows of tilted rectangular award panels, cream with dark outlines, printed 500,000, 600,000, 700,000, 800,000 and 900,000 in the upper row and 100,000, 200,000, 300,000 and 400,000 in the lower row, each in red, green or black numerals; a small cream panel at lower left reads 5,000. White bowling pins stand in clusters at both top corners, with a green ball and a red ball between them. The centre is dominated by the title 'SPOT BOWLER' in huge block capitals, white with yellow fill shading and a heavy black drop shadow, tilted slightly. A cream bowling lane sweeps diagonally from lower left to upper right in converging perspective lines of green, red and yellow. Bottom left a woman with black curly hair, a yellow crop top and purple shorts stands hands on hips; beside her a blond man in a red shirt sits on a green chair leaning over a wire-frame scoring grid. Bottom right a man in a magenta shirt and green trousers lunges forward mid-bowl. Bottom centre-right an oval reads 'A PROMOTION D. Campbell 93 CHICAGO'.