editorial
put'em up fot pinball
By LOUIS BOASBERG
GUE T EDITORIALIST
Flipper pingames are brightly colored toys,
enticing and fun to play for all ages and for people
from all walks of life.
A flipper pingame is a pure amusement device.
The various scoring methods, tantalizing ball
action, the gyrating ball revolving allover the
playing field, the bells, the sound effects, the thrill
of accomplishment, all make for a therapeutic
escape device for adults and an innocent toy for the
youngsters that is no more demoralizing than
Parcheesi, tiddlywinks, old maid, checkers or any
of the other games that youngsters play.
The American flipper pinball game does not need
any kind of awards or prizes to make it appealing.
The thrills, the challenge and the entertainment
derived from these games return to the player
enough rewards and thrills, escape and fun to make
the playing of a flipper game a joy indeed and when
a player wins the elusive free play, the thrill of
accomplishment is one of real personal satisfaction.
I have always maintained that the flipper game
bu iness is exactly like the motion picture business
and entertainment industry . A case in point:
During the Depression, the movie studios, in order
to cut down on expenses, started to make bad
pictures with bad stories, bad direction , actors, etc.
The movie theater owners throughout the co untry,
in order to combat these bad pictures and still
retain their patrons, sta rted giving away dishes and
all kind s of me rchandi se to bring the patrons into
their theaters. Many theaters throughout the
country conducted lotte ries and raffle as an added
inducement. Finally, the r e 'e ntm ent among the
movie-goers and the exhibitors became so st rong
that Hollywood was forced to once again go all out
and make bette r pictures .
The sam e is true of amuseme nt flippe r games. If
the manufacture r s will spare no ex pen e in making
their games appealing, bea utiful and mechanically
perfect, then will they also realize that they are in
the entertainment bu iness and their products must
amuse and give tOO pe r cent esca pe from the cares
and woes of this modern life .
I rep eat the amu se m e nt flipp e r game is
therapeutic indeed and can be a great force for good
among young and old. There is nothing immoral ,
degrading or character d estroying in pending a
few quarters in an amusement flipp er game. The e
games prope rl y lice nsed and r egulated can furni 'h
good clea n amusement to people in all walks of life
and of all ages.
~-----------------~~
8
"Ut' METER