C.O.C.A. Times

duced by the German firm
Max Jentzsch and Meerz of
Leipzig, Germany. (Photo
"A") is a "Bajazzo" by
them, circa 1910. A coin
inserted at top right releases
a ball into the interior mech-
anism. Turning the handle
on the right side midway up
the door lifts the ball up to
the top where it enters the
playfield at centerfield. The ball will then roll
either left or right on the rail before entering the
pinfield. You control Mr. Bajazzo with the large
knob on the lower left of the
door. Bajazzo is quite a col-
orful character (Photo B),
appearing to "walk" across
the tightrope with the pretty
ball
spinning
wildly
between his legs. No won-
der Mr. Bajazzo has that
hysterical grin on his face.
One slip of the foot and he's
singing soprano for the rest
of his career. Should you fail to catch the ball, it
falls to the slant track below and rolls to the ball
return hole at the lower left of the playfield. Each
ball caught, triggers the automatic payout of a
token that rolls down the lower slant track at the
bottom of the playfield and into the payout cup. If
that were not reward enough, a "Bajazzo" win also
returns the ball and rings a loud bell announcing to
all, your superior performance. Look at me! I'm
spanking the clown! Make no mistake, the implic-
it message of this game is that you are not talented
enough to best a mere fool dressed in pajamas
prancing across a tightrope. His tight little smirk
taunts, saying "C'mon now, Weenie-Boy, you can
beat a clown, can't you??" This message is repeat-
ed by the top marquee which states, "The Clown.
Can you make him catch the ball?" (It's a little
deeper than this at the sub-conscious level. You are
actually using the clown to beat the game so he 's
really your secret little buddy, isn't he? Out of def-
erence to circus folks and shrinks who make $350
dollars an hour untangling phobias, I'm going to
leave it right there.) This particular Bajazzo is
unusual in that it has retained its attractive painted
aluminum marquee. Most marquees have been
lost over the years and those that I've seen have all
been wood. This model proves that there were alu-
minum marquees too.
Mr. Bajazzo had a short and unsuccessful run in
the United States at the hands of the Caine
Brothers of Detroit. Their game was imaginative-
ly called "Clown." Given the American appetite
for games of pure chance with large payouts,
"Clown" didn't have a jester's chance in Hell and
the production run was only a few years during the
mid 1920's.
Bajazzo was unceremoniously dumped in short
order after the introduction of more potent forms of
gambling. (Photo "C") is a cartoon that ran m
Germany in 1927. In the panel, you see two deject-
ed clowns can-ying away a Bajazzo between them
with a lottery official and his friend on the side
commenting. Translated, it says, "It's a blessing
that those things are forbidden now." "Why?
Those boxes are fairly harmless." "That's true but
now, as far as the players are concerned, they can
spend their valuable money on lottery tickets for
the Prussia-South German lottery!" "But isn't the
lottery considered gambling?" "Of course, but reg-
ulated by the State and highly lucrative for certain
lottery officials!" Another factor was the flooding
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