Back Lightning (36, First Style)

Sources

IPDB and Flipcommons Catalog contributed to this record.

Sources agree (6 fields)

credit
Harry Williams — Design IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
technology_generation
electromechanical IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
month
4 IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
year
1934 IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
player_count
1 IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog
ipdb_id
1440 IPDB, Flipcommons Catalog

Single source (10 fields)

ipdb.manufacturer_trade_name
IPDB ESCO used
ipdb.corporate_entity_name
IPDB Exhibit Supply Company used
ipdb.image_urls
IPDB ["https://www.ipdb.org/images/1440/image-3.jpg","https://www.ipdb.org/images/1440/image-4.jpg"] used
ipdb.model_number
IPDB 36 used
ipdb.notes
IPDB According to the Encyclopedia of Pinball Vol 2, this game originally was to be called 'Contact', made under contract with Pacific Amusement Company (PAMCO) to help meet sales of their popular game of the same name, designed by Harry Williams. However, to resolve a royalty disparity between the two manufacturers, Williams changed the name of this Exhibit game to 'Lightning'. The EOP does not pinpoint whether production began before or after the name was changed, and this allows for the possibility that there could have been some of these 1934 'Contact' games made by Exhibit. If that is true, it could explain any otherwise unaccountable variations in design or style for 'Contact' games identified as made by PAMCO. 'Lightning' is the first pin table made by Exhibit, and their first EM game. Exhibit made two sizes, 18 x 36 inches, and 22 by 44 inches. For easy identification, pinball literature will include the cabinet length after the name. Our website adds the designation "First Style" as well. The playfield layout was the same as 'Contact'. This became problematic from a marketing standpoint, so Harry Williams redesigned 'Lightning' to have a new and different upper playfield than 'Contact', colored red, and a different cabinet. This redesigned game is known as Exhibit's 1934 'Lightning (38, New Style)'. used
ipdb.notable_features
IPDB Cabinet was advertised as 36 inches long and 18 inches wide. used
corporate_entity
Flipcommons Catalog exhibit-supply-company used
title
Flipcommons Catalog lightning-36-first-style used
name
Flipcommons Catalog Lightning (36, First Style) used
slug
Flipcommons Catalog lightning-36-first-style used