Pinball wizardry has advanced with technology

Pinball: A simple amusement game…with a fascinating history. 

Pinball evolved from bagatelle, a parlor game invented in the late 18th century in France.

Played on a slightly inclined wooden table with randomly placed holes at one end, the game of bagatelle involved shooting ivory balls with a cue stick into the holes (scoring pockets). Pins affixed to the table were added and used to ricochet the balls into the pockets, which were assigned varying amounts of points.

In 1777, the Count of Artois (Charles Philippe), the youngest brother of King Louis XVI, hosted a party at his home in Paris, the Château de Bagatelle, where he erected a building especially to house his gaming tables.

 

Variations of bagatelle evolved in both England and America, and by 1819 the word “bagatelle” was defined as “a popular game played on a table 7’ long and 21” wide, in which 9 balls were shot into various holes surrounded by wooden pegs, affixed to the table.”

In 1871, Montague Redgrave, an Englishman who had moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, modified the game, replacing the cue with a coiled spring and plunger, which a player pulled to shoot the balls up an inclined playfield. 

The game also shrunk in size and began to fit on top of a bar or counter. The balls became marbles, and the game was an instant hit with children and adults alike.

In 1932, Raymond Moloney of Chicago, Ill., invented “Ballyhoo,” which led to the establishment of Bally Manufacturing Company. Bally was the first pinball company to put “bumpers” into play.

Yet, Harry E. Williams is generally regarded as “the father of pinball.” He is credited with the electrification of pinball in the 1930s, incorporating battery-powered solenoids to create the flashing lights, bells, chimes and buzzers that are so associated with the game.

 

Williams also introduced the “tilt mechanism” to penalize aggressive players who tried to jiggle or shake the pinball machine in an effort to manipulate the roll of the ball. 

At Williams Manufacturing Company in Chicago, he was responsible for creating more than 150 different games.

 

Another pinball pioneer was David Gottlieb. 

His company, D. Gottlieb & Co. of Chicago, invented flippers in 1947, which revolutionized play.

 

A surge in interest in pinball occurred following the release of the song “Pinball Wizard” in 1969 by The Who, the legendary rock’n’roll band from London, England. The song was composed for “The Who’s Tommy,” a rock opera.

 

It pays tribute to a young character who is deafblind and plays pinball with supernatural skill, relying on his heightened sense of touch, feeling the physical vibrations of the flippers, bumpers and the ball hitting the playfield.

Written by guitarist Pete Townshend, the tune became a pop culture anthem and rock music standard. With Roger Daltrey singing lead, the lyrics stick with you. Here’s a snippet:

 Ever since I was a young boy

I’ve played the silver ball

From Soho down to Brighton,

I must’ve played ‘em all

But I ain’t seen nothing like him in any amusement hall

That…kid sure plays a mean pinball

For a long time, the “big three” manufacturers in the pinball world were Bally, Williams and Gottlieb. In 1999, the torch was effectively passed to Stern Pinball, with headquarters in Oak Grove Village, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. Stern Pinball is the primary designer and manufacturer of contemporary pinball machines.

 

Stern Pinball sponsors the Stern Pinball Pro Circuit in collaboration with the International Flipper Pinball Association. 

Two Americans currently stand atop the world rankings. These pinballers are Jason Zahler, 20, of Elberon, N.J. (shown above), and Zach McCarthy, 21, of Conifer, Colo. (shown below).

In 2018, pinball was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, sponsored by The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.

“Pinball fosters learning and discovery,” commented Jeremy Saucier, assistant vice president for interpretation and electronic games at the museum. “The game offers players the opportunity to enhance spatial awareness and sharpen their eye-hand coordination by shooting and tracking a steel ball through a miniature playground of ramps, pop bumpers and interactive toys.”

 

“Playing pinball requires quick thinking and reflexes, but it also rewards patience and persistence. Although many players are happy to just keep the ball in play, the most skilled players strive to master an individual pinball machine, attempting to experience all the modes, levels, mini-games and novelties the game has to offer,” Saucier said.

 

Here’s a preview of Hallmark’s new Christmas movies

Four new made-for-television movies are airing during the Hallmark Channel’s “Christmas in July” lineup. 

They are spaced out, so a new show premieres each Saturday night in July. Here they are in chronological order:

1: “Christmas Under Construction” stars Jessica Lowndes, 37, and Daniel Lissing, 44. 

While doing a Christmas renovation for a cozy New Hampshire cabin, Chelsea, the star of a hit reality show, “Renovation Romance,” finds an unexpected connection with the cabin’s owner, Cooper. The sparks begin to fly.

Lowndes and Lissing previously worked together on the Hallmark film “A December Bride” (2016).

 

Lowndes, who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, landed her “breakout role” in 2008 as drug-addicted teen Adrianna Tate-Duncan in the TV series “90210.” Originally written-in for just three episodes, her character became a series regular for five seasons.

Lissing of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is best known for his work for five seasons as Canadian Mountie Jack Thornton in the Hallmark Channel series “When Calls the Heart.”

 

2: “O Little Christmas Market” features Katherine Barrell, 36, and Stephen Huszar, 42, in leading roles. 

She portrays an artist who is fighting to save her hometown’s beloved Christmas market from a developer. A budding romance with the architect tied to the deal may help bring about a true Christmas miracle.

Barrell, who was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is best known for her role as Sheriff Nicole Haught on the Syfy supernatural series “Wynonna Earp” and for playing Joy Harper on the Hallmark Channel’s “Good Witch.”

Huszar, a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, is best known for his various roles as a leading man in Hallmark Channel and Lifetime romantic holiday movies as well as for portraying the hockey player Yorkie in the hit Canadian comedy series “Letterkenny.”

 

3: “Snowbound for the Holidays” stars Vanessa Lengies, 40, and Marcus Rosner, 36. 

She plays hotel manager Cassidy Evergreen, who is evaluating the potential acquisition of a cozy ski lodge…but its charming owner, Trey Sanderson, turns a simple assignment into a heartfelt choice between duty and love.

Lengies is a native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, who is best known for her role on the Disney+ series “Turner & Hooch.” She has previously starred in Hallmark Channel’s “Heart of The Holidays” and “True Lies.”

Rosner was born in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada. Since 2019, he has been a mainstay as a leading man on the Hallmark Channel and was most recently seen in “Notes of Autumn” and “Romance to the Rescue.”

 

4: “Love Under the Mistletoe” features Jen Lilley, 41, and Nick Bateman, 39. 

She portrays Grace, a busy interior designer in a quaint town, who reunites with her former high school crush, Ryan, now a successful New York City financial advisor.

He returns home for the holidays with plans to sell his grandmother’s historic house. As they work side-by-side to organize a charity fundraiser, they constantly find themselves under strategically placed mistletoe.

Old feelings slowly resurface. Ultimately, Ryan and Grace realize they are meant for each other.

Lilley was born in Roanoke, Va., and graduated from the University of Virginia. Early in her career, she held key roles in two leading soap operas – “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives.”

Since 2016, Lilley has starred regularly in films for the Hallmark Channel as well as the Great American Family channel.

Bateman was born in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, and started karate at age 4. He has since won four Martial Arts World Titles. He is also known internationally for his work as a male model. He has been affiliated with the Hallmark Channel since 2019.

The Great American Family network has one new “Christmas in July”  movie to add to its mix, “The Trouble with Mistletoe,” starring Jillian Murray, 42, and Brett Varvel, 40.

Set in a charming small town, an unexpected homecoming reconnects young lovers and rekindles old memories and unfinished feelings. Did she walk away from the man she was always meant to embrace?

Murray, born in Reading , Pa., began her film career in 2003. Varvel is a native of Indianapolis, Ind., and is a filmmaker who is known for his work in faith-based cinema.

‘Christmas in July’ Hollywood film premiered in 1940

Released in 1940 by Paramount Pictures, the Hollywood movie “Christmas in July,” featured Dick Powell and Ellen Drew in the leading roles. The film was classified as a “screwball comedy,” which was a popular sub-genre during the Depression era.

 

Movies in this category were noted for their “lunacy, craziness, eccentricity and ridiculousness, combining farce, slapstick and witty dialogue. They typically were light-hearted and frothy.” The film “Christmas in July,” written and directed by Preston Sturges, touches all those bases, according to film critic Emily Kubincanek.

“There’s a sincerity to ‘Christmas in July’ that is hard to do with screwball comedy, but Sturges pulls it off beautifully,” she said. “It has everything that audiences love, it’s farcical, witty, down to earth, full of fast-paced comedy…and funny.”

Set in New York City, Dick Powell plays the part of lowly office worker Jimmy MacDonald, who hopes to “get rich quick” by winning a radio contest sponsored by Maxford House Coffee to select a slogan for the flagship brew. The grand prize is a whopping $25,000 (valued at $594,678 in 2026 dollars).

MacDonald’s entry is: “If you can’t sleep at night, it’s not the coffee, it’s the bunk!” (Only he is amused by the pun-filled nature of his slogan.)

The coffee company’s judging panel, however, is deadlocked and postpones a decision.

As a joke, three of MacDonald’s co-workers place a fake telegram on MacDonald’s desk informing him that he has won. His boss is so impressed that he promotes him on-the-spot to advertising executive, with his own office, a private secretary and a raise.

When MacDonald arrives to collect his prize at Maxford Coffee Company headquarters, Dr. Maxford presents him with the big check, having assumed that his committee had finally reached its decision.

 

Jimmy MacDonald and his sweetheart Betty Casey (Ellen Drew) race off to Shindel’s Department Store for an early Christmas shopping spree. She exclaimed: “It’s like Christmas in July!” Chaos results as the truth unfolds.

 

The film did well at the box office. Hollywood Reporter noted that the film has an “effervescence to it, a freshness that makes it very pleasant entertainment.” Box Office Digest called it “corking entertainment.”

The American public warmed to the notion of “Christmas in July.”

In 1942, during World War II, church groups began to gather holiday gifts to send to missions around the world in time for Christmas. They called it “Christmas in July.” 

The U.S. Post Office organized similar drives during the World War II years to gather and mail gifts to U.S. military troops deployed overseas.

CJ Lotz Diego, a deputy editor at Gun and Garden magazine, based in Charleston, S.C., reported on the “Christmas in July Festival,” which has become a tradition in West Jefferson, N.C.

 

“The annual event began in 1987 to draw attention to Ashe County’s Christmas tree farming industry, featuring the perfectly shaped, famous Fraser firs. 

It has become one of the best, old-fashioned summer festivals in the South, drawing thousands to historic downtown West Jefferson each July,” Lotz Diego wrote.

 

“This year’s free-admission festival is July 3 and 4 and will feature the very best in traditional mountain music, handmade arts and crafts and a variety of delicious festival foods. Children’s activities, roving performers, fun competitions and a farmers’ market are also part of the festivities.”

 

Journalist Katherine Owen of Birmingham, Ala., a frequent contributor to Southern Living magazine, reminds us that “what really makes ‘Christmas in July’ a beloved summertime escape, are the Hallmark TV Channel’s snowy movie marathons.”

 

Ah, yes…but I find it a tad unsettling that Hallmark’s “Christmas in July” programming is jumping the gun to begin on June 26.

‘Christmas in July’ originated at N.C. summer camp

Fannie Webb Holt popularized the phrase “Christmas in July” in 1933 when she was the director of Keystone Camp, a summer camp for girls in the western North Carolina community of Brevard in Transylvania County.

 

Holt dreamed up “Christmas in July” as a whimsical and festive activity for her campers, according to Heidi Coryell Williams (shown below), a contributor to Our State magazine.

 

Holt saw “Christmas in July” as an opportunity to inspire the girls during crafting sessions, encouraging them to make items for a “Secret Santa” gift exchange among the campers on July 25.

 

Williams said that The Washington Post covered the inaugural 1933 “Christmas in July” celebration at Keystone Camp, “making it the first recorded event of its kind,” complete with caroling, tree trimming and “cotton snowball” fights.

Instead of hanging stockings, the campers used their laundry bags, and Santa Claus mysteriously appeared to load them up with candy, Williams wrote.

 

Today, the “Christmas in July” tradition continues “to spread joyful cheer” at Keystone Camp, and the staff has also incorporated aspects of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa into the celebration.

Keystone Camp was first organized in 1916 by Fannie Holt (left) and Florence Ellis. They were coordinators for a day camp for girls that was operated by St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Jacksonville, Fla.  

 

Williams reported that “Holt and Ellis spent their time swimming, picnicking and playing lawn games with young ladies of the parish. What if, they wondered, such an opportunity could be afforded to many girls over many summers?”

With the goal of building “a bridge between childhood and adulthood,” Holt and Ellis found a permanent home for their camp in 1919, when they purchased a 40-acre site in Brevard with a stream and a small swimming lake.

During those early years, there were no cabins. Instead, the girls, ranging in age from 7 to 14, slept in 18 tents placed strategically around the central camp.

Williams said: “Holt and Ellis believed in the power of rigorous outdoor activity to help each camper reach her fullest potential.”

 

“Bonding with horses was part of the equestrian program. Horseback riding was a required activity at Keystone, in part because it taught campers an important life lesson: Always get back on the horse. The ‘Bit-the-Dust Club’ made falling off the horse – and getting back in the saddle – a point of pride.”

 

The camp’s 1920 marketing brochure emphasized: “Regular hours for retiring, rising, care of quarters, recreation, exercise, meals and rest stimulate punctuality. Rigid inspection of the tents makes neatness and orderliness habitual. It is among these surrounding influences in this happy and healthful out-of-doors life that real Camp Spirit abounds.”

Today’s Keystone Camp is recognized as the oldest continuously running private girls camp in the Southeast. Summer camp enrollment is limited to 140 girls per session, because that is the capacity in the dining hall and the 16 sleeping cabins.

Williams offered a bit of insight when she wrote: “Summer after summer, the rising bell at Keystone Camp has rung at 7:30 a.m., and campers have filed down the hill and gathered ’round the flagpole for the ceremony that starts the day.”

This ritual is as revered today as it was 110 years ago in 1916, when Holt and Ellis promised their girls that they would have “a good time, the freedom to explore, a chance to learn new things and make new friends.”

That almost sounds like an invitation to experience “Christmas in July.”

 

The phrase also has connections to the entertainment industry. 

Next time, let’s review the 1940 comedy film “Christmas in July,” starring Dick Powell and Ellen Drew.