Happy Days

Happy Days, manufactured by Genco Manufacturing Company of Chicago in December 1936, is an early electro-mechanical pinball machine from the pre-flipper era. Genco, which operated from 1931 to 1958, was one of the many Chicago coin-op manufacturers competing in the booming pin game market of the mid-1930s.

The game offered 6 balls for 5 cents and featured sixteen trap holes, four captive balls, two free play holes, and two kickers. A Billboard advertisement of the period confirms the 6-ball play, and its picture shows six balls on the playfield plus the four captive balls. A charming period detail is that the game shipped with both green and white balls. The cabinet measured 44 inches long, 22 inches wide, and 17 inches high.

The machine's theme evokes the carefree spirit of 1930s leisure, mixing imagery of the beach, swimming, dancing, and nightlife. Little is known about the designer or specific inspirations behind the artwork, but as a surviving example of Genco's mid-1930s output, Happy Days remains an appealing artifact for collectors interested in the formative years of pinball.