Thriller

Thriller, manufactured by J. H. Keeney and Company Incorporated in 1939, is a single-player, flipperless electro-mechanical pinball machine with a velodrome motorcycle-racing theme. As a flipperless game from the pre-flipper era, its mechanism reflects the pinball conventions of the late 1930s, before flippers transformed the game in 1947.

The gameplay on Thriller features 5-ball play and 17 spring bumpers that add an extra layer of challenge and excitement. One notable feature is the use of point scores to illuminate motorcycles positioned throughout the velodrome-themed playfield, a visual representation of scoring that provides a glimpse into early pinball's growing emphasis on spectacle.

Little information is documented about the machine's designer or artist. The velodrome setting with motorcyclists is an unusual theme for its time, particularly among sports-oriented pinball machines, and offers a fascinating glimpse into the creative directions early pinball designers explored.