Carom Junior

The Carom Junior, produced by Bally Manufacturing Corporation and released in February 1937 as Model 143, holds a place in the early history of pinball. As an electro-mechanical (EM) machine from pinball's flipperless era, it predates the 1947 invention of the flipper by a decade, reflecting the era's emphasis on gravity, pins, and mechanical scoring rather than player-controlled paddles.

Like most pre-flipper pinball games, Carom Junior would have relied on tilting and careful launching of the ball to steer it toward scoring pins and holes, rewarding a different kind of skill than later flipper-based designs. Its simplicity reflects the era's focus on basic mechanical and electrical principles.

Specific design, art, or theme details for Carom Junior are not readily available, which is consistent with the sparse documentation typical of amusement machines from this period. Nonetheless, its existence remains a notable piece of Bally's early pinball history.