Shangri'La

The Shangri pinball machine, produced by P & S Machine Company in 1943, is a flipperless electromechanical conversion of Genco's 1939 'Mr. Chips.' Designed by Harry Mabs with artwork by Roy Parker, it commemorates the Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, the United States' first air strike on Japan following Pearl Harbor -- its name references President Roosevelt's evasive remark that the mission's planes 'came from our new secret base at Shangri-La,' itself a nod to the mythical setting of James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizon.

The machine's key gameplay feature is its 16 passive bumpers, characteristic of early EM designs from before flippers were introduced to pinball. Players relied on gravity to guide their ball through the playfield, using the bumpers to deflect the ball and score points. This approach requires skill and strategy, distinguishing Shangri from later games that incorporated flippers.

The wartime American History - Warfare theme is an especially interesting aspect of the machine's design, tying its artwork and playfield elements directly to a real historical event still fresh in players' minds in 1943. Beyond its production details and gameplay features, little else is documented about this specific machine, leaving room for further research.