Skill Shot

The O. D. Jennings and Company's 1934 Skill Shot is an electro-mechanical (EM) payout machine from the early years of the pinball industry. Front-of-cabinet markings indicate "Patents Pending," suggesting the manufacturer considered some aspect of its design novel at the time.

The machine's gameplay features a simple design typical of the era: it took five-cent play, and the objective was likely focused on skill shots, as suggested by the machine's name -- though as with other pinball games of 1934, the ball was launched with a plunger and there were no flippers to actively redirect it, since flippers would not be invented until 1947. The game's precise mechanics and rules are largely undocumented.

The Skill Shot's design and artwork offer a glimpse into the aesthetic of early 1930s pinball machines. With no specific theme specified, the machine's cabinet and playfield likely displayed a minimalist approach to art, typical of the period. Little is known about this machine's designer or any notable aspects beyond its five-cent play and pending patents, but the Skill Shot remains a piece of interest for collectors and historians due to its rarity and place in pinball's early evolution.