Hi Babe

Hi Babe, manufactured by V. P. Distributing Company of St. Louis, Missouri in 1944, is an electro-mechanical (EM) pinball machine produced during World War II — not after it, as the war continued until 1945. Hi Babe was a conversion of Genco's 1940 game Blondie, reflecting the common wartime practice of distributors repurposing existing games under new names rather than manufacturing entirely new machines.

As a flipperless EM machine, Hi Babe relied on tilt, timing, and the era's electro-mechanical components — relays and solenoids — to register scoring rather than player-controlled flippers, which would not be introduced to pinball until 1947.

Given its age, wartime origin, and rarity, Hi Babe offers a window into how manufacturers and distributors kept the pinball industry running during a period of material shortages and reduced production. Despite limited information available on this specific machine, its historical context makes it an interesting piece for any serious collection focused on 1940s EM pinball.