All-American

The All-American, made by Dixie Music Co. (also known as Shayne Dixie Music Company) of Miami, Florida, in early 1933, is a rare relic from the formative years of pinball. The company, founded in 1913 by Bill Shayne, was primarily a music operating firm — described in a 1938 article as one of the largest and most successful in the country — and the All-American appears to have been its only foray into pin game design, debuting at the 1932 Coin Machine Manufacturers' Association convention in Chicago.

The game is a payout machine with a pins-and-pockets playfield resembling a Whiffle game. It was advertised with a beautiful black cabinet, chromium trimmings, replaceable Birdseye maple boards, and a new 'Magic Ball Lift'. It was sold in two models: a straight version at $27.50 and a Jack Pot 5-way Self-Loading model at $47.50. While generally listed as non-electrical, period information is inconclusive as to whether the game was entirely mechanical or included electrical components.

The use of Birdseye maple replacement boards adds a touch of elegance to an otherwise straightforward layout, and the sleek black cabinet with chromium trim suggests a nod toward modernity and sophistication. As an early-1930s payout game from a company that never made another, the All-American offers a unique perspective on pinball's earliest commercial years.