Dancing Dolls

Dancing Dolls, designed by Wayne Neyens with artwork by Roy Parker and manufactured by D. Gottlieb & Company in June 1960, is a delightful electro-mechanical pinball machine with a music and dancing theme. Its most charming feature is its mechanical backbox animation: silhouettes of dancers move in the backbox as the game is played, a signature piece of Gottlieb showmanship from the era.

The playfield offers plenty of classic Gottlieb action: two flippers, six pop bumpers, one passive bumper, two slingshots, two standup targets, two kick-out holes, and a gobble hole that tempts players with big rewards at the risk of losing the ball. The maximum displayed point score is 7,990,000 points, the replay wheel tops out at 26, and the tilt penalty is severe - game over. Confirmed production was 1,150 units.

Dancing Dolls also holds a genuine historical distinction: it was the last Gottlieb game with light-bulb scoring, arriving just as the company transitioned fully to score reels. A related 'Dancing Dolls (Extended Play Prototype)' also exists. For collectors and historians, this machine captures Gottlieb at a turning point, making it an appealing find from the golden age of the wedgehead era.