Eleven Belles

The flyer identifies the nine numbered bumpers as "pop" bumpers when, in fact, they are all passive bumpers. The sole pop bumper is in center playfield and is not numbered. The playfield layout remarkably resembles the Bally 1960 flipperless games such as Bally's 1960 'Beach Queens'. Both have eleven girls on the backglass to light up by hitting numbered pop bumpers or by falling in the kick-out hole, with #10 and #11 lit only by falling in the kick-out hole, which then ejects ball towards the outhole. We previously showed a date for this game of 1958. However, in an article in Cash Box Apr-2-1960 page 63, Keeney announced this "one-ball pinball amusement game" was released to the trade the week before and was in full production. In the book The Pinball Compendium Electro-mechanical Era, Ed Krynski is quoted as saying this was the first pinball game he designed. This is one of the games clearly seen being smashed in the 1975 Hollywood movie 'Tommy' upon which Bally's 1975 'Wizard!' was based. An image from the movie is included in this listing. If anyone has access to this game, we are seeking your high-resolution photographs and also information about game play, including any option for selecting number of balls per game.