(Topic ID: 212436)

Bally Table King. WTF?

By o-din

6 years ago


Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

  • 22 posts
  • 10 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 6 years ago by gweempose
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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Topic poll

“Which Bally single player games of that era could have been used to make Tommy more authentic?”

  • El Toro 2 votes
    8%
  • Dixieland 4 votes
    17%
  • Hay Ride 4 votes
    17%
  • Op Pop Po 4 votes
    17%
  • Bon Voyage 3 votes
    13%
  • Happy Tour 1 vote
    4%
  • King Rex 2 votes
    8%
  • Monkey Bash 2 votes
    8%
  • Trail Drive 2 votes
    8%

(Multiple choice - 24 votes by 18 Pinsiders)

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#1 6 years ago

Ever since I was a young boy I played the silver ball. And needless to say I was very excited when I found out they were making a movie rendition of the Who's classic rock opera Tommy. I was even more excited that Elton John (pinball wizard) would be squaring off against Roger Daltry (Tommy) during Pinball Wizard to determine who would be "The Bally Table King"

Much to my surprise when that scene came, these weren't Ballys at all, but two ten year old classic Gottlieb wedge heads. Tommy was playing Kings and Queens and Elton a modified Buckaroo.

Now most of us know the makers of this movie partnered with Bally to make the highly successful first licensed game Wizard! that sold over 10.000 units and the even more successful sequel Captain Fantastic, but it has never been explained to me why Ken Russell and the Who went with Gottliebs during that pivotal scene.

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#2 6 years ago

I always loved how Elton played the game with a keyboard instead of flipper buttons. His version of the song is actually pretty good. I know a lot of people hate the movie, but I dig it. What's not to love about Ann-Margret writhing around in a sea of baked beans ...

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#3 6 years ago

I don't know but I do know I've been walking around all day saying "Breakshot" the same way Peter Griffin says "Roadhouse".
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#4 6 years ago

Breakshot's cool man. I've been thinking about bringing in another.

What we really need is MrBally to give us the lowdown on what happened with this movie.

#5 6 years ago

the licensing was done after the movie was made

#6 6 years ago
Quoted from PopBumperPete:

the licensing was done after the movie was made

Sure, but "Bally Table King" was penned in 1968 and is included in the lyrics of both versions of Pinball Wizard.

I am yet to hear any version that says "Gottlieb Table King" or even Williams or Chicago Coin Table King.

#7 6 years ago

Odin, you will be interested in the true story below then! Gottlieb was the original table king

Published on January 5, 2017

Michael Gottlieb

In the late 1960s, the management of The Who contacted my Father on behalf of Pete Townshend. He was writing a "rock opera" and he wanted approval of the lyric in "Pinball Wizard":

"I thought I was The Gottlieb table king, but I just handed my pinball crown to him."

Well my Father was a WW2 Navy veteran and child of the depression. He did not understand "long hairs", "hippies", or even rock and roll for that matter so he said absolutely not.

So the Who went to Bally and they were fine with it which is why in "Pinball Wizard" Roger Daltrey sings:

"I thought I was The Bally table king, but I just handed my pinball crown to him."

But Pete Townshend's reference to one of his favorite pinball machines was left in the "rock opera" in the song "Acid Queen".

Pete was born in 45' and Gypsy Queen was 55' so he would have been 10 or a little older when he started playing this game:

Years later, the originator of pinball machine licensing, Tommy Nieman, did a licensing deal for the 1975 film Tommy and two legendary games came out of it. "Wizard" in 1975 and "Captain Fantastic" in 1976.

This was the beginning of the golden era for Bally Pinball where they embraced licensing and had one hit after another.

Of course, The Who themselves chose Gottlieb machines for the movie "Tommy" which is why Elton John and Roger Daltrey compete on a "Kings and Queens" and "Buckaroo".

But at the end of the film "Tommy", a lot of Pinball Machines get destroyed:

Ultimately, no matter how good of an opportunity, I could have never seen it working out between D. Gottlieb & Co. and The Who.

However, it would have been entertaining to see my Father meet Keith Moon.

On second thought, much better than it never happened......

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/who-should-you-associate-your-brand-michael-gottlieb

#8 6 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

Sure, but "Bally Table King" was penned in 1968 and is included in the lyrics of both versions of Pinball Wizard.
I am yet to hear any version that says "Gottlieb Table King" or even Williams or Chicago Coin Table King.

Decca's lawyers asked for clearance for the "Bally table king" lyric from Bally, and Bally ignored the letter completely.

True story.

#9 6 years ago
Quoted from Shapeshifter:

Odin, you will be interested in the true story below then! Gottlieb was the original table king

Thank you! Now I can sleep tonite!

When that movie came out they modified the Cinedome theatre in Orange, which at the time was the premier place to go see a movie with it's curved seating arrangement, by adding four huge speakers, and when we pulled up and the last show was letting out, you could hear the music blasting all the way to the street. Quite an experience. They left that sound system in there, and when Song Remains the Same came out, we saw that there too.

#10 6 years ago
Quoted from Shapeshifter:

Well my Father was a WW2 Navy veteran and child of the depression. He did not understand "long hairs", "hippies", or even rock and roll for that matter so he said absolutely not.

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#11 6 years ago

I don't know about you guys but I've got a craving for some beans lol

#12 6 years ago

I've always hated this movie as being the quintessential 70's pinball flick, IT'S SO WEIRD! There's something about actors who play a blind character that just rubs me the wrong way, he just came off so bad in the film. And It's just so hard to follow, makes no sense if I ever come across a single pin in a junk yard I'll gouge my eyes out lol.

You want a good 70's pinball movie check this trailer out 1/2 stag 1/2 pinball movie!

#13 6 years ago

So far Monkey Bash is leading the poll with two votes.

I get this feeling we might be seeing MBR before you know it!

#14 6 years ago

We were discussing this film, at the last Edmonton area pinball fans gathering. Some had never seen Tommy, some said they would not watch it again. Some quick discussion on the smashing pins scene. Not even sure if I have a copy of the movie, but do have the Sound Track LP from Tommy.

Surly Elton John has not regretted being in the Film, and enjoying the royalties from the version of Pinball Wizard that he sang.

#15 6 years ago
Quoted from vid1900:

Decca's lawyers asked for clearance for the "Bally table king" lyric from Bally, and Bally ignored the letter completely.
True story.

I've been pondering this for a while.

In today's world, would you rather take a chance infringing on the Bally trademark or the Gottlieb trademark, and thus go up against the license holders of each.

Might be better off going with Chicago Coin.

#16 6 years ago

"Thought I was the Segasa Table King" has a certain ring to it.

#17 6 years ago

I forgot to mention, you can vote for two.

#18 6 years ago

Wonder if that stage prop of Buckaroo still survives today. Or did Keith smash it up too.

#19 6 years ago
Quoted from Darcy:

Wonder if that stage prop of Buckaroo still survives today. Or did Keith smash it up too.

or maybe it was smashed by Superman?

Tommy was filmed in England
the first two Superman movies had the stage work done inn England
at the end of SII, Clark Kent pushes a bully into a Buckaroo pinball machine

#20 6 years ago
Quoted from PopBumperPete:

or maybe it was smashed by Superman?

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#21 6 years ago
Quoted from Darcy:

We were discussing this film, at the last Edmonton area pinball fans gathering. Some had never seen Tommy, some said they would not watch it again. Some quick discussion on the smashing pins scene. Not even sure if I have a copy of the movie, but do have the Sound Track LP from Tommy.
Surly Elton John has not regretted being in the Film, and enjoying the royalties from the version of Pinball Wizard that he sang.

There was a double record set of Guest Artists and the London Symphony Orchestra doing the entire Tommy album. Rod Stewart sang “Pinball Wizard” as his contribution.

He was asked to do the Pinball Wizard song later in Ken Russell movie but Elton talked him out of it and wanted the role. Hence the performance and Elton’s hit single release.

#22 6 years ago
Quoted from jbovenzi:

There was a double record set of Guest Artists and the London Symphony Orchestra doing the entire Tommy album. Rod Stewart sang “Pinball Wizard” as his contribution.

He was asked to do the Pinball Wizard song later in Ken Russell movie but Elton talked him out of it and wanted the role. Hence the performance and Elton’s hit single release.

Fortunately for us, Elton convinced them to let him do it. His piano is what makes that version so unique and awesome.

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