Red Shoes

Red Shoes, released in 1950, represents a fascinating example of early post-war pinball design during the electro-mechanical golden age. The machine was produced during a pivotal time when pinball was transitioning from simple bagatelle-style games to more complex mechanical marvels with innovative scoring mechanisms and playfield features.

The theme of the machine appears to reference the massive cultural impact of the 1948 film 'The Red Shoes,' which had become a worldwide sensation. This connection to popular culture was a common marketing strategy for pinball manufacturers of the era, helping to attract players through familiar references and imagery.

As an electro-mechanical machine from 1950, Red Shoes would have featured the classic components of the era: mechanical score reels, relay-based logic systems, and mechanical bumpers and targets. The gameplay would have been straightforward by modern standards but innovative for its time, likely featuring pop bumpers, kick-out holes, and possibly early versions of player-controlled flippers, which had only been introduced a few years earlier in 1947.

While specific production numbers aren't available, machines from this era were typically manufactured in relatively small quantities compared to later decades. Surviving examples of Red Shoes are now considered valuable collectibles, representing an important period in pinball history when the industry was rapidly evolving from simple mechanical devices to more sophisticated entertainment machines.