Stars

Gottlieb's 'Stars' pinball machine, released in 1952, represents a classic example of early post-war pinball design when the industry was experiencing significant growth and innovation. The machine embraced the growing public fascination with space and celestial themes that characterized the early 1950s, predating the Space Race that would begin later in the decade.

The gameplay featured a relatively simple but engaging layout typical of early 1950s machines, with the playfield adorned with star-shaped bumpers and celestial imagery. The scoring system utilized the standard electro-mechanical components of the era, with chimes and bells announcing point accumulation. The machine's art package likely featured bright stellar imagery against a dark background, a common aesthetic choice for space-themed games of this period.

While not as widely remembered as some other Gottlieb titles from the same era, 'Stars' represents an important transition period in pinball history, when manufacturers were moving away from simpler pre-war designs toward more complex and thematic gameplay elements. The machine helped establish space themes as a viable genre in pinball design, a tradition that would continue throughout the following decades.

Production numbers for 'Stars' are not definitively known, but like many Gottlieb machines of the early 1950s, it likely had a production run of between 1,000 to 2,500 units. The majority of these would have been placed in drug stores, bowling alleys, and other entertainment venues of the era.