TCW Podcast Episode 091 - Bally: The Road to Fitness

In our continuing look at Bally we see the shifting landscape ad they evolve and develop gambling machines.  This is not to mean that pinball was neglected.  Bally, with an eye to innovation and technology, introduced some of the first sold state pinball machines!  They were also, through some luck, brought in with licensing deals with The Who, and Elton John.  This led to some of the most popular pinball machines in the post WWII era.   We did have to see the departure of Bill O'Donnell from Bally because his ties to organized crime were deemed too great to allow Bally to get a gambling license in Atlantic City.  With Bally under new management it then started diversifying, buy buying up various venues.  These included, Six Flags, a fitness center, and others.  However with a lot of properties not turning a profit, and being tricked into  buying more as a defensive we move against a ploy employed by Donald Trump, Bally was stretched too thin to really survive.

German Wall Machine , Rotamint Luxus , 1957: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzNhWxDdyRM

WONDERS , HONEST JOE , Allwin Slot Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1p0Bw1hv5Q

SMB3 Picture House: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfH9_zWxRwk

TCW 034 - The Nutting Associates: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/the-nutting-associates/

The Who & Elton John - Pinball Wizard (Tommy 1975): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DthtDjhqVOU

Abbot and Costello Who's On First: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg&t

Bally Pinball Wizard Machine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXVg88WqMIo

Captain Fantastic Pinball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1DsyF6XYvM

https://sternpinball.com/

Bally Freedom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk0LroLsaLA

Bally Night Rider: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYEY090OPG4

Bally EVEL KNIEVEL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BljsG0dGPJw

Simpsons "He's OK folks!": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE7zBMjubqw

Bally 8-Ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s1O4ScUx6c

Bally Playboy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWP70dq6XN0

TCW 059 - Williams' Crazy Story Pt 1: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/williams-crazy-story-pt-1/

TCW 060 - Williams' Crazy Story Pt 2: http://podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e/williams-crazy-story-pt-1/

Rampage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm6pkWRoJiw

New episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month!

TCW Email: [email protected] 

Twitter: @tcwpodcast

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds

Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com

Alex's forthcoming book will be released through CRC Press!

Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download:http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode 

Outro Music: RolemMusic - Bacterial Love - http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love 

Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/