Send in the clowns — Gottlieb’s 1964 Happy Clown is an electromechanical four-player bursting with circus-and-carnival cheer, and it comes from the legendary team of designer Wayne Neyens and artist Roy Parker, the creative partnership behind so many of Gottlieb’s most beloved woodrail classics. Its signature delight is a piece of mechanical whimsy: an illuminated clown face in the backbox that bounces up and down whenever one-point values are scored, plus a projection roto unit under the playfield. With a confirmed run of 3,235, it’s a joyful mid-’60s gem.
The layout is a busy, engaging spread for its era: two flippers, four pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, a generous seven standup targets, two kick-out holes, and a stationary post between the flippers to give a player a fighting chance at the center drain. All those standups and bumpers keep the ball lively and the objectives clear, while that bouncing clown face and the under-playfield projection unit add the kind of animated charm that makes these classic Gottlieb machines so magical to watch and play.
Happy Clown is a wonderful example of Neyens and Parker at the top of their craft, pairing a wholesome carnival theme with genuinely delightful mechanical animation. The bouncing clown is exactly the sort of joyful touch that gives these woodrail machines their soul, turning every scoring ball into a little moment of fun. For the collector who cherishes the golden age of EM pinball and its most charming animated features, it’s a treasure. Work those seven standups, ride the bumpers, and make the clown dance. Some machines simply radiate happiness, and this circus classic is one of them. Step right up and enjoy the show.