YEAR: 1981
DIRECTOR: Carlos Saura
PINBALL MODEL(S): Black & Reed (1975, Industria de Recreativos S.A. of Madrid)
GAME LOCATION(S): Cafe
NOTES: Here we have another instance of a pinball machine installed at an establishment frequented by young people, though this one is somewhat different in that the pin manufacturer is European, thus giving us a chance to briefly discuss pinball and economics.
Of course, the "big 3" pin makers (Bally, Gottlieb, & Williams) maintained sizeable market prevalence throughout Europe, especially in the countries that experienced the swiftest economic recovery after WWII. Countries that were receptive to American cultural influence and/or were engaged in a stable relationship of commodity exchange with the United States tend to feature American-made pins in their films; revealing something of the reality of the market dominance of these stateside pinball manufacturers.
However, pin-tables were being manufactured by non-North American companies as well (most notably in Italy, Germany, and Spain). Much like the national cinema industries that resisted the cultural and industry pressures emitted by Hollywood, these non-American pinball makers were caught up in a similar battle of market penetration.
