The Magnificent Marble Machine
Encyclopedia
The Magnificent Marble Machine is an American
television game show
hosted by Art James
and based on pinball
. The show ran on NBC
from July 7, 1975 to March 12, 1976, but was interrupted for two weeks in January due to scheduling changes on the network and aired repeats from March 15 to June 11. It aired in both half-hour slots between Noon and 1:00 PM, Eastern (11:00 AM/Noon, Central).
Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley
packaged this program, with Robert Noah as executive producer. Marble was one of two Heatter-Quigley game shows without Kenny Williams
as announcer (the other being Temptation
, which was also hosted by Art James). Because Williams was so busy at the time on the other H-Q shows (High Rollers
, The Hollywood Squares, and Gambit
totaling some 17 half-hours per week on networks and in syndication
), Johnny Gilbert
would be behind the microphone.
In the first half of the game, the teams answered general knowledge questions, frequently involving puns or other wordplay, which were displayed on a huge electronic marquee. First, the players were shown blanks on the bottom line, denoting the number of words and letters in the answer; then a clue would crawl across the upper line. If no team buzzed in once the clue was revealed, letters of the answer then filled in at random as time progressed.
For example, a question might be "He's center and he's square/#### #####" (Paul Lynde
), or "An athlete's supporter/###" (fan).
Often, James would give an additional clue. For example, the blanked-out answer "### ### #####" would appear and James would say "What does this man pull out?" followed by "A showy organist". (The answer is "all the stops".)
For any given question, only the contestant or the celebrity would be eligible to buzz in; this alternated with each question, and was indicated by lighted panels in front of the eligible player.
Correct answers were worth one point. Five points won the game and the winning team played "The Magnificent Marble Machine" in the bonus round.
Each team member manipulated one flipper button (each controlling two flippers), and tried to keep the ball in play for as long as possible within a 60-second time limit while accumulating points by hitting bumpers, noisemakers, and lights. Hitting any of the seven large numbered bumpers won the contestant a prize, with 2 and 3 together worth a larger prize such as a car or trip. Play ended if the ball fell into one of the two "out holes" (one located below the main flippers, the other in the middle of the playing field). The flippers were disabled when 60 seconds expired, with the ball (still in play) usually entering an out hole within a few seconds.
At some point during the series, a bonus prize was added for hitting all seven numbered bumpers at least once.
Originally, each bumper scored 500 points while any noisemaker scored 200 points. Producers audited the score by watching the tape to ensure that each scoring feature had registered, but as the machine aged (week by week) the scoring errors increased. The rules were eventually altered so that only the seven "thumper bumpers" added 500 points for each hit, with nothing else scoring.
At some point in the run, this round was redesigned to be a multi-player "Money Ball Marathon" rather than a bonus round any player might be able to achieve in any one play of the machine. The contestant achieving the top point score over a two-week period would be awarded a Money Ball round. This format lasted for five marathons (ten weeks), after which the Money Ball was dropped from the game altogether.
After the Money Ball round was removed, the electronic point counters on the pinball machine were covered over. Contestants now only played for prizes obtained by hitting the seven bumpers.
on a television monitor, showing celebrity guest Joan Rivers
working the machine.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
hosted by Art James
Art James
Art James was an American game show host, best known for shows such as The Who, What, or Where Game and Pay Cards!. He was also the announcer on the game show Concentration....
and based on pinball
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
. The show ran on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
from July 7, 1975 to March 12, 1976, but was interrupted for two weeks in January due to scheduling changes on the network and aired repeats from March 15 to June 11. It aired in both half-hour slots between Noon and 1:00 PM, Eastern (11:00 AM/Noon, Central).
Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley
Heatter-Quigley Productions
Heatter-Quigley Productions was an American television production company that was launched in 1960 by two former television writers, Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley....
packaged this program, with Robert Noah as executive producer. Marble was one of two Heatter-Quigley game shows without Kenny Williams
Kenny Williams (announcer)
Kenny Williams was an American television announcer from the late 1940s to 1980s. He was best known as the announcer of many game shows produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley . He also appeared on screen as "Kenny the Cop" on Video Village and Shenanigans...
as announcer (the other being Temptation
Temptation (1967 US game show)
Temptation was a game show which aired on ABC from December 4, 1967 to March 1, 1968. It was produced by Merrill Heatter and Bob Quigley. Art James was the host, and Carl King was the announcer.-Gameplay:...
, which was also hosted by Art James). Because Williams was so busy at the time on the other H-Q shows (High Rollers
High Rollers
High Rollers is an American television game show based on the dice game Shut the Box. The show aired on NBC from July 1, 1974 to June 11, 1976 and again from April 24, 1978 to June 20, 1980. Two different syndicated versions were also produced, a weekly series in the 1975–1976 season which ran...
, The Hollywood Squares, and Gambit
Gambit (game show)
Gambit is a television game show, created by Wayne Cruseturner and produced by Heatter-Quigley Productions, that originally ran on CBS from September 4, 1972 to December 10, 1976. A slightly retooled version, Las Vegas Gambit, aired on NBC from October 27, 1980 to November 27, 1981, originating...
totaling some 17 half-hours per week on networks and in syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
), Johnny Gilbert
Johnny Gilbert
John L. "Johnny" Gilbert III is an American show business personality who has worked mainly on television game shows. Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer, he has hosted and announced a number of game shows from various eras, dating as far back as the 1950s...
would be behind the microphone.
Gameplay
Two contestants (one a returning champion) competed, each paired with a celebrity partner.In the first half of the game, the teams answered general knowledge questions, frequently involving puns or other wordplay, which were displayed on a huge electronic marquee. First, the players were shown blanks on the bottom line, denoting the number of words and letters in the answer; then a clue would crawl across the upper line. If no team buzzed in once the clue was revealed, letters of the answer then filled in at random as time progressed.
For example, a question might be "He's center and he's square/#### #####" (Paul Lynde
Paul Lynde
Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
), or "An athlete's supporter/###" (fan).
Often, James would give an additional clue. For example, the blanked-out answer "### ### #####" would appear and James would say "What does this man pull out?" followed by "A showy organist". (The answer is "all the stops".)
For any given question, only the contestant or the celebrity would be eligible to buzz in; this alternated with each question, and was indicated by lighted panels in front of the eligible player.
Correct answers were worth one point. Five points won the game and the winning team played "The Magnificent Marble Machine" in the bonus round.
Bonus Round
The winning team got the chance to play the show's centerpiece: a giant pinball machine — measuring 20 feet high and 12 feet long — that sat in the middle of the set.Each team member manipulated one flipper button (each controlling two flippers), and tried to keep the ball in play for as long as possible within a 60-second time limit while accumulating points by hitting bumpers, noisemakers, and lights. Hitting any of the seven large numbered bumpers won the contestant a prize, with 2 and 3 together worth a larger prize such as a car or trip. Play ended if the ball fell into one of the two "out holes" (one located below the main flippers, the other in the middle of the playing field). The flippers were disabled when 60 seconds expired, with the ball (still in play) usually entering an out hole within a few seconds.
At some point during the series, a bonus prize was added for hitting all seven numbered bumpers at least once.
Originally, each bumper scored 500 points while any noisemaker scored 200 points. Producers audited the score by watching the tape to ensure that each scoring feature had registered, but as the machine aged (week by week) the scoring errors increased. The rules were eventually altered so that only the seven "thumper bumpers" added 500 points for each hit, with nothing else scoring.
Money Ball
If a team reached a target score after playing two balls (15,000 for each new champion, minus 1,000 for each return visit), the team played a bonus "Gold Money Ball" where the player earned $200 for each noisemaker and bumper. Later, the goal started at 13,000 points with the Money Ball netting $500 for each bumper hit.At some point in the run, this round was redesigned to be a multi-player "Money Ball Marathon" rather than a bonus round any player might be able to achieve in any one play of the machine. The contestant achieving the top point score over a two-week period would be awarded a Money Ball round. This format lasted for five marathons (ten weeks), after which the Money Ball was dropped from the game altogether.
After the Money Ball round was removed, the electronic point counters on the pinball machine were covered over. Contestants now only played for prizes obtained by hitting the seven bumpers.
Episode status
Only two episodes are known to exist – Episode #4 is held in varied quality among private collectors, while an All-Star episode from March 1976 exists at The Paley Center for Media.In popular culture
A short clip of the show appears in the 1979 movie The China SyndromeThe China Syndrome
The China Syndrome is a 1979 American thriller film that tells the story of a reporter and cameraman who discover safety coverups at a nuclear power plant. It stars Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady, James Hampton, Peter Donat, Richard Herd, and Wilford Brimley.The film was...
on a television monitor, showing celebrity guest Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
working the machine.
External links
- Game Shows '75 Page on "The Magnificent Marble Machine"
- Episode #4 at the Television Production Music Museum