In 1946, American Machine and Foundry (AMF) introduced the world’s first automatic pinspotter. Two years later, AMF’s main competitor, the Brunswick-Balke-Collendar Company, had still not yet been able to mass-produce their version of the automatic pinsetter. In fact, at this point in their history,
Brunswick could not even yet decide which of their two designs would be the one to bring to production. (As you’ll see, they took a little bit from each one of their designs to the Series A pinsetter.)
This 1948 promotional film, “Bowling Is Our Business,” was intended to reach bowling proprietors and to let them know that Brunswick was working on two new designs of “automatics,” and to try to persuade proprietors to hold on a while longer (and not purchase AMF pinspotters for their bowling centers) while Brunswick continued working on the development of their new machines.
This film is a real study in the history of our sport, as the development of the automatic pinsetter was truly THE landmark achievement that turned bowling into America’s pastime.
