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Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy video
Updated October 2026
"Capt. Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy," produced by Bally in 1976, is a classic electro-mechanical pinball machine inspired by Elton John's album of the same name. Designed by Greg Kmiec with artwork by Dave Christensen, the machine stands out for its distinctive backglass featuring Elton John as the "Pinball Wizard" from the rock opera "Tommy".
UTAD, but get both A, B and the center when lit to open the gate in the process.
Balanced, but lower Right plays a bit safer
Medium; learn to manage balls coming down the right side by flipping, not flipping or most often just holding the flipper up as they pass by.
Top center lane when lit [alternates on switch hits, nudge as needed] opens ball save gate on lower right. Get this first. Shoot the ball up top again first chance you get: scoring both the “A” and “B” lights, which alternate opposite to the center lane, gets you double bonus. Continue UTAD until bonus is doubled and maxed [15,000 base]. Once bonus is maxed, you can, if you choose, switch to shooting the drop targets at the middle left from the lower flipper. If EBs are on, completing the targets lights the EB lane. If not, you still get decent points each time you complete the target bank. Avoid shots with the upper flipper - - if you miss low, you drain out the left, and even if you hit the targets, the rebound from this angle can go out the right outlane.
One of the most popular EMs ever, and a frequent choice for tournaments. Key feed: when the ball is coming past the upper right flipper, what happens 1: when you hold that flipper up; 2: when you leave the flipper down; 3: when you have the flipper up but drop it as the ball reaches the flipper. As always, you’re looking for a repeatable choice that gets the ball to a cradle, or at least a nearly-stopped-ball on a lower flipper.
via Bob's Guide
On the floor at 70 locations
Showing top 20 of 67 locations
Credit unit and score drum adjustments
Importer's German edition with fold-out schematics
Door types 1 to 6, 2-chute and 3-chute wiring
Single very wide sheet with coil locating chart
June 1975 print with lamp and switch matrices
Replay and extra-ball cards for 3-ball and 5-ball play
Covers home games Series I and II with logic schematics
Midway bill of material dated June 1977
Home model Series 2 board, switches 1 to 22
