The Color of Money Musings

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Registered
If you have never picked up on this, the scenes in The Color of Money give homage to Willie Mosconi when on the phone, and later in Chalky's he nods to Earl Strickland, the other Best Player in the world other than technical consultant (Mike Sigel).

Eddie comments that Earl "runs the numbers", clear reference to Earls run-out ability.

Also, later in the film when Mizerak says to Eddie "I didn't deserve that: he is referring to his cameo in the film. But Paul thinks he did earn it. :thumbup:

Eddie Gives Vincent the Balabushka

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lDY2_bkAtk

Chalky's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znXS2M1-nYE
 
sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Is this really Tom Cruise or is this thread a practical joke?
 
ideologist

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
Tom Cruise said:
If you have never picked up on this, the scenes in The Color of Money give homage to Willie Mosconi when on the phone, and later in Chalky's he nods to Earl Strickland, the other Best Player in the world other than technical consultant (Mike Sigel).

Eddie comments that Earl "runs the numbers", clear reference to Earls run-out ability.

Also, later in the film when Mizerak says to Eddie "I didn't deserve that: he is referring to his cameo in the film. But Paul thinks he did earn it. :thumbup:

Eddie Gives Vincent the Balabushka

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lDY2_bkAtk

Chalky's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znXS2M1-nYE
Click to expand...

Running numbers has nothing to do with pool and everything to do with why a guy like Earl would carry a lot of cash in that neighborhood

Your whole post is ridiculous
 
logical

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
When he twirls his cue it's a reference to an airplane propeller and Mosconi didn't like to fly...so yeah.

Sent from the future.
 
Buzzard II

Buzzard II

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Where I grew up I knew a lot of numbers runners, none that I knew played pool. Fact there were more runner's than players. At least making a living at it. Still is today.
 
C

cscott67

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's almost impossible to rob a bookie........

IF you get any money out of them, they made the calculated decision to pay for a lesson/entertainment. Just my experience...... Doc
 
mikemosconi

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Brookeland Bill said:
It doesn’t matter. Cruise was the worst choice to play the part. Immature and not realistic.
Click to expand...

Well, that is EXACTLY what the character Cruise played was supposed to be; immature and needing mentoring! He was not supposed to be some street wise hood who already knew all the ropes. I think Cruise was a good cast for that part- somebody who had talent, not a lot of smarts, and not yet very street wise. I thought he played it very well! His whole demeanor allowed Paul Newman to feed off that and pull off one of his great acting achievements.
 
jasonlaus

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
mikemosconi said:
Well, that is EXACTLY what the character Cruise played was supposed to be; immature and needing mentoring! He was not supposed to be some street wise hood who already knew all the ropes. I think Cruise was a good cast for that part- somebody who had talent, not a lot of smarts, and not yet very street wise. I thought he played it very well! His whole demeanor allowed Paul Newman to feed off that and pull off one of his great acting achievements.
Click to expand...

Would remind me of Filler if he was naive.
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tom Cruise said:
If you have never picked up on this, the scenes in The Color of Money give homage to Willie Mosconi when on the phone, and later in Chalky's he nods to Earl Strickland, the other Best Player in the world other than technical consultant (Mike Sigel).

Eddie comments that Earl "runs the numbers", clear reference to Earls run-out ability.

Also, later in the film when Mizerak says to Eddie "I didn't deserve that: he is referring to his cameo in the film. But Paul thinks he did earn it. :thumbup:

Eddie Gives Vincent the Balabushka

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lDY2_bkAtk

Chalky's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znXS2M1-nYE
Click to expand...

The I did not deserve that line was a reference to his line earlier when he said he deserved the result of a bad shot.

About the guy "running numbers"

"running numbers
the number runners that worked for organized crime in the 20's and 30's. During this time the Mafia and other gangs controlled a lottery like game which was called the numbers.

The people who worked for the numbers racket were called number runners. They collected the bets from the gamblers and delivered the payoff when the gamblers won. Sometimes, these number runners were said to be "running numbers."

the winning numbers were often determined by the final digits of the winning payoff results of horse races. It is also true that when you compare the numbers game which was an illegal lottery to today's legal state controlled lottery, it did offer higher payoffs.

But, the numbers runners were not bookies. A bookie is a person who takes illegal bets on horse racing or sporting events. Contrairy to what the Wikipedia says, these two professions were not combined because the numbers game and sports betting were usually controlled by different people. Also the bookies took bigger bets and looked down on the number runners who survived by taking many small bets; hence the terms "numbers runner" and "book maker" refer to different people"
 
jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
sjm said:
Is this really Tom Cruise or is this thread a practical joke?
Click to expand...

Stu, Stu! Tom Cruise won't be coming to AZB in this lifetime. He has little to zero interest in anything we have to say here and probably hasn't hit a pool ball in 20 years!
 
C

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
Tom Cruise said:
If you have never picked up on this, the scenes in The Color of Money give homage to Willie Mosconi when on the phone, and later in Chalky's he nods to Earl Strickland, the other Best Player in the world other than technical consultant (Mike Sigel).

Eddie comments that Earl "runs the numbers", clear reference to Earls run-out ability.

Also, later in the film when Mizerak says to Eddie "I didn't deserve that: he is referring to his cameo in the film. But Paul thinks he did earn it. :thumbup:

Eddie Gives Vincent the Balabushka

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lDY2_bkAtk

Chalky's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znXS2M1-nYE
Click to expand...

If I like a movies a lot, I will rewatch it many time for entertainment. I am not a technician expert or historian on Pool, like other are. Color was a great film.
 
Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Registered
hang-the-9 said:
The I did not deserve that line was a reference to his line earlier when he said he deserved the result of a bad shot.

About the guy "running numbers"

"running numbers
the number runners that worked for organized crime in the 20's and 30's. During this time the Mafia and other gangs controlled a lottery like game which was called the numbers.

The people who worked for the numbers racket were called number runners. They collected the bets from the gamblers and delivered the payoff when the gamblers won. Sometimes, these number runners were said to be "running numbers."

the winning numbers were often determined by the final digits of the winning payoff results of horse races. It is also true that when you compare the numbers game which was an illegal lottery to today's legal state controlled lottery, it did offer higher payoffs.

But, the numbers runners were not bookies. A bookie is a person who takes illegal bets on horse racing or sporting events. Contrairy to what the Wikipedia says, these two professions were not combined because the numbers game and sports betting were usually controlled by different people. Also the bookies took bigger bets and looked down on the number runners who survived by taking many small bets; hence the terms "numbers runner" and "book maker" refer to different people"
Click to expand...

Again, I as most here know what running numbers means. Don't we all?

And Mizerak's missed shots and bad leaves were BOTH VEHICLES for double-entendre. If you are unfamiliar with the way Hollywood works, many ideas are communicated subtly.

Sadly, most here seem to have neither previously grasped this concept in these scenes or in general. Glad to hear there is still some Color of Mooney fans though.

If you haven't seen Ben Stiller in "The Hustler of Money", it's pretty funny...
 
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