Best pool novels that should be movies

Cornbread Red.....make a movie and get someone like Shia LeBeouf to play the lead, not that I like him that much as an actor. However, I saw him in a movie called "Lawless" where he plays a moonshiner during the same Prohibition era of Cornbread Red.

I must admit I was very impressed how well he pulled the part off and I think he'd do an outstanding job playing the part of Cornbread Red. If you've seen the movie, I'm sure you'd agree with me. If you haven't seen the movie, try to see it......Tom Hardy and Guy Pierce also star in the film......really worth seeing the movie.

Something Rising Light and Swift

I wold like a little independent movie based on: something rising light and swift by Haven Kimmel. Pool isn't the whole book but it is built into the foundation of the story and it felt true in a cute way.

Well, not exactly a book. But the collection of audio of Ronnie Allens days of playing on the road with a slew of different characters would make a great and entertaining movie. It'd have to be done in the same vein as Fear and loathing in Las Vegas a la Hunter S Thompson. Would kill to see it.

Definetlly Cornbreads book, its reads perfect for a movie.

RingKing said:

I would like to hear opinions on the best billiard story novels that could or should be turned into a motion picture. I will start by saying that
Playing off the Rail: A Pool Hustler's Journey by David McCumber
has a number of hilarious scenarios that would be great for the big screen.

Click to expand...

Angel Levine has been working on "Raising the Hustler," which may turn out to be a great pool documentary and/or movie, whichever direction she goes. I am looking forward to this one.

Me personally, I've been working on a book related to pool for 10 years *and* a screenplay. Writing a screenplay is quite different than writing a magazine article or a book. It's challenging but doable.

It really doesn't matter which book is it that makes the movie. It's how the movie is made. If it's a low-budget flick, the movie will suck. If enough resources are devoted the the creation of the movie, it has a possibility of being a hit.

In recent times, most of the pool movies I have seen have been low-budget, and even though I know the subject matter, et cetera, and some of the actors, the movie did not attract mainstream America.

To be successful, the movie *MUST* be attractive fo my Uncle Chester and Aunt Dorothy, who know nothing about pool. That's the secret ingredient. :wink:

RingKing said:

I would like to hear opinions on the best billiard story novels that could or should be turned into a motion picture. I will start by saying that
Playing off the Rail: A Pool Hustler's Journey by David McCumber
has a number of hilarious scenarios that would be great for the big screen.

Click to expand...

Playing off the Rail was not a novel.

Yea, that's just what the billiards reputation in America needs.... another round of movies glorifying hustlers, hustling & fast, big payouts.

All the sarcasm aside... I'd love to watch any new pool movie that comes out... I just think its unfortunate that only the seedy side of pool is sexy enough to make into a movie.

I always thought "Do It For The Game" would make a good movie. Kookie characters, funny stories, love interest but most of all a story of redemption. I did get a call way back in the day from an attorney asking me if anyone represented me on the movie rights but I only heard from him once.

Bob

RingKing said:

I would like to hear opinions on the best billiard story novels that could or should be turned into a motion picture. I will start by saying that
Playing off the Rail: A Pool Hustler's Journey by David McCumber
has a number of hilarious scenarios that would be great for the big screen.

Click to expand...

I personally have the biography of Fat's life of 40+ years with his wife Evelyn from her perspecitve, and don't know where to go to get another excited about it.

Ralph Greenleaf's story. Perfect for a movie, if well done. Or Keith McCready's.

How about the "Color of Money" all the original used was the title, the novel
is totally different and in some ways better.

Hands down, Kid Delicious' story, Running The Table needs to be a movie real bad.

Think about it, the fat Jewish kid who was bullied in school, drops out, and finds a second family at the local pool hall becoming one of the most colorful and unlikely hustlers in modern times.

Criss-crossing north America with his handsome, polar-opposite road partner, the wins, the losses, the scrimping and the scores, the hijinx, the Philly mafia won't let him leave their joint until every local player of note gets a shot at him, on and on and on.

I was actually frustrated when I got to the end, I wanted some more adventures..

I believe it has real potential to be a blockbuster and I know danny told me that it was being considered a long while back and lionsgate had bought the rights to his story but it all seems to have fallen apart.

great story, though.

If you never read it, get it. I promise you'll be happy you did. :smile:

best,
brian kc

Kicken I agree with the Danny Basavich story. I always wondered what happened to that movie project. If I remember they were talking about Jack Black playing Danny.

Also I agree with an earlier comment, I loved the book "The Color of Money". It was almost as good as "The Hustler".

Notice that no mentioned Willie Mosconi.........it's because while admittedly the greatest pocket billiards player to ever live, he was not a fascinating character in real life. A real family man after his 1st wife left him with their kids and he later re-married.......but not a colorful, interesting man of sorts.....just a gifted pool player.

Right now the theme of the 30's& 40's is the hot genre.......Mob City debuted this week as a 3 week mini-series......Broadwalk Empire is smoking hot and winning all kinds of awards........Cornbread Red is a real character and happens to be of the same period........I'm telling ya people would gobble it up.........someone like Matt Damon or Ben Affleck would make a film like this as a producer/director, get Shia to play the part and have some great screen writers to adapt to story to the Big Screen.......the film would be an instant hit.

And by the way, we need a film like that.....The Hustler lifted pool in the 60's........The Color of Money did it again in the 80's......and we're due for a film to it again..........the story can be adapted very easily into a movie using both young and seasoned stars and could become another Good Will Hunting winning all kinds of awards,

book

Robert LeBlancs Confessions of a Pool Hustler would be great. Action and women can't go wrong.

I still say that Ronnie Allen's collected recordings would be the perfect fuel for an epic Hustler type movie.

I was feeling nostalgic

Lesh