40 years ago today….

[middleofnowhere]

The movie was filmed in 1985 and hit theaters in 1986. I was working the graveyard shift at Champion’s Billiards in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the first night it came to the big screen, about seven or eight of us formed a convoy and headed on over to the Avalon Theater in DC, a big, old-fashioned movie house, to check out the “pool movie.”

At the time, I had no idea who Keith McCready was. Never heard of him.

We sat way in the back. When some of the pool scenes came on, including the cue-stick waving to the tune of “Werewolves of London,” we were thoroughly entertained, chuckling and giggling. But when Fast Eddie told Vincent to lay down the lemon on Grady Seasons to ensure good odds in Atlantic City, we absolutely lost it, laughing out loud, especially some of the lines, "It's like a nightmare," of course, and "Oh, the impossible dream."

As unrealistic as some of those scenes were, it was a movie about pool, and for that reason alone, us pool nuts enjoyed every minute of it.

And here’s the ironic part: About 20 years later, I met Grady Seasons in the flesh and actually went on the road with him, but that’s a story for another time.

AI-generated from a 2002 photo of Keith and me.

View attachment 938393

I love your story. I try to see the movie through the eyes of the public and not a pool player. I can see how the average person really liked the movie. It's by every metric a very good movie from the first opening scene.

That's the way movies are. We saw the movie Backdraft with a friend who was a fireman. All through the movie he was squirming in his seat because he could see everything wrong with it. That's how movies are.

 

[easy-e]

Love it or hate it, Keith just received another SAG (Screen Actors Guild) check last week for $177. One never knows how much the periodic checks will be. They come two or three times a year. Some are a low as $12 and others have been as high as $320.

A couple years ago, our 80-year-old neighbor had a wellness check. Curious neighbors came outside, wondering if she was okay when they saw the firetrucks and police cars. And she is. They were all chatting, when our closest neighbor friend let the police officer know about Keith in "The Color of Money." The police officer said he was going to watch that movie that night.

(Many younger folk today have never heard of the movie, much less Paul Newman and Tom Cruise starring in it.)

Keith and the police officer started talking pool, and without missing a beat, Keith asked, "Would you like an autographed photo?" Keith came inside and asked me for the Sharpie pen and a photo. That's what the police officer is holding in his hand. It really made Keith feel great that the police officer took an interest in his pool journey. Meanwhile, I'm inside and missed the whole exchange. Neighbor took this photo.

View attachment 938392

Keith looks great! Happy to see him healthy and smiling!

 

[skogstokig]

The movie generated the name of one of the best, most revolutionizing and most influential video games of all time.

quake?

 

[JasonATX]

quake?

Doom

 

[couldnthinkof01]

GoldenEye

 

[CajunPopeye]

Spades!

Spades, where? Count me in. Nils worth 100. No blind nil.

 

[CajunPopeye]

(Many younger folk today have never heard of the movie, much less Paul Newman and Tom Cruise starring in it.)

I just experienced this Saturday at the pool hall. Some younger guys were asking about my Joss cues. I mentioned the Color of Money. They'd never heard of it.

 

[Chili Palmer]

I had an elderly friend I played pool with a few times a week (RIP Buddy), his pride and joy was his Color of Money Joss cue.

I started playing pool in the summer of 1986, a few months before the movie was released. It definitely brought a new wave of people to the pool room.

 

[middleofnowhere]

I just experienced this Saturday at the pool hall. Some younger guys were asking about my Joss cues. I mentioned the Color of Money. They'd never heard of it.

It doesn't play often on streaming other then PayPer view. The rights are owned by Disney.

 

[white1]

The movie was filmed in 1985 and hit theaters in 1986. I was working the graveyard shift at Champion’s Billiards in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the first night it came to the big screen, about seven or eight of us formed a convoy and headed on over to the Avalon Theater in DC, a big, old-fashioned movie house, to check out the “pool movie.”

At the time, I had no idea who Keith McCready was. Never heard of him.

We sat way in the back. When some of the pool scenes came on, including the cue-stick waving to the tune of “Werewolves of London,” we were thoroughly entertained, chuckling and giggling. But when Fast Eddie told Vincent to lay down the lemon on Grady Seasons to ensure good odds in Atlantic City, we absolutely lost it, laughing out loud, especially some of the lines, "It's like a nightmare," of course, and "Oh, the impossible dream."

As unrealistic as some of those scenes were, it was a movie about pool, and for that reason alone, us pool nuts enjoyed every minute of it.

And here’s the ironic part: About 20 years later, I met Grady Seasons in the flesh and actually went on the road with him, but that’s a story for another time.

AI-generated from a 2002 photo of Keith and me.

View attachment 938393

Thx for sharing. I’ve seen a lot of the guys play. Keith, Louie and earl were ALWAYS the funnest to watch with sigel just behind them. Fact.

 

[Mensabum]

i concur. but will admit that cruise prancing around and twirling his cue like an idiot increased public interest in pool

Amongst the female sector leastwise.

 

[Mensabum]

Maybe, but I figured the same about the second Top Gun and it was pretty good.

Was that a movie about target practice??

 

[Mensabum]

I don't know, Maximilian Schell won for Judgment at Nuremberg. Newman's performance was nothing special in The Hustler. He was much better in future projects.

He really didn't deserve it for COM. William Hurt for Children of a Lesser God was robbed. Newman's was a make up for The Verdict that unfortunately was the same year as Ben Kingsley in Gandhi.

The Verdict!!

 

[Mensabum]

The movie was filmed in 1985 and hit theaters in 1986. I was working the graveyard shift at Champion’s Billiards in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the first night it came to the big screen, about seven or eight of us formed a convoy and headed on over to the Avalon Theater in DC, a big, old-fashioned movie house, to check out the “pool movie.”

At the time, I had no idea who Keith McCready was. Never heard of him.

We sat way in the back. When some of the pool scenes came on, including the cue-stick waving to the tune of “Werewolves of London,” we were thoroughly entertained, chuckling and giggling. But when Fast Eddie told Vincent to lay down the lemon on Grady Seasons to ensure good odds in Atlantic City, we absolutely lost it, laughing out loud, especially some of the lines, "It's like a nightmare," of course, and "Oh, the impossible dream."

As unrealistic as some of those scenes were, it was a movie about pool, and for that reason alone, us pool nuts enjoyed every minute of it.

And here’s the ironic part: About 20 years later, I met Grady Seasons in the flesh and actually went on the road with him, but that’s a story for another time.

AI-generated from a 2002 photo of Keith and me.

View attachment 938393

Are those checks based on DVD sales and periodic showings of CoM in theaters?? I'm curious.
How are his eyes doing??

 

[Mensabum]

I just experienced this Saturday at the pool hall. Some younger guys were asking about my Joss cues. I mentioned the Color of Money. They'd never heard of it.

Same with 14:1.

 

[Mensabum]

Thx for sharing. I’ve seen a lot of the guys play. Keith, Louie and earl were ALWAYS the funnest to watch with sigel just behind them. Fact.

Louie could give you a hernia!!

 

[Mensabum]

Thx for sharing. I’ve seen a lot of the guys play. Keith, Louie and earl were ALWAYS the funnest to watch with sigel just behind them. Fact.

You wouldn't think it, but Mike was and is Funny. Most players have only seen his tournament side, but Mike's a cut up.

 

[hello]

What a fantastic movie...

 

[JAM]

Are those checks based on DVD sales and periodic showings of CoM in theaters?? I'm curious.
How are his eyes doing??

I truly don't know how the SAG checks work. I'm thinking they may be tied to when the movie airs on cable channels and/or DVD sales.

Before the days of iPhones, GPS, and Waze, we'd travel to pool tournaments, and I'd hand Keith the road atlas to tell me how far it was to the next town. He'd stare at it without saying a word, and I'd eventually have to pull over and read it myself. I thought maybe he couldn't read well, but it turned out he was experiencing the early stages of macular degeneration and simply couldn't see clearly. I'll never forget when the eye doctor told him he needed to see a specialist.

When Keith went in for his first eye injection, the doctor said he was "legally blind." Fortunately, after a few injections, his vision improved a tad. Now it's holding steady, not getting worse, but not getting better, either. His doctor has started him on a new medication, and he only needs injections every 10 weeks instead of every month. That's a plus!

Like me, he has prescription glasses for watching TV, glasses for the computer, and sunglasses. Getting old ain't for sissies!

 

[CajunPopeye]

the early stages of macular degeneration

When Keith went in for his first eye injection, the doctor said he was "legally blind." Fortunately, after a few injections, his vision improved a tad. . Getting old ain't for sissies!

Has he tried going low carb? I hate eye injections. I try to limit my carb intake so I have less eye bleeds. I haven't had to get an injection this year. When I don't have bleeds, sometimes I'd still get cloudy vision if my glucose gets too high. I don't know his underlying cause, just thought I'd share. Good luck.