Cameos in Color of Money

There were a jillion, pal

JMD in VA said:
Mike Sigel
Jimmy Mataya
Howard Vickery
Grady Matthews
Steve Mizerak
Don Feeney
Keith McCready

I think I got them all.

JMD in VA
Click to expand...

What about me, Freddy the Beard Bentivegna?
Or Joe Gold, Eddie Chait, Larry Swartz, Louie Roberts, Mark Jarvis, Paul Jones, Bob Agins, Piggy Banks, Howard the Coward, and about 20 more. 90 percent of every pool player in Chicago got into that film. Even with all that, it was a puce movie.

the Beard
 
Forest Whitaker took Bug's place

Leonard Bugs Rucker, was originally slated to play the black guy that beats Newman and hustles him. Bugs was absolutely helpless as an actor and couldn't do a single line. They finally gave up on him and installed Forest Whitaker to do the part. The rest is history. Whitaker is a top-rated actor today.

the Beard

Act on, brother!
 
Great stuff in this thread. Thanks esp to Freddie and Jay for the inside scoop.
 
TCOM: Supposedly, at Showcase Billiards near Denver, they've got a table that was used in the movie - last I saw they were asking $35k for it. I'd heard that the table was never really 'for sale', that when the owner would get someone interested in it, he wouldn't sell it and instead just jack the price up a bit more. *shrug* I'm told they have papers certifying the authenticity of the table. It's also the table everyone uses to shoot around on, trying different cues/etc. I've shot on it several times. It's nothing special as far as the table itself goes.

Pool Hall Junkies - there's that one scene with Massey and some other guy, where the two of them are trying to hustle some guys and the main character almost mucks it up. Dunno if the other guy (shorter, older gentleman) was anybody.

I did used to be semi-friends with the guy who played the 'rich kid' in that film, though. :P
 
One more cameo...

I don't think anyone's mention this yet - Isn't Ewa Mataya/Laurance the tall blonde standing by the table where someone is shooting a proposition shot during the first Green Room scene?
 
One guy who I think who was in there was Larry Johnson aka Boston Shorty...The scene when they walk into the room and see Grady for the first time...He supposedly walks past Eddie and Vincient...I could never get an official word if it was him....Short guy wearing a hat....???? Anyone know????
 
sjm said:
I haven't seen COM in quite a while, but I also remember seeing Sigel in it. He did not have a speaking part and appeared on camera for only a few seconds during the scenes in Atlantic City.
Click to expand...


He had a background appearance in the "Greenroom" in Altantic City.
 
PoolBum said:
Keith was in COM?? Get outta here!
Click to expand...

He was "Grady Seasons", the young hustler guy around mid-movie and the guy in the tournament toward the end. "It's like a nightmare!" etc.
 
ScottW said:
He was "Grady Seasons", the young hustler guy around mid-movie and the guy in the tournament toward the end. "It's like a nightmare!" etc.
Click to expand...
I think he was being sarcastic. ;)
 
Renegade said:
Just watched Color of Money on cable for the nth time and I gotta know, how many pro pool players made cameo apperances in the movie? I know Mizerak was there, and also a few others, but can anyone name all of them? Did anyone appear in Pool Hall Junkies?
Click to expand...

No real pool players except Mike Massey appeared. However there are alot of references to legendary huslters. "Rags", St. Louis Louis, Greeks (i think is a reference to Jimmy the Greek), Jersey Red, Boston Shorty and I think Bucktooth was an actually hustler as well.
 
It was a great movie, many classic scenes. I especially liked the scene where Forrest Whitaker hustled Newman and said "Can I ask you a question. Do you think I need to lose some weight?"

Great movie
 
Last edited:
Keith-Efren match-up

jsp said:
I enjoyed your post Jay!


Just wondering exactly when this took place. This couldn't have been long after Efren first arrived. I heard somewhere that Efren didn't play one pocket until he arrived here in the states. At the time of his match with Keith, was he still under the name Cesar Morales? Sorry to get a bit off subject.
Click to expand...


They played right in the tournament room after hours for two days. It was in the ballroom of a large hotel out in Aurora. Harold and Shari from P&B Mag can tell you the name of the place. I don't remember.

Efren had been in the states since January, 1985 and he was only Caesar Morales for a minute. After the finals with Wade Crane, I asked Caesar/Efren for his autograph. He actually signed a copy of the program at Red's for me and wrote his correct name. I wish I could find that program.

In the ensuing 2-3 years, Efren spent a lot of time in Chicago and learned One Pocket from Billy Incardona. So it's all Billy's fault, he created a monster. I think Efren was giving Keith weight like 8-7 and Keith thought he was stealing. I know I went off for about a thou before I pulled up. I'm sure Billy was in with Effie.
 
alstl said:
It was a great move, many classic scenes. I especially liked the scene where Forrest Whitaker hustled Newman and said "Can I ask you a question. Do you think I need to lose some weight?"

Great movie
Click to expand...

I never quite understood that question......Did he mean that he was too fat? and what did it have to do with hustling? Can anybody explain that to me? Thanks...
 
freddy the beard said:
What about me, Freddy the Beard Bentivegna?
Or Joe Gold, Eddie Chait, Larry Swartz, Louie Roberts, Mark Jarvis, Paul Jones, Bob Agins, Piggy Banks, Howard the Coward, and about 20 more. 90 percent of every pool player in Chicago got into that film. Even with all that, it was a puce movie.

the Beard
Click to expand...

Mr. Beard,

This is the 1st time I've ever heard of "Howard the Coward"...I guess you mean Vickery? I've heard of most pool nicknames, but they're mostly complimentary...This is a nasty tag to hang on somebody...Is it because he won't gamble?
 
freddy the beard said:
Cruise was a very nice guy, and at that time I didn't know he was gay. Paul Newman was unapproachable. Not that he was unfriendly. When you are that much of a superstar, no one goes near you when you are on the set. Cruise is probably like that now.
The Beard
Click to expand...

Freddie: Cruise was already a superstar when he did that movie. Also, except for the usual weirdos trying to capitalize on someone's fame there is no shred of proof that he is gay. In actual fact he has been married to and gone out with some of the most beautiful women on the planet. The main story about him being gay came from a gay pornstar who said he had an affair with him in France. When he was faced with a lawsuit he admitted he had never had an affair, he had never met him and in fact he had never been to France either. So unless you have some proof that no one else seems to have then you have been reading too many tabloids.

Wayne
 
George Fels is in TCOM...sort of...

I had not seen this thread before now and was bummed that Freddy had to point himself out. So before the great writer, George Fels, has to do the same...All you see is the back of him when they are coming up the stairs in beginning of Keith's big scene. He is standing with his back to the actors in the middle of the scene.

BTW, thanks everyone for such great write ups on this.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top