Pool players whose lives should be made into HBO movies ?
- Thread starter JoeyInCali
- Start date
I agree Scotty Townsend would make a good movie.
Also Danny Diliberto would be great, based on the book written by Jerry Forsyth.
Tom Brown
How about Tom Brown, a very good florida player who was totally blind in one eye ! He was a great guy. I knew him when I played on the Florida Tour back in the 80's. There was very many champions down there then.Tom Brown was always in the top players cashing in those events.
I had some great battles with him in the tournaments. Seemed he always nipped me by a game or two !
I beleive he has passed away. I don't know when that happened. I never got back down to Florida after 1991. Got my feet dug in to much upstate NY !
Also Danny Diliberto would be great, based on the book written by Jerry Forsyth.
Tom Brown
How about Tom Brown, a very good florida player who was totally blind in one eye ! He was a great guy. I knew him when I played on the Florida Tour back in the 80's. There was very many champions down there then.Tom Brown was always in the top players cashing in those events.
I had some great battles with him in the tournaments. Seemed he always nipped me by a game or two !
I beleive he has passed away. I don't know when that happened. I never got back down to Florida after 1991. Got my feet dug in to much upstate NY !
A Movie or a Documentary Series?
A movie on any of the past players mentioned would be great! Another possible idea could be Pool & Billiards Week on the History Channel. They run documentaries on everything from the mafia to bootleggers to the Klan - surely there'd be interest in the colorful past of pool and billiards and its cast of characters. Any thoughts on the lineup?
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Another angle could be to split the documentary series into time periods or eras:
Monday: 1880-1920 The peak years of pool; De Oro, Keough, Hoppe, etc.
Tuesday: 1920-1940 Greenleaf, Mosconi, Crane, etc.
Wednesday: 1940-1960 Pool's near death experience - Norfolk, post-WWII, suburbia and marriage's influences
Thursday: 1960-1980 The Renaissance era; "The Hustler"; Johnston City, The Mosconi/Fats blow up and subsequent match.
Friday: 1980-2010 Near self-destruction; Massey, ESPN, Earl, etc.
Just some rambling thoughts. But if there's enough interest in bootleggers and rumrunners there's surely enough interest in Fats, Willie and the rest of the pool fraternity over the years. Would love to see Ursitti, Shamos, Fels and many others showcased for the knowledge they possess. And Jay would make a great counterpart to Shelby Foote. Has anyone seen Ken Burns?
Ron F
A movie on any of the past players mentioned would be great! Another possible idea could be Pool & Billiards Week on the History Channel. They run documentaries on everything from the mafia to bootleggers to the Klan - surely there'd be interest in the colorful past of pool and billiards and its cast of characters. Any thoughts on the lineup?
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Another angle could be to split the documentary series into time periods or eras:
Monday: 1880-1920 The peak years of pool; De Oro, Keough, Hoppe, etc.
Tuesday: 1920-1940 Greenleaf, Mosconi, Crane, etc.
Wednesday: 1940-1960 Pool's near death experience - Norfolk, post-WWII, suburbia and marriage's influences
Thursday: 1960-1980 The Renaissance era; "The Hustler"; Johnston City, The Mosconi/Fats blow up and subsequent match.
Friday: 1980-2010 Near self-destruction; Massey, ESPN, Earl, etc.
Just some rambling thoughts. But if there's enough interest in bootleggers and rumrunners there's surely enough interest in Fats, Willie and the rest of the pool fraternity over the years. Would love to see Ursitti, Shamos, Fels and many others showcased for the knowledge they possess. And Jay would make a great counterpart to Shelby Foote. Has anyone seen Ken Burns?
Ron F
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Tom Brown was the first person I thought of as well. Early in his teens, he had lost one of his eyes to cancer. He had no depth perception, but it never hindered his game. He and John DiToro were one hell of a team on the road. Sadly, Tom had another bout with cancer, and he passed away about 2 years ago.
If Keith came back and won a major title again....
Keith's life would make a great movie, but it would be even better if he were to come back and win a major title....
Jaden
Keith's life would make a great movie, but it would be even better if he were to come back and win a major title....
Jaden
I believe you to be onto a great idea here and most interesting one.
One thing has always puzzled me, why in all interviews and little profiling of pool players that has been done, is the media so afraid of the personal side of the pool players life. It appears to me almost a taboo subject? just my thought!
Lassiter would make a great movie, a life story of him going from poor to the greatest pool player of his time to the decline that time brought and all that time being alone, you even have the war tie in from when he hit his peek. Maybe call it King of Norfolk or something. Ah the deluded dreams of a fan 
bigdaddy419
New member
Jack Hines
The rise and fall of a Billiards great. The road life of gambling and drugs
The rise and fall of a Billiards great. The road life of gambling and drugs
How in the world did I forget Jack Cooney?
It came to like a lit up billboard in the sky.
Robin Dodson
Sneaking out of her house when she was 15. The drugs. Macready,
Ronnie Allen and the rest of the young hustlers of that era in s. Calif.
The third movie should be a chick. It would probably inspire a generation of female players the way The Hustler did with guys. And I think she's got some stories to tell!!! And she 's so damned cute.
Robin Dodson
Sneaking out of her house when she was 15. The drugs. Macready,
Ronnie Allen and the rest of the young hustlers of that era in s. Calif.
The third movie should be a chick. It would probably inspire a generation of female players the way The Hustler did with guys. And I think she's got some stories to tell!!! And she 's so damned cute.
mountainlion
Registered
rags............wimpy..............and also Weenie Beanie.
S
skip
Guest
U. J. Puckett, was a character, 60 min. did a great story on him. He was quiet a hustler. Could be a super movie.
Mike Massey has a remarkable life story that I think would tell well in a movie.
I like porn, so.......Grady Matthews!
Put all these characters together in one movie (ala Pulp Fiction) and now you have something. But you need someone who can write it. Who knows, maybe one day. 
Just for the hell of it.........
What about "The Bear"?
Eddie Taylor's life would be a good one as well.
From the kid getting pulled out of the poolroom by his mom to the hall of famer.
Great idea about doing bio's on different players and the timeline of the game.
Maybe a comparison movie about the 2 Barry's; Behrman and Hearns.
The movie could flip between the 2 stories between England and the US.
What about "The Bear"?
Eddie Taylor's life would be a good one as well.
From the kid getting pulled out of the poolroom by his mom to the hall of famer.
Great idea about doing bio's on different players and the timeline of the game.
Maybe a comparison movie about the 2 Barry's; Behrman and Hearns.
The movie could flip between the 2 stories between England and the US.
What a story!..............Eddie as referee maybe?...Easy!
Jay, maybe you and Freddie with Eddie Robin as a consultant. l.o.l.
"country" Bob
Put all these characters together in one movie (ala Pulp Fiction) and now you have something. But you need someone who can write it. Who knows, maybe one day.
Jay, maybe you and Freddie with Eddie Robin as a consultant. l.o.l.
"country" Bob