TCOM BOOM....pt2?

[smokeandapancak]

One of my other threads got me to thinking..... if we were to see a release of a BIG NAME pool film what would it do to the game as we know it ...

I am only 29 so I wasnt around the local room to see the "boom" generated by TCOM... what was it like....was it fun to see all the new people playing at your local room.... or did it make finding a good game hard to do?

 

[JAM]

The movie was filmed in 1985, and it hit the movie theaters in 1986. The coming-out of this movie was the talk of the town. One of the regulars of the pool room I used to work at somehow got a bunch of TCOM posters and had them framed. He gave me one, which I still cherish today.

Interestingly, the TCOM movie posters usually show the names of "Newman" and "Cruise" in red lettering, but my poster has gray lettering. Mine was one of the first posters to hit the streets, and I think it may be rare, as most posters today have the red lettering.

The night of the movie's debut, about 10 of us from the pool room got together and went to see the movie at a very nice old-fashioned big-screen theater. We sat all the way in the back and enjoyed every minute of it, chuckling, laughing, and hanging onto every word. Anyone who had ever been on the road playing pool could identify with some of the scenes. It was a fun night!

Later in the year, I ran the Maryland State Championship tournament. As any tournament director, I was sweating it, whether the player roster would fill up. I received a call one day inquiring about the tournament, asking if he could still get in. I replied sure, but that he must be a Maryland resident. He said he was from Towson. When I asked him his name, it was Mike Sigel. This was 1986, the same year as the release of TCOM.

I let others know that Sigel was going to be competing, and soon my player roster was full. Everybody wanted to see Sigel up front and close. The first day of the tournament came, and all the patrons were running up to the front of the pool room, waiting for the arrival of the mighty "Captain Hook," as Sigel was called then. The license plates on his car read "CPT HOOK." I remember hearing one regular yelling out, "He's here. He's here. He's here." Sigel was royalty to us at that time.

Mike Sigel's participation was a treat for all those in attendance. It was standing room only at this event. Mike was on top of his game in '86, and there were very few who could beat him in the world, much less Maryland. He did win the tournament, and it was a real pleasure having him at the pool room. His girlfriend, Christine, was wearing a silver "The Color of Money" jacket. She had two non-speaking roles in the movie, one as a waitress and the other as a rack girl.

A few years later, I got out of pool altogether because of an illness in my immediate family. I needed to tend to the home front. I eventually began working on my career full time. You could take me out of the pool, but you couldn't take the pool out of me. I eventually wound up working in a very busy downtown D.C. office. I took my "The Color of Money" poster with me and had it displayed in full view right at my desk.

Fast forward to the year 2000, I ran into an old pool friend in a shopping mall who invited me to attend a pro tournament in Maryland. I kind of didn't want to go, but a part of me did. So I went. I'm standing outside taking a smoke break and who walks out, but Grady Seasons a/k/a Keith McCready.

We struck up a conversation. He was good friends with an old friend of mine. Up walks a little guy who Keith introduced me to. He said, "This is my road partner, Jose." I said, "Hi, Jose. Do you play pool too?" That is how far removed I was from pool at this juncture because it was Jose Parica who ended up winning the tournament.

Today, my "The Color of Money" poster still hangs by my desk, and "Grady Seasons" now lives with me. In a strange way, "The Color of Money" brought me full circle with pool.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here are a few snapshots taken at the 1986 Maryland State Championship.

From left to right, that's me handing Mike Sigel his first-place trophy.

Next pic is an old road player named "Geese" and me. Geese also won the Maryland State Championship in previous years.

Bottom left is a Maryland champion from Dundalk named Cigar Tom Vanover who won the Maryland State Championship many times in previous years. He came in second place in 1986.

Bottom right is the third-place winner, Teddy Bear, receiving his trophy.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here's another pic from the same tournament of the ladies of some of the pool folk. From left to right, that's Gary Allen's wife holding the baby. I ran into him last year at a pool room, and he's now in college, but he plays pool.

That is Rose Wilson standing next to me. Her husband Dennis is who gave me my "The Color of Money" poster.

The lady in the silver Jacket is Mike Sigel's girlfriend at the time in 1986, Christine. She was a real sweetie pie, so very nice. If you look real hard next time you see an airing of TCOM, she has two non-speaking roles, one as a waitress and one as a rack girl, as I mentioned above.

At the bottom, that is Cigar Tom's wife with the neck brace.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Martin Scorcesse wanted "real" pool players to be in his movie when he was filming TCOM, and there are MANY "real" pool players in the movie. Most would never know the players by sight, here in America, but they're there.

Here's a cute shot of Keith McCready a/k/a "Grady Seasons" today, shown here with his good friend, Ewa Mataya-Lawrence. Ewa's hubby in 1986 was the colorful legendary pool player Jimmy Mataya, who also had a part in the TCOM. Jimmy is retired from shooting pool competitively, but he still makes cameo appearances at high-profile events. He is loved by many, and it is always a pleasure running into him.

I had to post up this picture of Ewa. To me, she is more beautiful today than in 1986. She is also a BCA Hall of Famer, recognized for her many contributions to the sport. She commentates on many ESPN pool shows, along with her husband today, Mitch Lawrence. She is one of those ladies who is beautiful inside and out.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here's a snapshot taken in December of 2005 of another TCOM "real" pool player, none other than Howard Vickery. He hasn't changed much, with his full beard. Howard is originally from the State of Ohio, and he is shown here with another Ohio player, Dee Adkins.

AzBilliards Gold Star goes out to who can remember Howard's character's name in TCOM.

JAM

 

[JAM]

I only have a few pictures of Jimmy "Pretty Boy Floyd" Mataya, but here he is in Vegas last year with Keith. The two of them remain good friends today. When they get together, it is always fun listening to the road stories from yesteryear. These are American road warriors, a dying breed in today's American pool world.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Here's a rare picture in my collection of Grady Mathews speaking to Keith McCready at the 2002 U.S. Open.

Grady's character in TCOM was "Bud," and his character plays "Fast Eddy" a game of pool. He asks the bartender for a Drambuie and potato salad in his scene.

JAM

 

[JAM]

Taken also at the 2002 U.S. Open, here is Mike Sigel and Keith. Mike Sigel eventually left competitive pool and began producing his own line of cue sticks.

Willie Mosconi was the technical advisor in "The Hustler," starring Paul Newman, and Mike Sigel was the technical advisor in "The Color of Money." He had multiple parts in the movie.

Tom Cruise was on a recent television show called "Inside the Actor's Studio" on the A&E channel, and they went over Tom Cruise's life as an actor. When they mentioned "The Color of Money," Tom stated that he received instructional guidance from Mike Sigel.

Paul Newman, as great an actor as he was then and still is today, received his very first Academy Award win for his role as Fast Eddy in "The Color of Money."

JAM

 

[whitey2]

Dud, not Bud / etc.

Hi,

I just watched the credits, to verify. Grady plays the character
named "Dud". Someone pointed this out to me also in another
thread, as I thought it sounded like "Doug".

Anyway, I remember a guy in the movie that looked something
like Howard, but have no idea what his character's name was.

Regarding road players becoming a dying breed. It seems to
cost much more these days for a motel, etc., and it seems like
it is much harder these days, if not impossible to actually
come out ahead on the road. Factor in the diminishing number
of pool halls, and the fact that if you do manage to find a
game that pays real well at the end of the day/night, there's
a great chance that someone has snapped your picture with
a cellphone, and the word can get out much faster.

Anyway, I've thought about trying out the road sometime, as
the "quitting my day job" decision was made by someone else
when I got laid off, but it seems like you would need a lot
of money up front, reliable transportation, etc., to get started.

 

[JAM]

Hi,

I just watched the credits, to verify. Grady plays the character named "Dud". Someone pointed this out to me also in another thread, as I thought it sounded like "Doug".

And you are right, as I stand corrected. I seem to have a mental block when it comes to names. Old age has raised its ugly head, I'm afraid!

Anyway, I remember a guy in the movie that looked something like Howard, but have no idea what his character's name was.

Me neither. That's why I was hoping somebody would remember and post it up. Again, old age on my end!

Regarding road players becoming a dying breed. It seems to cost much more these days for a motel, etc., and it seems like
it is much harder these days, if not impossible to actually come out ahead on the road. Factor in the diminishing number of pool halls, and the fact that if you do manage to find a game that pays real well at the end of the day/night, there's a great chance that someone has snapped your picture with a cellphone, and the word can get out much faster.

Anyway, I've thought about trying out the road sometime, as the "quitting my day job" decision was made by someone else when I got laid off, but it seems like you would need a lot of money up front, reliable transportation, etc., to get started.

Don't quit your day job, Whitey2. There are MANY regional tours which offer golden opportunities to compete, and the tournaments usually occur on weekends.

If you compete in the regional tours, you can enjoy the spirit of pool at its finest. Many pro players compete on the regional tours, and you can then strut your stuff and see if you've got what it takes to go pro. The regional tours today offer the best bang for the buck, IMHO.

As far as the dying breed of American road players, there aren't any today that I would consider "road warriors." Several years ago, a young Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich did the on-the-road thing and traveled cross-country. He soon realized that it was a financially difficult to do this full time, even when you win, because of the expenses. Following his dream, he did eventually become a first-class tournament soldier, winning several titles in the same year.

If they did come out with a pool movie to reflect pocket billiards in America today, it would be quite different than "The Color of Money" and "The Hustler." There are no more road warriors, and the action will NEVER be like it was 20 years ago.

JAM

 

[StormHotRod300]

JAM,

OK I may have cheated here a bit but i did a search on TCOM, and looked up all the Actors and thier credited names.

Howard Vickery, didnt have a credited name in the movie, I believe he was in the scene where Vince, pops the CB off the table at Howard, when Vince was sporting the fake glasses.

Grady Mathews was credited as " Dud ", was this the guy Eddie playes before getting hustled by Amo's?

Steve Mizerak was " Earl "

Iggy Pop , yes the Guitar player lol, was the skinny road player Vince played who does a shot of whiskey and then leans over to shoot a ball and kicks his back leg up.


OK, now has anyone come up with a good reason why Eddies license plate says " TK 6 " ??????

 

[SILVER__WOMBAT]

Here's a snapshot taken in December of 2005 of another TCOM "real" pool player, none other than Howard Vickery. He hasn't changed much, with his full beard. Howard is originally from the State of Ohio, and he is shown here with another Ohio player, Dee Adkins.

AzBilliards Gold Star goes out to who can remember Howard's character's name in TCOM.

JAM

isnt he the guy that says nice job eddie after he beats "duke" aka steve mizerak

 

[cuejoey]

Wow Jam :Thanks for the story.we are really lucky here on AZ to have you as a poster.thanks again.have a great day..CJ Ps.still waiting for you n Keith to write a book ,it will be a Best seller..

 

[whitey2]

Tk-6

I remember hearing that the TK stood for Technical Knockout.
It was a long time ago, and I do not remember where I heard it.
It might have been on rec.sport.billiards (or whatever it's
called), it was so long ago that I think it was the only "pool forum"
of any sort. Oh yeh, at DIGITAL we had out own private "forum", maybe I heard it there.

 

[trickdaddy]

Tk-6

I think that Cadillac was the property of some Big Whale or Stakehorse in the Chicago area. His initials were T K.
I'm going to find the answer to this one day

 

[JAM]

Wow Jam :Thanks for the story.we are really lucky here on AZ to have you as a poster.thanks again.have a great day..CJ Ps.still waiting for you n Keith to write a book ,it will be a Best seller..

Aw, shucks, Cuejoey. Thanks for the flowers!

The book is moving ahead, but we both desire for it to be factually accurate. We are still gathering data and word-of-mouth stories. Unfortunately, there is no pool archives available that would provide some of the material we are searching for in the era of the road warriors. It is a long and very labor-intensive process, and sometimes life's responsibilities get in the way. Regardless of what some may think, as expressed several times previously on this forum, the book will be Keith's story, done his way. Me, I'm only the transcriptionist, trying to get it down on paper.

When I first met Keith, we vigorously followed the American tournament trail, and everywhere we went, it seemed like folks wanted to hear him say his famous line from the movie, "It's like a nightmare." When he was competing in the Skins Billiards Championship in Atlantic City which aired on ESPN, Allen Hopkins was the broadcast anchorman, and while Keith was shooting, he said, "There's almost a cult that exists with Keith and his line in the movie, 'The Color of Money.'" Allen is right. I wish I had a quarter for every time I heard that word "nightmare."

A few years ago while at the Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, PA, Keith was at the action table, enjoying several excellent runs. He held the table for 10 and 11 games in a row four times, pocketing a very nice chunk of cheese. He was happy as a clam and in his element. Between games, a railbird yelled out to Keith, "Say it. Say it's a nightmare." Keith was winning. So he was doing his usual dancing and chirping like a canary in the pit. He loves the pool fans, and when he connects with the audience, his game goes into turbo charge. Keith immediately responded to the railbird: "It's like a nightmare, baby." The whole crowd erupted in loud laughter and cheers. Keith was eating it up, grinning from ear to ear. It's one of the happiest moments that I have experienced with him.

JAM

 

[JAM]

I remember hearing that the TK stood for Technical Knockout.
It was a long time ago, and I do not remember where I heard it.
It might have been on rec.sport.billiards (or whatever it's
called), it was so long ago that I think it was the only "pool forum"
of any sort. Oh yeh, at DIGITAL we had out own private "forum", maybe I heard it there.

Here is a thread from RSB NG from June of 1999: http://groups.google.com/group/rec....hnical+knockout&rnum=1&hl=en#b975e2a2d20e2fdf

TK 6, I was thinking maybe it could stand for "The Cases," like cases of liquor, but that's just a guess on my part. The mystery of what it does stand for is about the same as who Carly Simon was singing about in "You're So Vain."

JAM

 

[smokeandapancak]

Jam,
GREAT PICS!!! very cool stuff.....thanks for sharing
However not really what i was getting at when i started the thread. I was wondering if the movie caused problems for any the "regulars" of the time. Like overcrowed pool rooms or was it good, like cocky bangers ready to gamble cause it was cool?

once again great pics....
Shane

 

[JAM]

Jam,
GREAT PICS!!! very cool stuff.....thanks for sharing
However not really what i was getting at when i started the thread. I was wondering if the movie caused problems for any the "regulars" of the time. Like overcrowed pool rooms or was it good, like cocky bangers ready to gamble cause it was cool?...

IMHO, the movie surged pool upwards in popularity as far as bar bangers and social shooters. I do believe that more folks frequented the pool rooms to enjoy the atmosphere, if you will, after seeing the movie.

As far as action players, though, I do not think that the movie increased games of stake for them. Road players were doing their thing before TCOM, and after its release, they were still doing their thing.

If anything, the movie made pool more mainstream in America, much like poker is today. Curiosity maybe attracted some new pool enthusiasts to the game, but it was just that, a game. The majority, even today, play pool for recreational purposes, more so than gambling or competitive tournaments. The skills set required to play pool proficiently are more difficult to obtain than the skills set to play poker.

In the '80s, there were definitely more "real" pool rooms in my neck of the woods, a place where one could study the greats doing their thing on a field of green. Billiard parlors would stay open all night long to accommodate the action and the railbird sweaters.

Today, the "real" pool rooms are dwindling here in America, IMHO. As an example, the pool rooms in my area are more like singles bars and sports lounges with loud music.

I think The Color of Money movie may have attracted some new players to the sport in the mid '80s, but the majority of them were recreational shooters rather than cocky gamblers.

JAM