Old Pool Hall in Arkansas?

[Stanton Fountain]

I posted this on AZB and thought ya'll might enjoy this also. The name of the room is Burks Cue Parlor (on window) and Pete's Pool Parlor (on facade). Anyone recognize the room or the local players?

 

[gulfportdoc]

I don't recognize the room. Evidently it was located in Benton, AR, about 20 miles SE of Little Rock. Interesting that the first 3 tables were 5x10 snooker tables. Snooker on the smaller table was reportedly popular in the South at one time.

 

[Stanton Fountain]

Hey, Doc. I played snooker occasionally and Golf every chance I got. I found similar rooms in rural areas across the South, and they all seemed to have at least one snooker table. Only things I did not see in the movie were the boxes of sawdust for the tobacco chewers, but I am sure they are in there somewhere,

 

[RabbiHippie]

There was still a pool room on the square in Benton about 25 years ago, but I recall it having larger plate glass windows looking into the room than what's shown in the movie. Might have been the same place, though, or at least another room like it. I played a good 9-Ball player from Benton a couple times in the last few years and he made it sound like the room is still there in its original location.

There's a similar old-time pool room called Percy's Pool Hall in Paragould, Arkansas, that dates back to the 1940's at least. I took some pictures there that I'll have to upload. Guy behind the counter said Grady Mathews owned the place for a while during the days when they still had hustler jamborees in Blytheville. Percy's had a snooker table and one red label Diamond, but the current owner had neglected their maintenance when I visited. Most of the clientele were there for video poker machines.

 

[RabbiHippie]

CJ's Downtown Billiards still open in Benton. This looks more like the pool room I remember seeing in late 1990's.

You can see they have a 5x10 snooker table on the left. I'd bet it's used for Golf most days.

Benton is close to Little Rock while Paragould is closer to Memphis.

 

[NH Steve]

Hey, Doc. I played snooker occasionally and Golf every chance I got. I found similar rooms in rural areas across the South, and they all seemed to have at least one snooker table. Only things I did not see in the movie were the boxes of sawdust for the tobacco chewers, but I am sure they are in there somewhere,

I think Eddie Taylor mentioned that (snooker tables) in his interview, talking about his early days as a teenager in particular.

 

[RabbiHippie]

I think Eddie Taylor mentioned that (snooker tables) in his interview, talking about his early days as a teenager in particular.

My grandfather wasn't a serious pool player but he once said that Texas had snooker rooms in the 50's and it was pool tables that were less common.

 

[RabbiHippie]

 

[RabbiHippie]

 

[Stanton Fountain]

In the early '70s, West Texas and southern New Mexico seemed to have more snooker tables than anywhere else I visited, but I was just "passing through", so the details will have to come from someone else.

 

[12squared]

Cushion n Cue in Oak Park, MI where I grew up in the early 70s had six 6'x12' and two 5'x10' snooker tables, plus eight 3 cushion tables plus a bunch of 9' pool tables.

The Rack was a half a mile away and had two 5x10 snooker tables also if I remember correctly.

 

[rnewkirk]

In 1963, our pool room in Weatherford, Tx had 7 8ft tables and 3 5x10 snooker tables. Snooker was by far the most popular game then.

I think $0.25 game for snooker and $0.10 game for 8-ball and 9-ball. I can still hear, "Rack 'em, Barney". I was 14 then.

In H.S., 1965 - 1966, I worked behind the desk at our bowling alley. (Pin boys were paid .10 cents game per bowler).

Had 4 9ft Gold Crowns with the gold cloth and 1 10ft snooker table(Gold Crown). I would normally close the bowling alley

around 10 or 11 and just play pool for 2,3 or 4 hrs by myself or with my friend Steve C. . Great times and memories.

Yes, snooker was very popular then, but I think in mid sixties and after, 8 ftrs were the most popular. Bar table pool was gaining in

popularity and had all kinds of action in 70's and 80's.

 

[gulfportdoc]

View attachment 441137

That table is probably an old Brunswick Anniversary. At first I thought it was a Robertson, which is a pool table company out of Florida-- Tampa, I think. They modeled their tables after the Anniversary. I used to play in a room in Eureka Calif. that had 10 Robertsons. They played pretty well. Everyone liked them.

 

[RabbiHippie]

That table is probably an old Brunswick Anniversary. At first I thought it was a Robertson, which is a pool table company out of Florida-- Tampa, I think. They modeled their tables after the Anniversary. I used to play in a room in Eureka Calif. that had 10 Robertsons. They played pretty well. Everyone liked them.

I think you're right - it was a Brunswick Anniversary. I would've noticed if the nameplate said anything other than Brunswick.

Occasionally see an old Brunswick Centennial in old pool rooms liker these. Those are classy tables.

 

[gulfportdoc]

I think you're right - it was a Brunswick Anniversary. I would've noticed if the nameplate said anything other than Brunswick.

Occasionally see an old Brunswick Centennial in old pool rooms liker these. Those are classy tables.

Oh yeah! I love the art deco look of the Centnnials. Jay Helfert had one for years at his house, but then sold it for another brand. Without being modified I don't think they'd play nearly as well as a Diamond, but they sure are beautiful to look at.

 

[J.R.]

That table is probably an old Brunswick Anniversary. At first I thought it was a Robertson, which is a pool table company out of Florida-- Tampa, I think. They modeled their tables after the Anniversary. I used to play in a room in Eureka Calif. that had 10 Robertsons. They played pretty well. Everyone liked them.

That is definitely a Brunswick Anniversary. Following the end of World War they were the commercial pool table of choice in Chicago's bowling alleys, especially the early 1950's. I had purchased five used "Anniversaries" in 1992 which were refurbished and put into a five table private room. One of the tables still had the clay balls. The Anniversary tables have a distinctive yellow decal on one of the two cylinder shaped support legs that identifies it as a Brunswick Anniversary. The Anniversary table is similar to the earlier Brunswick Centennial table which featured chrome around the sides and legs of the table.