A League of Ordinary Gentlemen
A League of Ordinary Gentlemen is a documentary film about ten-pin bowling that was released on DVD on March 21, 2006. It was written and directed by Christopher Browne and stars PBA Tour players Pete Weber, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Chris Barnes, and Wayne Webb.
| A League of Ordinary Gentlemen | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Christopher Browne and Alex Browne |
| Produced by | Christopher Browne |
| Written by | Christopher Browne |
| Starring | Wayne Webb Pete Weber Walter Ray Williams Jr. Chris Barnes |
| Music by | Gary Meister |
| Cinematography | Ken Seng |
| Edited by | Kurt Engfehr David S. Tung |
| Distributed by | Magnolia Home Entertainment |
Release date | March 21, 2006 |
Running time | 93 min. |
| Language | English |
It was first televised nationally on the PBS series Independent Lens on April 25, 2006.[1][2]
Plot
The documentary follows four professional ten-pin bowlers at various stages of their careers after the Professional Bowlers Association is purchased by a trio of Microsoft programmers, who then hire Steve Miller, a Nike marketing guru, to revitalize the sport.
Cast
- Steve Miller
- Wayne Webb, a 20-time champion and 1980 PBA Player of the Year who has fallen on hard times
- Pete Weber, son of legendary bowler Dick Weber and renowned "bad boy" of the PBA who was serving a disciplinary suspension when the PBA Tour was purchased
- Walter Ray Williams Jr., the dominant player on tour, with 36 PBA titles
- Chris Barnes, a comparatively young pro who has to support his wife and newborn twins
Soundtrack
The documentary features the song by comedian Stephen Lynch called "Bowling Song (Almighty Malachi, Professional Bowling God)." This track is featured on Lynch's second official album, Superhero, released in 2002.[3]
DVD features
- Deleted Scenes
- PBA TV Spots
- Skills Challenge Highlights
- PBA Event Clips
- Dexter Approach: Tips and Techniques (Hosted by 13-time PBA Tour titlist and current Fox Sports 1 (FS1) TV color-analyst Randy Pedersen.)
- Theatrical Trailer
Featured bowlers after the film
Wayne Webb never won another regular PBA Tour title after the completion of the film. He now runs Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl in Columbus, Ohio, and has a karaoke business on the side. He later joined the PBA Senior Tour (for players age 50 and older), and made a splash by winning the 2008 Senior U.S. Open. In 2010, he was named PBA Senior Player of the Year.
Chris Barnes earned his first-ever PBA Player of the Year award in the 2007-08 season. He captured his 18th tour title in January, 2015 at the DHC PBA Japan Invitational finals. He twice won what was (at the time) the biggest prize check in the history of televised bowling ($200,000) by winning the Motel 6 Roll to Riches events in 2005 and 2006.
In September, 2006, Walter Ray Williams Jr. surpassed Earl Anthony on the PBA's All-Time titles list with his win over Pete Weber in the Dydo Japan Cup. Walter currently has 47 PBA Tour titles after winning the USBC Masters in February, 2010. He is still on the regular PBA tour at age 58, and also participates in the PBA50 Tour.
Pete Weber is currently fourth on the PBA's all-time list with 37 titles, following his Tournament of Champions victory on March 31, 2013. That victory tied Weber with Earl Anthony for the most major championships in PBA Tour history (10). Like Williams, Weber now competes on both the regular and PBA50 Tours.[4]
References
- "PBS to Air A League of Ordinary Gentlemen Next Week". Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). April 19, 2006. Archived from the original on May 6, 2006.
- "A League of Ordinary Gentlemen / The Film". PBS. 2006. Archived from the original on September 8, 2006.
- "Comedic 'Bowling Song' by Stephen Lynch". ybtba.org. Yorkshire BTBA (British Tenpin Bowling Association). April 15, 2006. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
- Vint, Bill. "Pete Weber Wins Record Fifth U.S. Open to Surpass Father Dick Weber and Don Carter." Article at www.pba.com on February 26, 2012.