Crystal Champions (1929) Review: Just Some Dudes Playing Pool

Is it worth the watch?

If you've ever spent way too much time watching oddly satisfying videos on your phone, you'll probably dig this. If you need a plot or characters who aren't just pool cues in suits, you’re gonna have a bad time.

It’s only a few minutes long, so even if you hate it, you haven't lost much. It’s perfect for people who like sports history or just want to see how they filmed things in the late 20s.

Honestly, it’s surprisingly hypnotic for something that is almost 100 years old. 🎱

The whole thing is part of those Grantland Rice 'Sportlights' shorts. Rice has a voice that sounds like it’s made of old library books and cigar smoke.

He talks about the 'geometry' of the game like it’s a sacred science. It’s kind of funny how serious they took billiards back then.

The movie doesn't bother with a story. It just throws you right onto the felt of the pool table.

One guy hits a ball and it curves around another ball like it’s got a mind of its own. I watched it three times and I still don't get how the physics work.

There’s this one shot where they use a hat as an obstacle. Why a hat? Maybe that’s just what guys had lying around in 1929.

The lighting is actually pretty decent for the time. You can see the dust floating in the air whenever they hit the cue ball hard.

It reminded me a bit of Pop Tuttle's Tac Tics, but with less 'acting' and more actual skill. It feels more honest than some of the other shorts from that era.

Sometimes the camera lingers a bit too long on a static shot of the table after the balls stop moving. It’s like the cameraman fell asleep for a second.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Crystal Champions (1929) through its definitive frames.

I found myself wondering about the guys playing. They don't get names, they’re just 'champions'.

They look so stiff in their high-collared shirts and vests. I don't know how they moved their arms well enough to make those shots.

The sound of the balls clacking together is a bit tinny. It has that scratchy phonograph quality that makes everything feel like a ghost story.

It’s a lot more relaxing than The Strong Man, which is way more frantic. This is just... chill.

The trick where the ball jumps over the entire rack is the highlight. I cheered a little bit in my living room, which is embarrassing.

There’s no real ending, it just kind of stops. Like they ran out of film or the guys got tired of playing.

It doesn't have the drama of His Own Law, but it doesn't need it. It’s just a vibe.

The 'Crystal' in the title probably refers to the balls, but they look like standard ivory or plastic to me. 💎

I think I liked the silence between Rice’s narrations the most. You just hear the clack-clack-clack and nothing else.

It makes you realize that people haven't changed that much. We still like watching people show off.

If you find this on a deep-dive through old archives, give it the ten minutes it asks for. It’s a nice little time capsule of a Saturday afternoon in the 20s.

Don't expect a masterpiece. Just expect some really good pool.