The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-25
ALLEN HALL, CUE.
 STAR, APPEARS ATLOCAL ROOMS
Three.C Cushion Expert to Make Two ShOwings in
 This City Tonight

Everyone interested in learning how to play billiards or further iT11- proving their prowess with the cue and ivory spheres will have their opportunity when Allen Hall of St. Louis, one of the worlds "first ten" three cushion billiard experts ape pears ct Mike Renna's Exchange Billiard rooms tonight ct 7:2S o'clock and ct 0enlot's at 9:30 o'clock. Hall comes here in con- nection with the third annual Na. tional Better Billiards" program being sponsored by the National Bil- Hard Association of America.
 During the young three-rail stars two hour visit here, he will not only offer c billiard exhibition and Q unique display of fancy shots, but devote one full hour of expert FREE billiard instruction. Feminine bile Hard fans, mediocre players and tyros are especially invited to take advantage of this opportunity.
 Hall has appeared in every world three-cushion championship tour.
 nament since 1925. He has finished in the runner-up position twice and whs once tied for second place. In the opinion of astute billiard critics, 1t has been one of the games mir acles that he has never won the worlds crown.
 In 1881 Hall crossed cues with Arthur Thurnblad in the final game of the annual event with the title ct stake. A heavy favorite to defeat the lanky Chicagoan, the St. Louis artist played badly and lost e heart- breaking game. Tn the 1884 event he finished second to Johnny Lay- ton, later meeting the former H. times champion in Q championship challenge match in Omaha last June. of to Q fliyng start, Halls play slumped once again: Layton retaining his laurels.
 The St. Louis cue star again was off form in several games during the last world title affair held on the new streamlined table with its new twilight purple cloth in Hotel Sherman, Chicago, last November. Finishing the schedule in Q four handed deadlock for fourth place with Kinrey MatsuyaIna, Jay Bo2e- man and Layton, despite the fact he averaged better than one billiard per inning, Hall wound up in sixth place when the play-offs had been completed.
 Friend of Actor
 Hall was born in St. Louis in 1900. He attended grammar and high school there, later graduating from Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. He was Q high school churn of Lee Tracy, the movie star, ct Soldan High in St. Louis.
 He explains his entrance into the billiard game through the fact that he received Q billiard table for Christmas when eleven years old. He immediately became interested in the sport and Q few years later was uttered by Charles 0. Peter son, greatest of ell the fancy shot experts and noted authority, in the latter's St. Louis room. Later he was further developed by Johnny Layton, who also resided in St. Louis ct that time.
 Hall sprang to fame In 1924 when he won the western amateur three cushion championship, establishing Q high run of i6 and Q best game record for amateur play of A ann- ings. Tn the fall of the same year the great Mexican cue master, Pierre Maupome, became i'll, necessi- tating his withdrawal from the No. tional Three. Cushion League. Hall was called to Chicago immediately to take Maupome's place as the Windy City entry; mainly on the strength of his brilliant amateur record and the recommendations of Peterson and Layton. Becoming on overnight sensation In the league, he remained in the "big time" ever since.
 An all-round athlete, having played basketball, football and base- ball, with e two years record as shortstop on e Missouri semi-pro nine, Hall, according to close critics of the game, possesses the most per- feet stroke of any of the billiard stars. The young three-cushion ex- pert gained much favorable praise as an instructor during his tour of the pacific coast on last years "Bet- ter Billiards" program.