🎳 Happy National Bowling Day! Cinematic Bowling Frame by Frame

Let's bowl, let's bowl, let's rock 'n roll. Hey, come on! Let's get this show on the road"....

Bowling is one of my absolute favorite hobbies. Whenever I watch a classic film and there's a scene at a bowling alley, I can't help but sit up and pay close attention. I love seeing how old bowling alleys are used in movies to enhance the storyline. My rule for classic films is anything before 1987, but I'll explain why later. I'm sure I'll find more films with bowling scenes, but these are the ones I've seen so far.

 

“The Cobra Goddess will avenge herself! One by one, you will all die!”. Bowl for your health at Rico's (David Janssen). Or maybe not? The horror film Cult of the Cobra (1955).

  

In the 1982 musical Grease 2, the Bowl-a-Rama serves as the primary gathering spot for the high schoolers. In this scene, Paulette (played by Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland) refuses to nail while she sings and bowls alongside Johnny (Adrian Zmed) and the rest of the ensemble to the lively song "Let's Score Tonight."

We're gonna bop, we're gonna bowl.
We're gonna score, score, score, score, score tonight"

 

"Mr. Jones, do you really think bowling is your game" wonders the versatile Dollye (Stella Stevens), who is dominating the game with a score of 200-0 against Norman (Jerry Van Dyke) during a double date with Tom (Glenn Ford) and Rita (Dina Merrill). With a flirty charm, she points out his mistakes, and starts to feel intrigued by her in The Courtship Eddie's Father (1963).

 

In the film-noir Roadhouse (1948), Jefty (Richard Widmark) enlists the help of his friend Pete (Cornel Wilde) to teach his girlfriend Lily (Ida Lupino) how to bowl. A seemingly innocent lesson turns into something much more as the sparks of desire ignite.

"Now we'll try to throw a curve. That ought to be easy for you."

 

Werewolf Michael J. Fox in the 1985 comedy Teen Wolf, shows off his new confidence and strength, in a bowling date scene with Pamela (Lorie Griffin).

"Wolves aren't supposed to be shy"

 

The bowling alley serves as the backdrop for the scene in the precode Scarface (1932), where Tony (Paul Muni) takes down his rival, Tom (Boris Karloff), who ironically bowls a strike just before his demise.

"He kills everybody. He kills everything."

In Superman III (1983), Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) reassures Lana (Annette O'Toole) about her son's bowling skills. She's worried because her little guy is on the small side for his age and might not do well. Clark also reassures Brad (Gavan O'Herlihy, who was Chuck Cunningham on Happy Days) that Lana's son doesn't need any tips and can handle bowling on his own. In a funny moment, Clark purposely knocks over an ashtray and pretends to sneeze, using his sneeze superpower to score a perfect smashing strike for the kid.

"He's doing just fine. Excuse me."

In this crisp-looking early enjoyable 1942 Tom & Jerry cartoon short The Bowling Alley-Cat, the cat and mouse zoom around a bowling alley with slick lanes all to themselves. It's the first time we see these two in a new setting.

The Wanderers, a 1979 comedy-drama set in the 1960s, features Bronx Mafia Boss Chubby (Dolph Sweet) who exacts revenge by crushing a hustler's hand with a bowling ball.

"You guys are so good, it wouldn't be fair unless you bowled handicapped."

In the wartime film Since You Went Away (1945), smitten Corporal Bill (Robert Walker) shows off his bowling skills to Jane (Jennifer Jones) who captures the attention of Sailor Harold (Guy Madison).

"Now don't drop it, bowl it!"

Experiencing a mix of desire and disdain, Robert (Jack Nicholson) bowls in the drama Five Easy Pieces (1970).

"Why don't you throw Z's for 19 frames, and then roll a strike on the last ball in the last frame of a losing game? Just wonderful."

The bowling alley in a small Southern town hides more than meets the eye. In the noir thriller Storm Warning (1951), Marsha (Ginger Rogers) goes to visit her younger sister Lucy (Doris Day) after witnessing a KKK murder. Lucy's new brother-in-law, Hank (Steve Cochran), is also part of the Klan. The unruly townsfolk, including the town's powerful leader, frequent the alley, creating chaos as they attempt to conceal their dark secrets and intimidate her.

"What are you working at a joint like this for? And why are you working, anyway?"

 

In the Neil Simon comedy The Odd Couple, Felix (Jack Lemmon) and Oscar (Walter Matthau) continue to clash in their shared living space, Oscar encourages a night out. Felix agrees and takes him bowling to relieve the tension.

"The night was made for other things"

In the comedy Tom, Dick and Harry (1941), Janie (Ginger Rogers) feels she has the right clothes but the wrong fellow as she rolls herself and the ball down the lane during a bowling date with one of her three suitors, Harry (Burgess Meredith).

"I forgot to tell you, you're supposed to let go of the ball."

In the black comic sci-fi film Critters (1986), Johnny/Ug (Terence Mann) is on a quest to find the critters at the local bowling alley. He grabs a bowling ball and sends it flying.

 

Max (Robert Mitchum) arrives at the bowling alley to intimidate Sam (Gregory Peck's) family in the psychological thriller Cape Fear (1962).

"Nice shot"

 

Tim Matheson stars as the lead character in Dreamer (1979), portraying a determined bowler striving to make his mark in the PBA.

 

Blanche (Vivien Leigh) first encounters the brash Stanley (Marlon Brando) during a chaotic scene in a bowling alley in the drama A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).

"She's watching her husband bowl"

 

 

In the Best Picture Oscar Ordinary People (1980),  Conrad (Timothy Hutton) and Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern go on their first date to the bowling alley. She admits her lack of skill in the game (which you can see), which dissolves any awkwardness between them.

For my most recent birthday, I had a bowling party where I had the fun opportunity to give my bowling mates vintage Hollywood names! I was Joan Crawford. 😊