Championship Bowling - Campi vs McMann - Airdate January 30, 1956

A great early bowling tv show with vintage commercials

[@20alphabet]

Reading the comments of people who relate to Lou Campi because they to are or were wrong foot bowlers makes me smile. Lou didn't do it out of ignorance or inability. Lou Campi was proficient in bocce ball for years prior to becoming a bowler. Because of this, landing on the right foot was familiar to him, allowing him to utilize his acquired bocce ball talent in bowling.

[@hrebec97]

Winner of the first PBA event in 1959: Lou Campi. You’re looking at wonderful history.

[@20alphabet]

You are absolutely correct.

[@dcbandnerd]

I was a "wrong foot bowler" until I was coached out of it as a teenager. Campi's still a hero of mine for doing things his own way.

[@altfactor]

Guess Chris Schneckel called bowling on TV before starting on ABC's PBA winter tour telecasts in 1962. Although he did many sports in his long career, Chris is remembered today as "The Voice Of Bowling".

[@bigray2859]

Reminds me of Friday nights at today lanes watching my dad bowl. I can still smell the old spice and vitalis :-)

[@josephsaad4783]

Wow . I came to Sydney Australia October 1956 as student migraten of 12 years old to my grandparents . Afterwards in 1960 I watched the ten pin bowling game on TV . It took me until 1964 to go bowling after I got my first car to go around from bowling centre to other . In 1967 I won the roll off invational Tournament to bowl against the world champion Dick Weber at Rushcutter bowl Sydney Australia . Regrettably I got in business and got married in 1970 . My life has changed to business and Family which was wrong in hindsight . I should've stayed with Ballroom dancing and especially the game of Ten Pin Bowling .

[@cherylholmes5416]

I'm orginally from Rahway New Jersey. I remember my mom and dad talking about Mr Campi and Mr McMahon. What a honor to watch this.

[@Playsinvain]

The audio quality of this is amazing for 1956. Schenkle sounds as good as he did in videos twenty years later

[@Igloo3471]

Both bowlers gone to the great bowling center in the sky. Lou Campi 1905-1989 James "Junie" McMahon 1912-1974

[@pauldhartley]

I love these bowling videos, so refreshing.

[@kevinjohnson4599]

I AGREE with you 1,000% because this was when bowling was bowling. Like the NFL, NBA, MLB & MLS the bowling is now CRAP too & isn't worth watching anymore either. LOVE YOUR COMMENT.

[@20alphabet]

@@kevinjohnson4599 Agreed!

[@bigray2859]

I used to bowl with a right-hander that slid with his right foot. His style was beautiful! I think he got extra lift because of his unusual slide. It was bonechilling to hear the ball hit his ankle and bounce into the gutter. It happened more than a few times He had a 3 step approach to boot.

[@robertfrankgabriel9064]

Fantastic...thanks for posting this..

[@jayjarnold]

Great video! "Wrong Foot Lou"!

[@christopherangel6690]

Lou and Junie were fine bowlers.

[@fastrains56]

I bowled off the wrong foot also. My dad told me about a pro named Lou who did.Thanks for posting this match

[@_1ben]

a 600 series with that delivery, soooo unbalanced, that is impressive and mind boggling

[@RichardKoppinger]

As a "wrong foot" myself, I've always wanted to see video of Lou Campi in action; and how amazing to see a young Chris Schenkel calling the match. I was particularly struck by the bowlers wiping their hands, but not their bowling balls. Very different from today, where most bowlers wipe the oil from their ball every time. Technology changes the game, but the basic elements of shot-making remain intact, like some of those spare covers, such as Campi's 4-5 at 43:34 (tougher than it looks) and that 5-7 at 49:15. Thanks for posting this very cool bit of history.

[@larchmontmark1]

I've always wondered -- and you're the ideal person to be asked -- WHY do the 'wrong foot' delivery? It seems unbalanced, and I can't help thinking that however good one is with that delivery, he'd be better with the orthodox one.

[@sludge4125]

Larch, think *bocce.*

[@joeambrose3260]

43:14 for the 4 - 5

[@STL-Railfan]

Wow, the commercials! Cigarettes and a 1952 DeSoto!

[@johnstorey9698]

The legend Chris Schenkel as a young man 👨

[@richardburkard9839]

Never knew he did this show. Didn't someone else host it in the 60s (when I first saw it)?

[@majaman1978]

@@richardburkard9839yes Bill Bunetta

[@christopherdunne7848]

Never saw a pro bowler end his approach on the wrong foot. Amazing performance, nonetheless.

[@joelukovits7842]

I did it for 40 years, averaged 228 one year, 3 - 300 games as well

[@nukiepoo]

AKA “Wrong Leg Louie”

[@joeambrose3260]

Campi won the 1st PBA tourney in '59

[@405adam]

You can see a clear difference between older styles vs new. Very early timing compared to today’s release

[@daltondick5223]

I never knew why those old Brunswick model A Pinsetter’s came down so soon. You think they wouldn’t be allowed to come down that early because of scoring disadvantages. I would personally delay them so that they don’t come down to get damaged by any flying pins.

[@vitaphonedisc]

Dalton Dick I'm pretty sure they triggered them that fast for TV. There is an ABC rule that the pin deck cannot lower for something like 3 seconds

[@vitaphonedisc]

Dalton Dick I'm pretty sure they triggered them that fast for TV. There is an ABC rule that the pin deck cannot lower for something like 3 seconds

[@20alphabet]

Pins didn't "fly" back then like they do now.

[@NipkowDisk]

@@20alphabet I believe ABC changed the balance of the pins about four years after this aired such that they are now not as bottom-heavy as before, hence more action today. Also, they were very likely not Surlyn-coated back then.

[@williamchristensen6481]

@@NipkowDisk The pins Used back then were maid out of Solid Maple with no voids in them. Plastic coated pins care about in 1958 when the First one was approved. It wasn't until the Late 80's that the pin weights had been changed. Up until 1989 The Minimum weight was set at 3 pounds 2 ounces at the Lightest and 3 pounds 10 ounces at the heaviest. As for the Machine Speed the 3 second delay is from when the ball impacts the pins there is a delay. The rake style seen on these machines was the original style. The Solid rake boards didn't come out until the 60's

[@rentslave]

An alley in Harrison,NJ had 4 separate lanes such as has this one. I remember bowling one of those lanes on the Sunday before JFK was murdered.

[@hugemetalfan6664]

I’m just watching this now. But I am a wrong foot bowling myself. I’ve been doing it for years.

[@oregonpatriot1570]

One year before I was born. I wonder if my parents watched?

[@barbaradarnell.3802]

The ball return clear over to the right.hahaha!

[@lorenzolledo6535]

Does anybody know what lou campi style is called? Currently using it cause for me its more effective

[@kepler240]

If Belmo showed up, they'd all start freaking out.

[@tenfourproductionsllc]

yea... rubber ball, wood lanes, and the oil patterns at the time..... be fun to see although I don't think he would be effective.

[@lylebarnard7447]

This might have aired in 1957 not 1956 Brunswick A pinsetter wasn't around until April 1956

[@vitaphonedisc]

I'm going by what the original lab leader was marked. Printed into the film, not added later,,,

[@blackerson21044]

What's the scoring below Campi's score line? The -3 +1 stuff.

[@ajankowski2]

It's an old system of recording 'marks' to estimate how far behind or ahead an opponent is. Doesn't mean too much when it is one bowler vs. the other - but used to be handy in Team Competition when you scored manually on paper and there was no electronic 'running total' on display for your team to see if you were ahead or behind. You would score 1 for each strike or spare and two if the bowler had multiple strikes in a row (2 or more). Keeping a running total of marks at the bottom of each frame gave the teams an idea of who was ahead and by how much.

[@nearpar]

Junie was 43 years old...? I guess people back then looked older..

[@thekneecenter6355]

nearpar you got to be kidding

[@sarpilot100]

These guys went through the Great Depression and a World War. That will put a few years on ya I guess.

[@multicaruana]

Quite a show- with the commercials as well. I think everyone would agree that Lou Campi looked so awkward with his approach= but he had great accuracy.

[@sludge4125]

I almost can’t watch him.

[@scottahlborn2133]

That ball return all the way to the right is weird.

[@riverdealer]

odd rake for an A machine

[@riverdealer]

fast racks

[@keithkowal2841]

At 27:43, did Schenkel say "spare up or F up"? Sounded like it

[@Playsinvain]

Water proof ignitions…was that a big problem? 34:30

[@20alphabet]

Yep

[@joeambrose3260]

Is it true that Junie was Vince McMahons' uncle ?

[@krazyhorse448]

@19:97 shooting a 5 LBS ball? What? I was almost alive when this happened and a 5ver is a wuss ball to say the lest! This is like throwing your kids ball with the proper holes drilled for you! Lame! I carry a 208 with a 15lbs ball with nothing to make it hook more yet I hook more!

[@joeambrose3260]

4:12 Perfect 500 game. WTF ?

[@d-money5976]

I thought I did too heard Chris say that....But I think he was just caught up thinking bout the perfect game and the $5000 pay-out...