We are independent filmmakers,…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

We are independent filmmakers, creating our first film as a labor of love, outside of regular jobs in Television. The documentary is based on the experience of families in the Catskill Mountains during it’s heyday (1920’s-80’s). There is no substantial bankroll. All of the individuals working on the project are actually doing it out of a common interest in the project or as a favor(associates and friends). We have been obtaining footage, letters, photographs and postcards from people through their mutual generosity, but mostly their shared desire to make a statement about this cultural experience. We pay all expenses to ship it, copy it, etc. We will send all masters back to you (in perfect condition!)following the duplication. As far as photos go, you can easily send JPEGS (High Resolution if possible). All people will be credited in the film. We have already received a generous amount of resources from people and we also have asked for releases from them) to protect all involved, including the people who donate their footage. At the present time we are collecting all of the above as well as setting up interviews with many of the “lifers”….If you know of any families or friends that spent time in the “borscht belt”, please pass this note along to them. We truly appreciate all of your assistance in this project. Please stay in touch! Sincerely yours, Nina Benzi/Evan Haiman Kippered Herring Productions 15 Baker Street Wayne, NJ 07470

I grew up playing skully…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

I grew up playing skully on 57th street between 7th and 8th avenue in Brooklyn. My dad taught all the urchins how to play one day in the late 60’s. Stoop and stickball came later in life, I was only 8 at the time. We used chalk for awhile until dad came home with a 1/2″ paintbrush and a gallon of yellow line paint, (This was something special because at the time it was new… It had crushed glass in it for visibility) He worked for hours and routed traffic along the sides of the fresh paint until it was complete. Creating the sliding gems was fun for us but a disater for mom. she would spend hours scraping the wax off the stove after a gas bubble would splatter the liquid everywhere. Even our radiators had wax dribbles from making caps in the winter when we couldn’t wait to lay in the street again. Nickles were used to weigh the caps down, sometimes two were used. Then the polishing, endless circular swirls on the smooth asphalt street would be spent waiting for all steel bottom to show through the budweiser or mountain dew cap. We had poison traps on the field of play. The 13 was surrounded in the middle by a big poison trap that resembled a goofy looking skull. It was great fun and I’m considering putting a field in my basement or pouring a concrete pad out in the driveway so I can show the kids how to play.

Playing bottle cap ball…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

Playing bottle cap ball in a narrow gravel driveway next to a small store in Missouri, we’d stop for a refreshment–a Pepsi and a nickel bag of Planters peanuts. We’d pour the peanuts in the bottle of Pepsi. When we really got the craving, we’d buy a bottle of Grapette, which was only about 7 ounces of soda. But a bottle of Pepsi got you more for your dime. D.K. in Missouri

Miss Lucy had a steamboat,…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

Miss Lucy had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell, Miss Lucy went to heaven, and the steamboat went to HELLO operator, give me number 9 and if you disconnect me I will chop off your behind BEHIND the refridgerator, there was a piece of glass, Miss Lucy sat upon it and it went right up her… ASK me no more questions, tell me no more lies, the boys are in the bathroom pulling down their flies FLIES are in the meadow, the bees are in the park, the boys and girls are kissing in the dark-dark-dark

I think this site is great.I…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

I think this site is great.I also think it’s great that you have such an organized collection of rules.I don’t rememberall these.I played this game so much from 1945-1950.I see from the site they are still playing it.Could you tell me where or post it on the site I’d love to watch if not compete.I can still play.and I think i still have my tops or i’ll make some.I neglected to say I played this game in South Philly [Graysferry section] and West Philly.

Igrew up in South Philly…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

Igrew up in South Philly Graysferry sectionand we use toplay what you call Skullys. We use to call it street checkers the same as Al politowlski called them.That was back in 1940 and I don’t remember all those rules. We use to use the liquor bottle tops and cut the neck off when we could find them . No body would let you use theirs and you didn’t loose them.The looser of the game first man out had to put the winners name on a shirt with bottle caps and the cork inside the cap. We moved to West Philly they called it the same, street checkers but some rules were different. I’ve been telling my wife about this game, now ican finally show it to her thanks to you. Ihave acouple of liquor tops and i would love to shoot agame.IfIloose I’ll put your name on a shirt for you.

This is what we do with…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

This is what we do with my toddler daughter: Round ball, round ball (while making a circle on her palm) Pull the chicky’s hair (tugging at her bangs) One slice, two slice (pretend chopping her arm, while holding her hand) Tickle under there (tickle under her arm)

I grew up in downtown Jersey…

Streetplay Discussion Archive Posted on by

I grew up in downtown Jersey City in the late 50’s around Montgomery and Varick Streets, a block away from Van Vorst Park. This was my favorite game growing up! We called the game “street checkers.” We either used checkers from a checker set, or screw top bottle caps filled with tar that had softened up in the hot summer sun. We didn’t flick the top with a finger, but squeezed it out between the thumb and index finger like a marble. We had a 15 number board, with odd numbers from 1-9 up one side, even numbers from 2-10 down the other, 11 and 13 on top opposite 12-14 at bottom. 15 was a small box in a larger box with four lines connecting the corners of the small box with the corners of the large box. The spaces within were poison but the lines were safe. If you landed in a poison area, you lost a turn. While playing, if you hit an opponent’s cap, you advanced a number. You had to go from 1 to 15, then back down to 1. After that you shot into one of the poison spaces, became “poison,” and could kill off any remaining players. I still have one of my tar filled caps on a little knick knack shelf in my apartment.