By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

When HBO presents the highly anticipated Billy Crystal movie, "61," at 7:30

tonight, many Pike Countians will be glued to the television screen.

The reason? The actor who plays the title role of Mickey Mantle has strong ties to Pike County.

Thomas Jane is the son of Cindy Shiver Elliott, a former resident of Hamilton Crossroads and a 1964 graduate of Pike County High School. He is the grandson of Ezra and Ann Shiver, residents of the Hamilton Crossroads community.

"61" pays homage to the 1961 Mickey Mantle/Roger Maris race to break Babe Ruth’s home run record. The movie premiered in New York in April and will be in area movie theaters soon, said Ann Shiver.

"Of course, I’m excited because it’s Tom and he’s my grandson," she said. "But, we have a lot of family and friends who are anxious to see him play Mickey Mantle. This is a very good role for Tom and we are proud of him."

After the movie’s premier, President George W. Bush, who is an avid baseball fan, invited the cast to dinner at the White House.

"He told them all to bring a date and Tom took his mother," Mrs. Shiver said. "That was a real treat for both of them."

Jane has been in other movies of note including "Boogie Nights," "The Thin Red Line" and "The Deep Blue Sea."

Mrs. Shiver said "61" should be the biggest movie, to date, of his career.

Jane’s family lives in Germantown, Maryland. He makes his home in California.