The Hustler (1961)

An up-and-coming pool player plays a long-time champion in a single high-stakes match.

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writers:

Sidney Carroll (screenplay) (as Sydney Carroll), Robert Rossen (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie

Won 2 Oscars. Another 11 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Paul Newman	...	Eddie Felson
Jackie Gleason	...	Minnesota Fats
Piper Laurie	...	Sarah Packard
George C. Scott	...	Bert Gordon
Myron McCormick	...	Charlie Burns
Murray Hamilton	...	Findley
Michael Constantine	...	Big John
Stefan Gierasch	...	Preacher
Clifford A. Pellow	...	Turk (as Cliff Pellow)
Jake LaMotta	...	Bartender
Gordon B. Clarke	...	Cashier
Alexander Rose	...	Score Keeper
Carolyn Coates	...	Waitress
Carl York	...	Young Hustler
Vincent Gardenia	...	Bartender

Storyline

"Fast" Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary "Minnesota Fats" to a high-stakes match, but he loses in a heartbreaking marathon. Now broke and without his long-time manager, Felson faces an uphill battle to regain his confidence and his game. It isn't until he hits rock bottom that he agrees to join up with ruthless and cutthroat manager Bert Gordon. Gordon agrees to take him on the road to learn the ropes. But Felson soon realizes that making it to the top could cost him his soul, and perhaps his girlfriend. Will he decide that this is too steep a price to pay in time to save himself?

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Plot Keywords:

bus terminal | bus | buying a round of drink | playing pool | admiration | 

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Taglines:

Only the angel who falls knows the depths of hell.

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

October 1961 (UK)

Also Known As:

Robert Rossen's The Hustler

Filming Locations:

Yonkers, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rossen Films,Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Boxer Jake LaMotta appears as as one of the many bartenders in the film. His one line is "Check," and he says it three times.

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Goofs

In the scenes with Paul Newman in her apartment early in their love affair, Piper Laurie's lines as Sarah are overdubbed. You can hear an audible dead spot in the soundtrack just before and after Paul Newman's Fast Eddie responds to her lines. Clearly a post-production issue and a distracting aspect of Laurie's performance in the film.

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Quotes

Minnesota Fats: Big John, do you think this boy is a hustler?

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Connections

Referenced in Return of the Secaucus Seven (1979)

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Soundtracks

Louisville Dixieland
(1961) (uncredited)
Music by Dan Terry

User Reviews

..."perverted, twisted, and crippled"...

THE HUSTLER is a sport drama about a bitter life and an unscrupulous competition. Film is based on Walter Tevis novel of the same name.

A small-time pool hustler travels cross-country with his partner and earns, on fraud, some money. His attitude and his big mouth forcing him to challenge the legendary player "Minnesota Fats". A challenger and legend finally meet each other. Straight pool duel can begin. Their game attracts the attention of a professional gambler. The young challenger has, despite a noticeable talent, lost the match. He leaves his partner and he meets, at the local bus terminal, a girl, who is an alcoholic supported by her father, attends college part-time, and walks with a limp. They start a strange relationship. However, the pool hustler wants again to challenge a famous rival. His talent does not seem sufficient, he needs a strong character...

A restless, irritable and evil protagonists are perfectly integrated into a dark atmosphere. Their greed for a fame and money has ruled out any form of love and nobility in this film. The plot is brisk and exciting. Every word or move is full of passion and has its price.

Paul Newman as Eddie Felson is a passionate and violent pool hustler. The protagonist, who is, at one point, on the top of his life goal, and then drops down until he touches the bottom. He was intoxicated with his ambition. The loss of a loved person and a bitter life knowledge are his brutal sobering. Mr. Newman has offered a quite good performance. Piper Laurie as Sarah Packard is his girlfriend, who has lost in her unclear past. However, when Eddie comes into her life, she revives her pathetic reality. She is a dominant character in one part of the film, in which she emphasizes their tragic fate. George C. Scott as Bert Gordon is an antagonist on duty. He is an evil which trades with feelings and souls. His performance is very convincing. Jackie Gleason (Minnesota Fats) is a cool as a legendary player. However, he has become a prisoner of his talent and money.

Maybe this movie is a strong projection of the real world, which is complemented with a cynical reviews and a tragic-ironic end. The protagonists have condemned themselves to a bitter taste of life.