The Hustler

The Hustler, motion picture about a young pool hustler, based on a novel by Walter Tevis. Released in 1961, the film won Academy Awards for cinematography and art direction. Fast Eddie Felson (played by Paul Newman) and his agent Charlie Bums (Myron McCormick) travel across the United States making money by betting on Fast Eddie’s pool games. In New York City Fast Eddie challenges Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason), the best player in the land, to a game of pool. After Fast Eddie wins a series of games, he becomes overconfident, starts drinking, and ends up losing all his money to Minnesota Fats. Fast Eddie gets involved with a prostitute (Piper Laurie) and suffers two broken thumbs in a bar fight. The next time he faces Minnesota Fats, he wins the game and the top player’s respect. Newman also played Fast Eddie in The Color of Money (1986).

Director

• Robert Rossen

Cast

• Paul Newman (Fast Eddie Felson)
• Jackie Gleason (Minnesota Fats)
• Piper Laurie (Sarah Packard)
• George C. Scott (Bert Gordon)
• Myron McCormick (Charlie Bums)
• Murray Hamilton (Findlay)
• Michael Constantine (Big John)
• Stefan Gierasch (Preacher)
• Jake La Motta (Bartender)
• Gordon B. Clarke (Cashier)
• Alexander Rose (Scorekeeper)
• Carolyn Coates (Waiter)
• Carl York (Young hustler)
• Vincent Gardenia (Bartender)
• Gloria Curtis (Girl with fur coat)
• Charles Dierkop (Poolroom hood)
• Donald Crabtree (Poolroom hood)
• Brendan Fay (Poolroom hood)

Awards

• Academy Award for Best Cinematography—Black and White (1961): Eugen Schüfftan
• Academy Award for Best Art Direction/Set Decoration—Black and White (1961): Harry Horner—Art Direction, Gene Callahan—Set Decoration
• New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Direction (1961): Robert Rossen
• Selected for Registry by the National Film Preservation Board (1997)

Quotes

• Fast Eddie (in the film’s final lines): “Fat man, you shoot a great game of pool.”
• Minnesota Fats: “So do you, Fast Eddie.”