The Hustler starring Paul Newman
Director: Robert Rossen


Essential Actor / Actresses Here

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Paul Newman shines as cocky poolroom hustler "Fast" Eddie Felson in Robert Rossen's atmospheric adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel. Newman's Felson is a swaggering pool shark punk who takes on the king of the poolroom, Minnesota Fats (a cool, assured Jackie Gleason in his most understated performance). After losing big and crashing into a void of self-pity, Eddie meets down-and-out Sarah (Piper Laurie in a delicate performance), an alcoholic blue blood who's dropped into Eddie's world of dingy bars and seedy poolrooms. Eddie regains his confidence and attracts the attention of a shifty, calculating promoter, Bert Gordon (George C. Scott at his most heartless), who offers to bring Eddie into the big money--but at what cost? Rossen brings his film to life with the easy pace of a pool game, giving his actors room to explore their characters and develop into a razor-sharp ensemble. Eugen Schüfftan earned an Academy Award for his shadowing black-and-white cinematography, as did art directors Harry Horner and Gene Callahan for their deceivingly simple set designs. Even in the daylight this film seems to be smothered by night, lit by the dim glow of a bar lamp or the overhead glare of a pool-table light, an appropriate environment for this tale of one man's struggle with his soul and his self-esteem. Newman returned as an older, wiser, cagier Felson 25 years later in Martin Scorsese's Color of Money.

Synopsis
Set in a dingy Chicago pool room, small-time hustler, Eddie Felson, is determined to beat big-time shark, Minnesota Fats at his own game, but must learn it the hard and painful way.

Video Description
An arrogant and amoral hustler haunts pool rooms to get a chance at Minnesota Fats. When he starts to have real feelings for a woman, he's faced with a real dilemma. See the sequel, made 25 years later, "The Color of Money" for which Newman won Best Actor. Academy Award Nominations: 9, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor--Paul Newman, Best Adapted Screenplay. Academy Awards: 2, including Best Cinematography (B&W), Best Art/Set Direction (B&W).

Video Annotation
Paul Newman lost the Best Actor Oscar to Maximilian Schell who won the Academy Award in 1961 for his role in "Judgment at Nuremberg." Willie Mosconi served as the technical advisor for the film; Marguerite James was the script supervisor; Muky did the still photography; and optical effects were done by Film Opticals. Shot in CinemaScope. In his 1995 memoir, "My American Journey," General Colin Powell lists "The Hustler" as one of his favorite films.

 

 

 

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