The Hustler (1961)

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writers:

Sidney Carroll (screenplay) and
Robert Rossen (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 September 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

They Called Him "Fast Eddie"

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Hustler | Pool Hustler | Pool Hall | Train | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 13 nominations

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Adams	...	Old Doctor (uncredited)
Tom Ahearne	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Charles Andre	...	Waiter at Parisien Restaurant (uncredited)
Robert Daget	...	(uncredited)
Don De Leo	...	Another Player (uncredited)
Charles Dierkop	...	Pool Room Hood (uncredited)
William Duell	...	Louisville hustler (uncredited)
James Dukas	...	Kibitzer (uncredited)
Brendan Fay	...	Player (uncredited)
Jack Healy	...	Hotel Proprietor (uncredited)
Hoke Howell	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Don Koll	...	Racetrack Ticket Clerk (uncredited)
Charles McDaniel	...	Reservation Clerk at Louisville Hotel (uncredited)
Charles Mosconi	...	Second Man (uncredited)
Willie Mosconi	...	Willie (uncredited)
Sid Raymond	...	First Man (uncredited)
Art Smith	...	Old Man Attendant (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Rossen

Writing credits
Sidney Carroll		(screenplay) (as Sydney Carroll) and
Robert Rossen		(screenplay)
Walter Tevis		(novel) (as Walter S. Tevis)

Produced by
Robert Rossen	....	producer

Original Music by
Kenyon Hopkins

Cinematography by
Eugen Schüfftan		(as Eugene Shuftan)

Film Editing by
Dede Allen

Production Design by
Harry Horner

Set Decoration by
Gene Callahan

Costume Design by
Ruth Morley

Makeup Department
Donoene	....	hair stylist
Robert Jiras	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John Graham	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles H. Maguire	....	assistant director (as Charles Maguire)
Ulu Grosbard	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Don Kranze	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Angelo Laiacona	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Albert Brenner	....	associate art director
Jack Flaherty	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Edward Beyer	....	sound editor
Jim Shields	....	sound (as James Shields)
Dick Vorisek	....	sound (as Richard Vorisek)
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Stunts
Herbert Holcombe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Cronjager	....	assistant camera
David Golden	....	chief electrician
Saul Midwall	....	camera operator
Muky	....	still photographer
Martin Nallan	....	chief grip (as Martin Nallan Jr.)
Felix Trimboli	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Richard Stone	....	assistant editor
Evan A. Lottman	....	montage of pool scenes editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Angelo Ross	....	music editor
Dan Terry	....	composer: song "Louisville Dixieland"
Dan Terry	....	musician: Louisville music

Other crew
Marguerite James	....	script supervisor
Willie Mosconi	....	technical advisor
Fred Hift	....	publicist (uncredited)
Ralph M. Leo	....	production accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Rossen Films
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1964) (USA) (theatrical) (reissue)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Key Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Other Companies

• Film Opticals  optical effects

Also Known As:

Robert Rossen's The Hustler (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | USA:Approved (certificate #20068) | Brazil:12 | Ireland:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:16 | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Rossen Films

Trivia:

Director Robert Rossen was a pool hustler himself in his youth. He had even penned an unsuccessful pool-themed play called 'Corner Pocket'.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the last pool match, second game, Minnesota Fats has taken his jacket off, loosened his tie and unbuttoned his vest, but one subsequent shot shows him with his tie tightened and wearing a buttoned vest and jacket.

Quotes:

Fast Eddie: [reading] We have a contract of depravity; all we have to do is pull a blind down.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Projectionist (1971)

Soundtrack:

Louisville

The Definitive Movie About Pool

This is, without a doubt, the closest anything out of Hollywood ever came to touching the soul of a pool player. Paul Newman plays "Fast Eddie" Felson, a young player from California who travels east to take on the ultimate challenge: to beat "Minnesota Fats," played by the late Jackie Gleason.

Willie Mosconi, probably the greatest pool player who ever walked the Earth, was technical adviser and choreographed many of the game sequences. On technical merit alone, this film is a pool player's classic. Beyond that, however, the way "Fast Eddie" takes to his skills and relationships pushes this film out as a classic for the general audience. In one scene, he is describing what it is like to be really good at something. It is one of the best speeches about excellence I have ever heard. This is one of my top three films. On a scale of ten, I give it an eleven.