The Color of Money (1986)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Walter Tevis (novel)
Richard Price (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The hustler isn't what he used to be, but he has the next best thing: a kid who is

Plot:

Fast Eddie Felson teaches a cocky but immensely talented protégé the ropes of pool hustling, which in turn inspires him to make an unlikely comeback.

Plot Keywords:

Pool | Bar | Pool Hustler | Money | Girlfriend

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 13

1:00 AM

SPIKETV

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Fast Eddie Felson
Tom Cruise	...	Vincent Lauria
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Carmen
Helen Shaver	...	Janelle
John Turturro	...	Julian
Bill Cobbs	...	Orvis
Robert Agins	...	Earl at Chalkie's
Alvin Anastasia	...	Kennedy
Randall Arney	...	Child World Customer #1
Elizabeth Bracco	...	Diane at Bar
Vito D'Ambrosio	...	Lou at Child World
Ron Dean	...	Guy in Crowd
Lisa Dodson	...	Child World Customer #2
Donald A. Feeney	...	Referee #1
Paul Geier	...	Two Brothers / Stranger Player
Carey Goldenberg	...	Congratulating Spectator
Joe Guastaferro	...	Chuck the Bartender
Paul Herman	...	Player in Casino Bar
Mark Jarvis	...	Guy at Janelle's
Lawrence Linn	...	Congratulating Spectator
Keith McCready	...	Grady Seasons
Jimmy Mataya	...	Julian's Friend in Green Room
Grady Mathews	...	Dud
Carol Messing	...	Casino Bar Band Singer / Julian's Flirt
Steve Mizerak	...	Duke, Eddie's First Opponent
Rick Mohr	...	Congraulating Spectator
Lloyd Moss	...	Narrator, Resorts International
Michael Nash	...	Moselle's Opponent
Mario Nieves	...	Latin Guy #3
Miguel Nino	...	Latin Guy #1 (as Miguel A. Nino)
Andy Nolfo	...	Referee #2
Ernest Perry Jr.	...	Eye Doctor
Jerry Piller	...	Tom
Iggy Pop	...	Skinny Player on Road
Richard Price	...	Guy Who Calls Dud
Juan Ramírez	...	Latin Guy #2
Alex Ross	...	Bartender Who Bets
Peter Saxe	...	Casino Bar Band Member
Charles Scorsese	...	High Roller #1
Rodrick Selby	...	Congratulating Spectator
Christina Sigel	...	Waitress
Harold L. Simonsen	...	Chief Justice Tournament
Fred Squillo	...	High Roller #2
Brian Sunina	...	Casino Bar Band Member
Wanda Christine	...	Casino Clerk (as Wandachristine)
Forest Whitaker	...	Amos
Jim Widlowski	...	Casino Bar Band Member
Bruce A. Young	...	Moselle
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stephen Burrows	...	Pool freak (uncredited)
Martin Scorsese	...	Opening Voiceover (voice) (uncredited)
Howard Vickery	...	Vincent's Opponent with Beard and Glasses (uncredited)
Lenny Wilson	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Scorsese

Writing credits
Walter Tevis		(novel)
Richard Price		(screenplay)

Produced by
Irving Axelrad	....	producer
Barbara De Fina	....	producer
Dodie Foster	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thelma Schoonmaker

Casting by
Gretchen Rennell

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Set Decoration by
Karen O'Hara		(as Karen A. O'Hara)

Costume Design by
Richard Bruno

Makeup Department
Brian J. Kossman	....	hair stylist
Kathe Swanson	....	key hair stylist (as Käthe Müller Swanson)
Lillian Toth	....	makeup artist
Monty Westmore	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Dodie Foster	....	production manager
Daniel J. Heffner	....	executive in charge of production
Mic Fabus	....	post-production manager: Chicago (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Feld	....	second assistant director
Judith Friedman	....	second second assistant director (as Judith S. Friedman)
Phil Marco	....	second unit director
Joseph P. Reidy	....	first assistant director (as Joseph Reidy)
Jeanne Caliendo	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Jeffrey R. Renfrow	....	property master
Kenneth Turek	....	lead man (as Ken Turek)
Andrew Zawacki	....	construction coordinator
David Gianneschi	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Paul Stanwyck	....	head painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Barry	....	foley engineer
Miriam Biderman	....	assistant sound editor
Ron Bochar	....	sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Michael DiCosimo	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Goldberg	....	sound editor (as Dick Goldberg)
Thomas A. Gulino	....	sound editor (as Thomas Gulino)
Skip Lievsay	....	supervising sound editor
Marissa Littlefield	....	assistant sound editor
Harry Peck Bolles	....	sound editor
Doris Soraci	....	assistant sound editor
Jess Soraci	....	sound editor
Steven Visscher	....	assistant sound editor
Christopher Weir	....	assistant sound editor
Glenn Williams	....	sound mixer
Jeffrey A. Williams	....	boom operator (as Jeffrey Williams)
Robert Yano	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Curtiss Smith	....	special effects (as Curt Smith)

Stunts
Eddie J. Fernandez	....	stunts (as Eddie Fernandez)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunt coordinator (as Rick LeFevour)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts
Stacy Logan	....	stunts
Rich Wilkie	....	stunts (as Richard M. Wilkie)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunt double: Tom Cruise (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Donald Carlson	....	first assistant camera (as Donald C. Carlson)
Robert C. Carlson	....	second assistant camera
Peter J. Donoghue	....	key grip
Mel P. Mack	....	best boy
Frank Miller	....	camera operator (as Frank M. Miller)
James A. Miller	....	gaffer (as Jim Miller)
John Robert Miller	....	dolly grip (as John R. Miller)
Ron Phillips	....	still photographer (as Ronald W. Phillips)
Frank Byrne	....	additional second assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jane Alderman	....	casting: Chicago
Shelley Andreas	....	casting: Chicago
Catherine Holzer-Ballowe	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William Loger	....	costume supervisor
Cheryl Weber	....	costumer (as Cheryl A. Weber)
Laurie Riley	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Mike Goodman	....	second assistant editor (as Michael Goodman)
Rose Kuo	....	assistant editor
James Y. Kwei	....	first assistant editor
Ed O'Malley	....	assistant editor (as Edward M. O'Malley)
Christopher Tellefsen	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Gary Chang	....	music arranger: additional electronic music
Willie Dixon	....	special music participation
Gil Evans	....	orchestrator
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
Robert Nichols	....	assistant music editor (as Bob Nichols)

Transportation Department
George DiLeonardi	....	transportation captain (as George Di Leonardi)

Other crew
Kathy Anderson	....	assistant: Mr. Cruise
William Arnold	....	assistant: Mr. Leven (as Bill Arnold)
Mark A. Baker	....	location manager: East Coast
Karen Bruck	....	production assistant
Tracy Cutts	....	production assistant (as Tracy Barbara Cutts)
Joseph D'Amato	....	production assistant (as Joseph Damato)
Bill Einsel	....	production assistant
Marcia Franklin	....	assistant: Mr. Newman
Mike Greenwood	....	production assistant
Gregory A. Jackson	....	production assistant
Patricia Johnson	....	unit publicist
Laura M. Kemp	....	production assistant (as Laura Kemp)
Deborah Lupard	....	production assistant
Michael J. Malone	....	location manager: Chicago (as Michael Malone)
Kathy Nolan	....	production assistant
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Gidion Phillips	....	assistant: Mr. Scorsese
Sioux Richards	....	script supervisor
Elise Rohden	....	production coordinator
Deborah Schindler	....	assistant: Mr. Scorsese
Michael Sigel	....	technical advisor
Susan Vanderbeek	....	secretary to the producers
Robert Werner	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Yanoska	....	production accountant
Lisa S. Girolami	....	associate production executive (uncredited)
Dow Griffith	....	location scout (uncredited)
Ewa Mataya Laurance	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Coyote Shivers	....	assistant: Robbie Robertson (uncredited)

Thanks
Marion Billings	....	special thanks
James Hendricks	....	special thanks
Harold L. Simonsen	....	special thanks (as Harold Simonsen)
Shari Simonsen	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Silver Screen Partners II
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Gativideo (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (1987) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Touchstone Home Video (1987) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Touchstone Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Sturm's Special Effects International (snow making)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• EFX Unlimited  opticals
• Geddes Agency, The  extras casting: Chicago
• MCA Records  soundtrack

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:12 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Netherlands:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Silver Screen Partners II

Trivia:

The cue used in the film was not a genuine Balabushka, but a Joss, made to look like a Balabushka.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Eddie is in the hotel room with a scantily clad Carmen he locks the door before he rushes her, but he doesn't unlock the door when he leaves.

Quotes:

Eddie Felson: The balls roll funny for everybody, kiddo.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Free Enterprise (1998)

Soundtrack:

One More Night

Eddie Felson's back

"Twenty five years ago, my career ended before it had even really started," Eddie Felson tells Vince, a young pool shark. No longer the cocky man he was in "The Hustler," Eddie (Paul Newman) in 1986 is retired from pool and a successful investor. When he spots hot-shot Vince (Tom Cruise), he decides to invest in him and take him on the road, with the goal of Vince winning a big pool tournament in Atlantic City. Along the way, Eddie confronts what he was and is no more and looks at the dreams he let die. When Vince is too foolish and strong-willed to take his advice, Eddie makes an important decision.

Though not as strong a film as "The Hustler," "The Color of Money" is still an excellent film with a great cast led by Newman, at the peak of his "older man" good looks and the brilliant acting he's always had. And, as usual, he tells you everything you need to know about a character. It's clear that he was content with his life and his attractive girlfriend (Helen Shaver) until he saw Vince. Then the old restlessness and competitiveness came creeping back into his blood.

Seeing Tom Cruise in 1986 is startling since today, the lower half of his face has changed drastically due to plastic surgery. Here he conveys the raw, youthful energy that helped make him a star. Like many successful movie actors, he has a wonderful physical agility. His pompadoured Vince is a short-tempered, jealous, talented ingrate who can't help showing off. Cruise is very effective, as is Mary Elizabeth Mastroantonio as his sultry, beautiful girlfriend in another role she made memorable in the '80s.

Beautifully directed by Scorcese, "The Color of Money" shows that it's never too late to follow your dreams and, with the right actors and the right script, you can do a good sequel even 25 years after the original.