Barnes & Noble

Paul Newman unnerved moviegoers with his multilayered portrayal of a thoroughgoing heel in this superb 1961 adaptation of Walter Tevis’s gritty novel about an amoral pool hustler. Undeniably sordid but grimly compelling, The Hustler chronicles the rise and fall of its seamy protagonist, "Fast Eddie" Felson, a cocky but talented small-timer determined to make a name for himself by besting Chicago’s cue-ball king, the legendary Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason, in what is arguably his finest screen characterization). Newman is absolutely riveting throughout, but no less so than Piper Laurie -- a dewy-eyed ingénue only a few years previous, she delivers the performance of her career as a hard-drinking floozie. George C. Scott lends memorable support as the big-time gambler who takes Fast Eddie under his wing, only to betray him at a crucial juncture. Director Richard Rossen (All the King’s Men) captured the seedy milieu down to the tiniest detail, and Eugene Shuftan won a well-deserved Oscar for his smoky, mood-enhancing, black-and-white cinematography. Resolutely resisting the temptations to sugarcoat its subject and contrive a typical Hollywood happy ending, The Hustler heaps misfortune and tragedy on Fast Eddie, who ultimately finds the grace to accept defeat and stumble toward redemption. (Director Martin Scorsese later got Newman to reprise the role, with Oscar-winning results, for his 1986 hit The Color of Money). The DVD Special Edition of this deeply affecting classic includes an audio commentary by Newman and various crew members and film historians, among other features. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

As The Hustler's "Fast" Eddie Felson, Paul Newman created a classic antihero, charismatic but fundamentally flawed, and nobody's role model. A pool player from Oakland, CA, as good as anyone who ever picked up a cue, Eddie has an Achilles' heel: arrogance. It's not enough for him to win: he must force his opponent to acknowledge his superiority. The movie follows Eddie from his match against billiards champ Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) as he falls in love with Sarah (Piper Laurie), an alcoholic would-be writer and sometime prostitute, and falls under the spell of Bert Gordon (George C. Scott), a successful gambler who offers to take Eddie under his wing and teach him how to play in the big time. However, when Sarah joins Eddie and Bert on a trip to Louisville for a high-stakes match with a dandy named Findlay (Murray Hamilton), the consequences prove tragic. Along with a classic performance by Newman, The Hustler also features turns by Scott, Laurie, and Gleason, in a rare dramatic role. Cameos from pool champ Willie Mosconi and boxer Jake LaMotta add to the atmosphere of Harry Horner's grubby production design and Eugen Schüfftan's camerawork. Director Robert Rossen, who had been working in films since 1937, was to direct only one more film, Lilith (1964), before his death in 1966. In 1986, Newman returned to the role of "Fast" Eddie in Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money, for which he finally earned an Academy Award as Best Actor. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 024543042136
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: B&W, Wide Screen
• Sound: THX-Supervised Mastering, Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 2:15:00

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• The Films of Paul Newman
• Paul Newman - The Tribute Collection

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