The Hustler

Airing for five seasons between 1959 and 1964, The Twilight Zone produced countless classic episodes, shows that have lived on over the last 50-plus years.  I can think of a dozen or so that I could rattle off, one better than the next. One that always stuck with me though starred Jonathan Winters and Jack Klugman as an established pool shark, a legend, and the up and coming shark looking to make a name for himself. Somewhere, sometime in my head, I convinced myself that it was the basis for 1961's The Hustler. Not quite, but the basic premise and set-up is similar.

Even more than three years since his death in 2008, it's hard to believe that Hollywood acting legend Paul Newman passed on.  He was and is one of the greats, a movie star and an actor. What is odd though -- for me -- is that I was always a fan of his without actually seeing many of his movies.  As I seek more of them out, I've come to a realization. Newman's performances are rarely if ever in question. His acting is almost always top-notch. It's the movie as a whole though that doesn't always quite live up to expectations. I'm not quite sure where 'The Hustler' falls.

A pool hustler who travels the backroads and little towns looking for a game, Eddie Felson (Newman) has his sights set on a living legend in pool halls, Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). He gets his wish, playing Fats in a marathon game of straight pool, even going up as much as $18,000 at one point. Eddie pushes too far though and keeps playing, losing it all and putting him right back where he started. Eddie meets Sarah (Piper Laurie), a similarly jaded individual with her fair share of problems, the two bonding through their problems and finding someone else exactly like the other. Eddie starts to scrape together money, hoping to get a rematch with Fats, even signing on with shady gambler/bookie/businessman, Bert Gordon (George C. Scott), to bankroll him. All Eddie wants is a shot at Fats, the money doesn't mean much. He wants the fame, the reputation, the recognition, but for him, it may be too late.

Cool Hand Luke is my favorite Newman movie, and probably my favorite role of the actor's, but I think this may be his best acting performance overall.  I've always liked Newman as an actor because he's very natural onscreen, but he is also actually acting. He's capable of humor and high drama and everything in between.  This is a part that certainly leads to the high drama.  Eddie -- dubbed Fast Eddie for his hustling ability -- is at first just a young rising star who wants his shot at the legend. It's quickly apparent that his ego and pride is going to get the best of him.  He is obsessed, hitting rock bottom immediately. His character is so blinded by his drive that he doesn't realize he's destroying himself in the process of trying to better himself.  Newman dives into this character head first, committing from the get-go, and he brings this tragic character to life vividly.

There is a style to so many 1960s movies that is just hard to explain. They're cool because they're cool, and they know it. They don't have to try to be stylish or edgy. They just are. Director Robert Rossen here turns in one of the most effortlessly stylish and cool movies I can think of. The movie is shot in black and white which I'm always a fan of. It's easy to say now because I've already seen the movie in B&W, but it's hard to imagine it in color. As is, the movie is stripped down and bare-bones. It just works that way, reflecting what's going on in Eddie's head. Anything extra or not essential gets thrown by the wayside. The best parts of the movie are shot in smokey, dingy pool halls, but there is an unexplained coolness to them. Maybe just because its the 1960s, maybe it is the jazzy score from Kenyon Hopkins, the movie is fun to watch.

With a movie that runs 134 minutes, there are moments of perfection followed by stretches of dullness and boredom. The introduction is classic in the pre-credits sequence, and the epic duel between Eddie and Fats is a landmark sequence that goes on for most of a half hour (Newman and Gleason doing a lot of their own trick shots too, impressive). I would have never thought watching pool would be fascinating, but 'Hustler' proves otherwise. Gleason is a scene-stealer, and he basically has about 14 lines of dialogue. He's impeccably cool and calm, understated and confident in his ability. Just when Eddie thinks he has him, Fats cleans up, puts his jacket back on and is ready for a new round. You feel intimidated just watching him, much less playing him. Gleason disappears then until the end, but he makes every second onscreen count.

This early pool marathon session does two things, it sets the story off at a brisk, exciting pace (the good), and then lets the story sink some (that's the bad for those slow readers out there) in terms of pacing.  After the game, the story just lags, boring me as Eddie meets equally troubled Sarah (Laurie does a fine job with the part). The character study is interesting, seeing what makes this man tick, but I got bored seeing it develop. Scott's reappearance late as Gordon is a movie-saver, adding a dark, seedy element to the story. The ending is quite a downer, but in an appropriate way, a fitting end for Eddie. I loved Newman's performance, liked other parts of the movie, and was bored in still others. A mixed bag, but still a good movie.

The Hustler <---trailer (1961): ** 1/2 /****