The Hustler

"They called him Fast Eddie. He was a winner. He was a loser. He was a hustler."

1961 2h 14m EN

🙌

7.7

BANGER

★7.7TMDB · 1,127

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Fast Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary Minnesota Fats to a high-stakes match.

“They called him Fast Eddie. He was a winner. He was a loser. He was a hustler.”

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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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Rossen
Writers: Robert Rossen, Sidney Carroll
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.8× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Hustler Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Rossen, shot by Eugen Schüfftan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kenyon Hopkins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dede Allen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason and Piper Laurie carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Rossen directs. Eugen Schüfftan behind the camera. Kenyon Hopkins scores. Dede Allen cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 3.8× over at the box office.
365 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Part of the "The Hustler Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Robert Rossen, shot by Eugen Schüfftan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Kenyon Hopkins. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Dede Allen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason and Piper Laurie carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "They called him Fast Eddie. He was a winner. He was a loser. He was a hustler.".
10IMDB entry: tt0054997 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 14 themes, including "new york city", "suicide", "based on novel or book", "sports".
12Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Eugen Schüfftan
Original score: Kenyon Hopkins
Editing: Dede Allen
Production design: Harry Horner
Costume design: Ruth Morley
Makeup / hair: Donoene McKay
Sound: Jim Shields
Runtime: 134 min · 2h 14m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,000,000
Box office: $7,600,000
Return: 380% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Hustler (1961)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
BAFTA Award for Best Film
Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

The Hustler Collection

The Hustler is a 1961 movie directed by Robert Rossen. It tells the story of a young pool hustler, Edward "Fast Eddie" Felson, who challenges the legendary Minnesota Fats. The film was a critical and commercial success and was nominated for multiple Academy Awards. The Color of Money is a 1986 film directed by Martin Scorsese. It continues the story of "Fast Eddie" from the first film, with Newman reprising his role as Fast Eddie. The film begins more than 25 years after the events of the previous film, with Eddie retired from the pool circuit.