The Hustler (20th Century Fox) (1961)

20th CENTURY-FOX EXHIBITOR’S CAMPAIGN MANUAL The word for Robert Rossen’s THE HUSTLER... 1 --* prim-i-tive, s Minnesota Fats" ALSO AVAILABLE MAT 520 MAT—620 “MYRON MoCORMICK sete ROSS sari rs CINEMAS COPE 116 lines x 5 cols. (580 lines) 5 cols. x 8'4 inches 140 lines x 6 cols. (840 lines) 6 cols. x 10 inches CAST Eddie Felson Fea eat atc les sae wos Pall NewIttan Minnesota Fats . . Jackie ‘Gleason Sarah Packard . : Piper Laurie Bert Gordon ao Ay SOL eee ae ee heer George C. Scott Charlie Burns i ake REE Myron McCormick Findlay areas ere 8 . » Murray Hamilton Big John 5 Aa ae eee . Michael Constantine Preacher oat ean given tele Stefan Gierasch Bartender By eres Se Se ete Jake LaMotta Cashier ee . Gordon B. Clarke Score Keeper Alexander Rose Waitress : TOS T ee hoe’ « Carolyn Coates Young Hustler . rae ticle MeGwckcge st tce> «0 HiGableork ALCCNACIS: <2 onto. awe ae te Bee Vincent Gardinia SYNOPSIS (Not For Publication) “Fast” Eddie Felson (PAUL NEWMAN) is a pool shark, a hustler with pride in his skill and with a driving ambition to come up with the perfect score. Accompanied by his friend and manager, Charlie Burns (MYRON McCORMICK), Felson comes to New York where he intends to take on the almost legendary Minnesota Fats (JACKIE GLEASON), undisputed champion in the field. Inevitably, the two men meet at the pool table and engage in a nerve-grinding, exhausting battle of skills, wits and stamina. Bert Gordon (GEORGE C. SCOTT), a big-time money man who exploits pool-room talent for a percentage watches the game closely. After an initial winning streak, Felson is soundly beaten by the older and more experienced Fats. In the grey morning hours, at a bus terminal, Felson meets Sarah Packard (PIPER LAURIE), a strange and lonely girl. The two are drawn together in mutual defeat. Lame and desiring love desperately, Sarah invites Felson to move in with her. Felson turns down an offer made by Bert and blames his failure on Charlie. He continues to hustle pool and has his thumbs broken brutally in a tough water-front pool-room where his identity is discovered. Now willing to compromise, Felson makes a deal with Bert who introduces him to a rich, degenerate Southern sportsman (MURRAY HAMILTON) in Louisville. Realizing that Felson has sold himself to Bert, Sarah makes a final attempt to make him realize his corruption, but is rejected. Felson’s blind obsession to win prevents him from accepting her love or loving her. Humiliated and broken by the seemingly unshakable wall of perversion and immorality around her, Sarah gives herself to Bert as a final act of self-degredation and then takes her own life. When Felson realizes what he and Bert have done, he returns to beat Fats in a climatic and perfect game and, in a scathing showdown with Bert, regains his dignity and self-respect. CREDITS Produced and Directed by ; . Robert Rossen Ser eenplay by . Robert Rossen and Sidney Carroll Based on a noy el by=. Walter Tevis a John | Graham Director of Photography : Gene Shufton Unit "Manager . Art Director . Harry Horner and Bee Albert Brenner Set Dresser é Gene Callahan Camera Operator Saul Midwall Assistant Director . 5 Charles Maguire 2nd Assistant Director . z Don Kranz Technical Advisor airs . Willie Mosconi Film “Editor z Deedee ‘Allan Sound tere eee James Shields