Untold Stories: The Legacy of The Hustler

Newman's turn as Fast Eddie remains pool's most iconic role.

THE HEAVY wooden doors of Ames Pool Hall swing wide. The round clock, tick-tocking just above, strikes 8. And there stands Minnesota Fats, the lion. With a rose in his lapel and a fedora atop his head, Fats regally strides forth. A shiny diamond adorns a plump finger.

"Is your name Felson, Eddie Felson?" Fats offers the young man a smile, a broad gleeful one - but there's cruelty there too. And deceit. "I hear you been looking for me."

"You're Minnesota Fats, ain't you?" says Eddie. "They say Minnesota Fats is the best in the country where I come from. They say that ol' Fats shoots the eyes right off them balls...."

Thus it begins, this, the single most important display of pool prowess in modern American pool history. Played out by actors Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman, the famous scene took less than 20 minutes of the first reel in Robert Rossen's 1961 film "The Hustler." Time enough, though, to launch careers and create fortunes. Time enough to spark new table sales, create new poolhalls. "The Hustler" inspired millions of Americans to take up pool; it literally sparked a renaissance.

In belated celebration of its 50th anniversary, I lay out my argument for why you should care about "The Hustler." For my essay this month I've borrowed copiously from my books about the era (including the passage above, from the introduction of Hustler Days), cited some old press clippings and drawn from previous interviews with Bill Mosconi (Willie's son) and others. There's also content from author John Grissim, the autobiographies of Rudolf Wanderone and Willie Mosconi, and a few facts and figures from the late sociologist Ned Polsky. My basic contention is this: There has been no other artistic work that has more effectively promoted American pool as has "The Hustler." But it was not its depiction of the sport, itself, that attracted America to this great film - but rather its depiction of pool gambling. "The Hustler" proved that pool's great shame can be leveraged into a powerful asset.

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