The Hustler

The Hustler is a 1961 American sports drama film, directed by Robert Rossen. It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, who challenges legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats". The film, which was based on the 1959 book of the same name by Walter Tevis, stars Paul Newman as Fast Eddie, Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats, Piper Laurie as Sarah, George C. Scott as Bert, and Myron McCormick as Charlie. The Hustler was released by 20th Century-Fox on September 25, 1961, and was a major critical and popular success, gaining a reputation as a classic. Its exploration of winning, losing, and character garnered a number of major awards; it is also credited with helping to spark a resurgence in the popularity of pool. In 1997, the Library of Congress selected The Hustler for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The Academy Film Archive preserved The Hustler in 2003. A 1986 sequel, The Color of Money, starred Newman reprising his role as Felson, for which he won his only Academy Award.