The Hustler

The Hustler follows Eddie Felson, a gifted young pool player who travels the country with his partner Charlie, winning money from amateurs while dreaming of a bigger prize. Determined to prove himself against the best, he challenges the celebrated champion Minnesota Fats to a high-stakes match. Eddie's arrogance costs him dearly, and the defeat leaves him broke and abandoned. He stays in New York, where he begins a relationship with Sarah Packard, a lonely woman struggling with alcoholism, and later joins forces with Bert Gordon, a manager connected to Minnesota Fats, in the hope of earning a rematch. The price of that ambition extends beyond money and affects the people close to him.

Robert Rossen directed, produced and co-wrote the screenplay with Sidney Carroll. The film came sixth in the chronological order of the features he directed, between Alexander the Great and Lilith. Paul Newman leads the cast as Eddie, with Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, Myron McCormick and Murray Hamilton among the principal performers.

Made by 20th Century Fox and Rossen Films for a budget of about two million dollars, the film returned roughly eight million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 8 out of 10 from over 85,000 votes, while on TMDB its rating is 7.7 from more than a thousand votes. Critics' reviews collected for the film average 8.5 out of 10, noticeably higher than the audience scores.