Interesting observation... "The Hustler"

ugotactionTX

ugotactionTX

I'm in dead rack!
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So I'm watching "The Hustler" for the umpteenth time the other day and something stuck me as kind of odd... Does anyone else think it strange that Bert DIDN'T know that Findley played billiards instead of pool? I mean this is a guy that prides himself and makes his living knowing EVERYTHING about EVERYONE right???? Why did he travel all the way to Louisville to play if he didn't have a read on the guy. Other than saying "I hear he's one of the best"

things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm
 
ugotactionTX said:
So I'm watching "The Hustler" for the umpteenth time the other day and something stuck me as kind of odd... Does anyone else think it strange that Bert DIDN'T know that Findley played billiards instead of pool? I mean this is a guy that prides himself and makes his living knowing EVERYTHING about EVERYONE right???? Why did he travel all the way to Louisville to play if he didn't have a read on the guy. Other than saying "I hear he's one of the best"

things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm
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I just chalked it up to Bert got some wrong info from some pool detective and moved on with the movie. That does happen in real life a lot. Many times I got a steer that I could make a killing playing someone somewhere playing 8-ball or 14.1, only to get there and the guy would bet high only on 1-hole or banks. I didn't/don't play either. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
This is a pool forum not a Romance forum. We think of the movie as a pool movie that had some romance in that we had to put up with to get to the pool parts.:D. Johnnyt
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Amen. They could cut out that female alcoholic character altogether and I wouldn't lose a second of sleep.
MULLY
see, I don't even remember her name in the movie
 
ugotactionTX said:
So I'm watching "The Hustler" for the umpteenth time the other day and something stuck me as kind of odd... Does anyone else think it strange that Bert DIDN'T know that Findley played billiards instead of pool? I mean this is a guy that prides himself and makes his living knowing EVERYTHING about EVERYONE right???? Why did he travel all the way to Louisville to play if he didn't have a read on the guy. Other than saying "I hear he's one of the best"

things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm
Click to expand...

I think -- and I may be wrong -- that Findley thought he was pulling one over on Bert by offering to play billiards, as opposed to pool. :p
 
I've been playing pool for 43 years and still don't know the difference!!
Anyone want a game??
 
Johnnyt said:
This is a pool forum not a Romance forum. We think of the movie as a pool movie that had some romance in that we had to put up with to get to the pool parts.:D. Johnnyt
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Pool, schmool; you aren't fooling anyone....you big softy you!! :p
 
Its a movie, live with it.

Of course, if Bert bothered to check with AZB, he wouldn't been unprepared. :-)

ugotactionTX said:
Does anyone else think it strange that Bert DIDN'T know that Findley played billiards instead of pool? I mean this is a guy that prides himself and makes his living knowing EVERYTHING about EVERYONE right????
Click to expand...
 
More observations:

In the first match between Fast Eddie and Fats towards the beginning of the film, Eddie, right after declaring he would start to win after losing thus far, shoots the one ball into the side pocket by shooting the cue into a striped ball. Sharp eyes will notice that he actually hits THROUGH the cue and strikes the stripe into the one with his stick. While a nice trick, this is an obviously an illegal shot and would never have been allowed.

Also, at the beginning of their first pool match, Fats' collar goes from buttoned to loose, to back buttoned in only a moment on-screen.
 
I always fast forward through the parts with the "romance"! Remote control is probably the best invention of all time.

and just an aside, wouldn't Eddie have played billiards at least once or twice? In the 50's billiards was still played in most pool rooms.

Bob
 
TX Poolnut said:
More observations:

In the first match between Fast Eddie and Fats towards the beginning of the film, Eddie, right after declaring he would start to win after losing thus far, shoots the one ball into the side pocket by shooting the cue into a striped ball. Sharp eyes will notice that he actually hits THROUGH the cue and strikes the stripe into the one with his stick. While a nice trick, this is an obviously an illegal shot and would never have been allowed.

Also, at the beginning of their first pool match, Fats' collar goes from buttoned to loose, to back buttoned in only a moment on-screen.
Click to expand...

I thoght that shot was deliberate to show that Eddie was a sneaky hustler.
 
TX Poolnut said:
More observations:

In the first match between Fast Eddie and Fats towards the beginning of the film, Eddie, right after declaring he would start to win after losing thus far, shoots the one ball into the side pocket by shooting the cue into a striped ball. Sharp eyes will notice that he actually hits THROUGH the cue and strikes the stripe into the one with his stick. While a nice trick, this is an obviously an illegal shot and would never have been allowed.
Click to expand...

That's true. Also, he never would have shot a masse in a straight pool game just to make two balls at once. The director must have asked Willie Mosconi to make a shot that would make the audience go "Wow".

But it's still pretty damn realistic and the best pool playing ever shown in a commercial movie. I found Gleason and Newman totally believable as great pool players.
 
Rich93 said:
That's true. Also, he never would have shot a masse in a straight pool game just to make two balls at once. The director must have asked Willie Mosconi to make a shot that would make the audience go "Wow".

But it's still pretty damn realistic and the best pool playing ever shown in a commercial movie. I found Gleason and Newman totally believable as great pool players.
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that Gleason was actually a pretty good pool player, but Newman never played until the movie. Then Mosconi had to give him a crash course in pool. Most of the shots that Eddie made in the movie was actually Mosconi. That's why they showed only his hands.
 
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