Paul Newman Interview in 1962 about playing Fast Eddie

JAM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
PAUL NEWMAN: I did some research. There was a pool hall on 47th Street, upstairs on the second floor. So the first day I got back, I went up there just to sniff around, and this kid came over and said, "How would you like to shoot a little pool?"

I said, "No, I don't shoot."

And he came back in about 15 minutes, and he said, "Come on. Play a little game. You don't have to play for a lot. Heck, shoot a little game of pool."

I said, "No, I really don't shoot."

He came back to me about 20 minutes later and said, "You're an actor, aren't you?"

And I said, "Yeah."

He said, "Yeah. I seen you."

I said, "But let me ask you a question. You don't know me. What happens if I'm hustling you and I take you for your wad?"

He said, "Well, if you take me for my wad, the guy beyond the counter there, he'll come over and play you."

I said, "Well, but what if I beat him?"

He says, "The guy that takes the coats, he'll come over and play you."

I said, "Well, what if I beat him?"

He says, "You beat him, we call Chicago." :grin-square:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMNneeYNSpg&feature=youtu.be
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks the video was a nice background on the production of the movie, I knew it was not Paul Newman who was originally tapped for the part of Fast Eddie, I also seem to remember that perhaps it was the singer/actor Bobby Darin who was first approached for that role. Newman was nominated for the Oscar as best actor for that role. he did not win/ but it was, IMO, as a film critic, the best male acting performance of that year- pool was good to Paul, and he won it for Color of Money in 1986. His only win as best actor!
 

pocket

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Very cool thanks for posting that. The internet can be an amazing thing.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Thanks the video was a nice background on the production of the movie, I knew it was not Paul Newman who was originally tapped for the part of Fast Eddie, I also seem to remember that perhaps it was the singer/actor Bobby Darin who was first approached for that role. Newman was nominated for the Oscar as best actor for that role. he did not win/ but it was, IMO, as a film critic, the best male acting performance of that year- pool was good to Paul, and he won it for Color of Money in 1986. His only win as best actor!
They say he won it for The Color of Money to make up for not winning it for The Hustler - it should have been the other way 'round, both for his performances and for the quality of the movies.

pj
chgo
 

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pat...and that would have happened, had The Hustler not been up against West Side Story (which won all the awards that year)!

Scott Lee
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

They say he won it for The Color of Money to make up for not winning it for The Hustler - it should have been the other way 'round, both for his performances and for the quality of the movies.

pj
chgo
 

couldnthinkof01

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I thought it was more of a lifetime achievement
award.
Sometimes they give actors an Oscar for a
turd because it is one of their last movies
and they came close a few times but
didn't win.
Not that c.o.m. was a turd. Its one of my favorites.
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Pat...and that would have happened, had The Hustler not been up against West Side Story (which won all the awards that year)!
Yeah, I was a fan of both, but even at the ripe young age of 13 (and despite Natalie Wood) I could see that Paul got hustled by the Academy that year.

pj
chgo
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pat...and that would have happened, had The Hustler not been up against West Side Story (which won all the awards that year)!

Scott Lee
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour

The best leading actor award that year did not go to anyone from West Side Story- Paul got robbed in 1961 and got even in 1986- yes, he should have won BOTH years! His 1986 win for Color of Money was NOT a lifetime achievement award- it was for THAT specific performance.
 

L.S. Dennis

Well-known member
What many don’t know about the background of the making of ‘The Hustler’ might surprise you.
Wel all know that Mosconi was hired by the studios to shoot scenes and offer technical support for the film.
He was also asked for suggestions as to who the characters should be played by. His suggestion of Gleason for Fats of course was a no brainer, this was obvious, but many didn’t know that his suggestin for the fast Eddie character was acutally a young Frank Sinatra. The stuldios overrode this suggestion and went with Paul Newman which as it turned out as the best choice for the part. Just some trivia
 

briankenobi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Hustler is a great classic movie.
The Color Of Money is a great classic turd.

I like them both but if I am being honest, I like Color of Money over the Hustler. COM has a lot more pool in it and even uses pro players from the time. The hustler has the main pool scene with fats, a shorter one with fats later, the 3C scene wish shows like 2 shots, and the 9 ball thumbs break which is really only 4 shots. There is not a lot of pool in the hustler but there is a lot of pool in COM.
 

CLAUD

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As I remember it he should have won for "The Verdict" and the COM win was a make up call for the snub.
So many great movies by Paul Newman, Cool Hand Luke has always been one of my favorites. He was excellent in "The Verdict" and deserved an award for it and The Hustler.
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like them both but if I am being honest, I like Color of Money over the Hustler. COM has a lot more pool in it and even uses pro players from the time. The hustler has the main pool scene with fats, a shorter one with fats later, the 3C scene wish shows like 2 shots, and the 9 ball thumbs break which is really only 4 shots. There is not a lot of pool in the hustler but there is a lot of pool in COM.
The Hustler had a better story line.
It was in black and white which just added to the grittiness of the film.
I had a hard time just to finish watching COM.
 

michael4

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The best leading actor award that year did not go to anyone from West Side Story- Paul got robbed in 1961 and got even in 1986- yes, he should have won BOTH years! His 1986 win for Color of Money was NOT a lifetime achievement award- it was for THAT specific performance.
I am going to respectfully agree to disagree. I dont think COM was Paul's best work, i think it was a lifetime achievement award.
 

DieselPete

Active member
The best leading actor award that year did not go to anyone from West Side Story- Paul got robbed in 1961 and got even in 1986- yes, he should have won BOTH years! His 1986 win for Color of Money was NOT a lifetime achievement award- it was for THAT specific performance.

Sent me scrambling to the Google machine.

Newman was nominated in 1962 for The Hustler (best actor) and lost to Maximilian Schell (Judgment at Nuremberg). There was no nominee in that category from West Side Story. Interestingly there was a second nominee from Judgment at Nuremburg in the same category (Spencer Tracy).*

Other nominees from The Hustler were George C. Scott and Jackie Gleason (Actor in a Supporting Role), who lost to George Chakiris (West Side Story), Piper Laurie, who lost to Sophia Loren (Two Women), Art Direction for a Black and White (which did win), Cinematography for a Black and White (which did win), Directing (lost to West Side Story), Best Motion Picture (lost to West Side Story), Writing (screenplay based on another medium) which it lost to Judgment at Nuremburg.

So, The Hustler had nine nominations and two wins. Of the nine nominations, The Hustler lost to West Side Story (the BIG winner that year with eleven nominations and ten wins) in the following categories: Supporting Actor (two Hustler nominations), Directing, and Best Motion Picture. The Hustler was spared some of the West Side Story onslaught because there were a few different categories for black and white and color movies.

Other memorable films from that year were: Breakfast at Tiffany's (5 nominations, 2 wins), The Children's Hour (5 noms), Fanny (5 noms), Flower Drum Song (5 noms), The Guns of the Navarone (7 noms, 1 win), The Absent Minded Professor (3 noms), Judgment at Nuremburg (11 noms, 2 wins), La Dolce Vita (4 noms, 1 win), Pocketful of Miracles (3 noms), Summer and Smoke (4 noms).

*For more on multiple actors (including three!) being nominated from the same film in the same category, you can browse here:
 
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