youtube find on the Hustler

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
Walter Tevis changed his story over the years regarding Fats. Tevis said he attended a tournament for research. NY Fats was there. If you read the original book when he describes Fats he is very accurately describing NY Fats even down to the body tics (RW) NY fats had. Maybe Tevis was concerned about being sued.

Can you cite this? What tournament would Wanderone have been attending in 1958/59?
 

middleofnowhere

Registered
Can you cite this? What tournament would Wanderone have been attending in 1958/59?
I would not know what tournament he saw Fats or to be honest where he encountered him. I should not have said tournament. As you know any time you were around Fats he got your attention and used up all the oxygen in the room and for a writer I am sure he would be of real interest as a study for a future character in a story.

Tevis wrote at least three stories I know of on pool. The first I know of was a short story “The Big Hustle” In Colliers mag. 1955
http://lynn-munroe-books.com/list72/UncollectedTevis.html
read through the added link.
He also wrote something for Playboy that seems to be more like the final Book “The Hustler” 1957

Then another story under several different titles that seems to be the basis for the final Hustler book and movie. I am doing this research to try to reinforce my own memory. I met him in the 60’s at a pool tournament. He was kind of a celebrity guest. This was in Tampa. I got to speak to him several times during the day. He watched a lot of matches I think he liked pool. It was during one of the conversations he mentions having seen Fats. Like I said in my original post if you read the original book, (The original) that I am sure you have.

The similarities between the character in the book and RW aka Fats, are to close to be a coincidence. I am not trying to be controversial and sometimes my memory is not that good, people can make up their own minds. Stories on pool were not that unusual back then. There was even a TV Play “Goodbye Johnny” With Cliff Robertson on Alcoe Theatre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA1RpfrR6RQ
 
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alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't understand why Piper Laurie didn't get another movie role for 15 years after the Hustler. She was nominated for several awards including best actress for her performance in the Hustler.

She is one of the few still living from the movie.
 

middleofnowhere

Registered
I don't understand why Piper Laurie didn't get another movie role for 15 years after the Hustler. She was nominated for several awards including best actress for her performance in the Hustler.

She is one of the few still living from the movie.

IMDB shows she did a lot of TV both before and after the Hustler all the way up to Carrie. I guess she regarded herself as a TV actress. Looks like she had three roles as recently as 2018 and one not yet released yet. She is in a little known movie "Tim" 1979 with a young Mel Gibson. If you can find it it is worth watching.
 
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alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Walter Tevis changed his story over the years regarding Fats. Tevis said he attended a tournament for research. NY Fats was there. If you read the original book when he describes Fats he is very accurately describing NY Fats even down to the body tics (RW) NY fats had. Maybe Tevis was concerned about being sued.

Someone posted the original transcript and New York Fats had been crossed out and replace with Minnesota Fats.

I wouldn't be surprised if the name came from Fats but Gleason's character was the opposite of Fats. Newman acted more like Fats talking while he played but that still wasn't the same as Fats.

They story about the eating contest was funny and the first time I had heard that one. Fats was as much entertainer as pool player. The pool table was a prop.
 

middleofnowhere

Registered
Someone posted the original transcript and New York Fats had been crossed out and replace with Minnesota Fats.

I wouldn't be surprised if the name came from Fats but Gleason's character was the opposite of Fats. Newman acted more like Fats talking while he played but that still wasn't the same as Fats.

They story about the eating contest was funny and the first time I had heard that one. Fats was as much entertainer as pool player. The pool table was a prop.

Jimmy Caras told me an eating story about Fats but it was not a contest just dinner. He said Fats ate a whole turkey and all the side dishes. And Jimmy kept poking me saying "Honest to god I am not kidding, he ate all the leftovers on the table.

Miz could eat. We were having dinner in Texas and we ordered Meatloaf. My plate had a few slices some potatoes and some gravy. Miz's plate had a whole meatloaf that would serve a family. He ate the whole thing.
 

evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would not know what tournament he saw Fats or to be honest where he encountered him. I should not have said tournament. As you know any time you were around Fats he got your attention and used up all the oxygen in the room and for a writer I am sure he would be of real interest as a study for a future character in a story.

Tevis wrote at least three stories I know of on pool. The first I know of was a short story “The Big Hustle” In Colliers mag. 1955
http://lynn-munroe-books.com/list72/UncollectedTevis.html
read through the added link.
He also wrote something for Playboy that seems to be more like the final Book “The Hustler” 1957

Then another story under several different titles that seems to be the basis for the final Hustler book and movie. I am doing this research to try to reinforce my own memory. I met him in the 60’s at a pool tournament. He was kind of a celebrity guest. This was in Tampa. I got to speak to him several times during the day. He watched a lot of matches I think he liked pool. It was during one of the conversations he mentions having seen Fats. Like I said in my original post if you read the original book, (The original) that I am sure you have.

The similarities between the character in the book and RW aka Fats, are to close to be a coincidence. I am not trying to be controversial and sometimes my memory is not that good, people can make up their own minds. Stories on pool were not that unusual back then. There was even a TV Play “Goodbye Johnny” With Cliff Robertson on Alcoe Theatre.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA1RpfrR6RQ

hi there and thanks for "the hustler" link
cool you got to stomp around back then and meet walter
here's a link to an esquire story of his, dated november 1, 1954
I never cared who came first, but he does mention "new york fats"
https://classic.esquire.com/article/1954/11/1/the-best-in-the-country
 

middleofnowhere

Registered
Someone posted the original transcript and New York Fats had been crossed out and replace with Minnesota Fats.

I wouldn't be surprised if the name came from Fats but Gleason's character was the opposite of Fats. Newman acted more like Fats talking while he played but that still wasn't the same as Fats.

They story about the eating contest was funny and the first time I had heard that one. Fats was as much entertainer as pool player. The pool table was a prop.

If you read Fats book 'The bank shot and other great robberies" he sites references that could have been easily researched back then. The book came out in I think 1966. They are interviews with people like Mosconi who say the person in the movie is based on a real person. However the Gleason character is nothing like Fats or not that much like the character in the book for that matter.
 

middleofnowhere

Registered
hi there and thanks for "the hustler" link
cool you got to stomp around back then and meet walter
here's a link to an esquire story of his, dated november 1, 1954
I never cared who came first, but he does mention "new york fats"
https://classic.esquire.com/article/1954/11/1/the-best-in-the-country

The writer of that story was certainly around some of the players of the day. In the same paragraph with the New York Fats reference he mentions a guy with a gun under his arm who supposedly killed a man with his hands. That is a reference to Hubert Cokes called Daddy Warbucks.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16084385/daddy-warbucks-in-jail/
 
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