Great movie for sure, but .....
Eddie did hustle a couple of guys and when he beat them, they broke his thumbs. The image of the pool gambler being beaten by those he beats at the table does little for pool's image. Eddie also happily participated in the hustle of a wealthy three cushion player in Louisvile. Finally, Eddie's stakehorse, left out of some winning action in the film's final scene, threatened him with violence. The Hustler, by my account, was not exactly a testament to the integrity of pool players or those who travel in their circles.
Say what you want, but The Hustler absolutely revived pool in America. The sport just took off after this movie came out. The interesting thing then (and now) is that people are attracted to the seamier side of life and a counter culture like the pool world. I've always felt that a reality show based on real players shooting pool for money is the best thing we could ever get on television (I even made a pilot called High Stakes Pool). Of course tournament pool for large purses wouldn't hurt either, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon. Just my two cents in the matter. And I may get some change back.
