I have been called a brave man, even a foolishly brave man. However, I am not brave enough or foolish enough to play pool with a man who parted the red sea with a stick!
Hu
Film oddities or coincidences in The Hustler
- Thread starter L.S. Dennis
- Start date
I have been called a brave man, even a foolishly brave man. However, I am not brave enough or foolish enough to play pool with a man who parted the red sea with a stick!
Hu
RT Ford
Well-known member
I know a Vietnam tunnel rat that only carried a knife in his boot.
Many didn't use firearms in the tunnels. Some of the tunnels were quite large but many the tunnel rats operated in were so tiny that even the small Americans used as tunnel rats had difficulty squeezing through them. The noise and concussion would be awful using a firearm, muzzle flash blinding. Aside from the difficulty maneuvering even a pistol, something like a .22 rimfire might have been better than a M-16 or .45.
From what I have read, the tunnel rats often worked in absolute darkness without lights. I have been in absolute darkness, it is pretty unpleasant by itself if you need to move around. Knowing you can literally bump into someone wanting to kill you coming from the other way; I'm happy to say I have never been in one of those tunnels!
vietnam was bad enough above ground from all reports, I missed it and have no regrets about that.
Hu
I saw that years ago. Try it for fun.
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
I took a look at the credits on the front end of the film today and you're right, Mosconi is listed 'Technical Advisor' or something like that there.
Still wondering why he wasn't listed in the back end credits given his name 'Willie' was mentioned during his scenes (particularly in the end scenes as I recall).
Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
Has any other sport ever been the subject of a movie that was on a par with the Hustler? (I can't think of one.) Every time I see the movie, or a clip, I am impressed and grateful that our sport was graced with such a tour de force. Mosconi, Gleason, Newman . . . the gems in this crown just go on and on. And I know nothing about "film" beyond what I like, but it seems to me that those involved in producing the Hustler put something extra into it -- the stars sure seem to align.
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There have been some....
Twocylndr
Well-known member
I believe if the actor doesn't have a speaking roll, they don't get a credit. Actor/extra gets paid "minimum wage" in a non-speaking roll. If they have 2 lines pay goes way up(scale?). TV or movies all the same.
In Covington KY there used to be a liquor store that had a huge light up JTS Brown bottle outside. No idea if it is still there or not
Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
I don't recall seeing Le Man when I was young, but then car racing was not my thing, and even if it had been, it could never have been any where near the likes of Le Man. Perhaps we need Hu, and others, to weigh in on this area,
One of the most interesting aspects of the Hustler, and TCOM, was the fact that they attracted so many folks into the pool world. Another movie that did a similar thing for music, fashion, and dancing, and playing an even greater role in shaping society, was Saturday Night Fever. (Fortunately, disco never sunk its hooks into me, but I lost a few friends temporarily until sanity prevailed and they sheepishly returned to the fold.) In order to have such impacts, however, the cost of admission into the activity cannot be prohibitive. Funny thing about SNF is, despite its undeniable impact, as a movie it is a DOG -- I cannot watch more than 3 minutes of it these days. So, apparently even a bad movie can move the world.
Any former disco boys, or girls, out there who are willing to share?
One of the most interesting aspects of the Hustler, and TCOM, was the fact that they attracted so many folks into the pool world. Another movie that did a similar thing for music, fashion, and dancing, and playing an even greater role in shaping society, was Saturday Night Fever. (Fortunately, disco never sunk its hooks into me, but I lost a few friends temporarily until sanity prevailed and they sheepishly returned to the fold.) In order to have such impacts, however, the cost of admission into the activity cannot be prohibitive. Funny thing about SNF is, despite its undeniable impact, as a movie it is a DOG -- I cannot watch more than 3 minutes of it these days. So, apparently even a bad movie can move the world.
Any former disco boys, or girls, out there who are willing to share?
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dquarasr
Registered
The cars! The track! The SOUNDS!!
The cinematography in this opening lap is top rate. The helicopter view… The cars crabbing back and forth for grip under braking, power oversteer sliding at corner exit… Cars sliding onto the dirt at corner track out…
Yeah, this movie depicts that era of endurance sports car racing pretty darned well.
There have been tons of car movies. One of my favorites for the action scenes was I think Clark Gable driving champ cars on dirt before roll cages. I have been on a kick watching some of the old stock car movies that Fabian, Annette Funnecello(sp) and others cranked out. Teen flicks and not much but like Lemans they spliced in real racing footage and it made for great action scenes.
There were a handful of good horse movies too. Same thing, real racing spliced in. Also jumping horses. National and International Velvet. Not my thing but I think they were big movies in their day. Brian's Song and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof about football. Overboiled but I liked the Newman/Taylor/Ives version as a youngster. Later I read there were one or two better versions. I remember a football movie about a coach and little girl going back to leather helmet days I believe.
I'm trying to remember, it would seem there have to be other great sports movies but they aren't coming to mind. There were some great stories about olympic heroes but great movies don't come to mind. Staying up until the wee hours watching old movies with my grandmother used to be a big deal when I was young. She would nod off and wake up when the closing credits were rolling. "How did it end?" "What happened just before that?" "Before that?" Finally it would be, "that was the opening credits Gramma." She had emphysema all of my life and had to sleep sitting in a chair. A few hours in bed early morning and off to the businesses she owned. Quite a lady, she owned most of a small town.
Back to movies, seems like there must have been some great ones but if I wasn't playing or doing something I didn't watch it on TV or at the movies unless a big star was in it. John Wayne made at least a few. The first version of The Longest Yard wasn't bad. Seems like there have to be other really great sports movies but Lemans is the best coming to mind from my viewpoint. I have a truly vicious hangover this morning. Considering it has been half a lifetime, well over thirty years, since I have drank anything that hardly seems fair but old habits die hard.
I keep trying to think of a great sports movie with superstars of the day but nothing comes to mind. Just thought of Spartacus, one of the greatest racing sequences ever filmed but a wee bit dated! Ah, a cult thing, On Any Sunday. More of a documentary but with Steve McQueen I believe. Which reminds me, there have been a ton of rodeo movies, some pretty good with serious stars.
Wasn't there a few baseball movies that picked up major awards?
Seemed like Biloxi Boy was reaching a bit talking about The Hustler at first but offhand I can't think of a sports movie with the breadth of star power top to bottom, great actors, great character actors. I cheated a bit to jog my memory. Tin Cup, the original Rocky, Field of Dreams, several Hockey movies.
There have been some great sports movies over the years but I have to say BB is right. The Hustler matched or surpassed them. I keep going back to Lemans too. I watched it every time I saw it was on for years.
Hu
There were a handful of good horse movies too. Same thing, real racing spliced in. Also jumping horses. National and International Velvet. Not my thing but I think they were big movies in their day. Brian's Song and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof about football. Overboiled but I liked the Newman/Taylor/Ives version as a youngster. Later I read there were one or two better versions. I remember a football movie about a coach and little girl going back to leather helmet days I believe.
I'm trying to remember, it would seem there have to be other great sports movies but they aren't coming to mind. There were some great stories about olympic heroes but great movies don't come to mind. Staying up until the wee hours watching old movies with my grandmother used to be a big deal when I was young. She would nod off and wake up when the closing credits were rolling. "How did it end?" "What happened just before that?" "Before that?" Finally it would be, "that was the opening credits Gramma." She had emphysema all of my life and had to sleep sitting in a chair. A few hours in bed early morning and off to the businesses she owned. Quite a lady, she owned most of a small town.
Back to movies, seems like there must have been some great ones but if I wasn't playing or doing something I didn't watch it on TV or at the movies unless a big star was in it. John Wayne made at least a few. The first version of The Longest Yard wasn't bad. Seems like there have to be other really great sports movies but Lemans is the best coming to mind from my viewpoint. I have a truly vicious hangover this morning. Considering it has been half a lifetime, well over thirty years, since I have drank anything that hardly seems fair but old habits die hard.
I keep trying to think of a great sports movie with superstars of the day but nothing comes to mind. Just thought of Spartacus, one of the greatest racing sequences ever filmed but a wee bit dated! Ah, a cult thing, On Any Sunday. More of a documentary but with Steve McQueen I believe. Which reminds me, there have been a ton of rodeo movies, some pretty good with serious stars.
Wasn't there a few baseball movies that picked up major awards?
Seemed like Biloxi Boy was reaching a bit talking about The Hustler at first but offhand I can't think of a sports movie with the breadth of star power top to bottom, great actors, great character actors. I cheated a bit to jog my memory. Tin Cup, the original Rocky, Field of Dreams, several Hockey movies.
There have been some great sports movies over the years but I have to say BB is right. The Hustler matched or surpassed them. I keep going back to Lemans too. I watched it every time I saw it was on for years.
Hu
Though the ‘Hustler’ movie DID relate many applicable life lessons, it alway struck me as rather unlikely that an experienced con man/hustler like Paul Newman depicted, would lose his composure and let his emotions get away while alone, playing nine ball with rough characters in a seedy dive.
is there a reason to have this in bold ?
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
Biloxi Boy
Man With A Golden Arm
Raging Bull was a great movie, I never saw Breaking Away. Did either one attract people to the subject sport?
I thought of another movie which greatly affected a sport -- Urban Cowboy. I remember "cowboys" and "cowgirls" and bucking machines suddenly appearing everywhere. Don't know if it affected rodeo, but there are folks out there who can answer. Travolta struck twice -- perhaps he would have been better than Cruise for TCOM. (I'm not a fan of either one.)
DeeDeeCues
Well-known member
If you are judging by how many people were attracted to the sport, then the Fast and Furious franchise and Hunger Games were more successful.
Yes.If you are judging by how many people were attracted to the sport, then the Fast and Furious franchise and Hunger Games were more successful.
Reminds me Saturday Night Fever was mentioned earlier.
That was a decent movie I thought- it helped grow and create a disco boom too. Some of those songs were good and still get played often.
The same can be said about Urban Cowboy also. A decent movie and it created an explosion in sales of cowboy/cowgirl gear and country themed night clubs across the US. You still see mechanical bills in some clubs even today.
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