I have seen more then The Hustler a 1000 times

macguy

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's pouring rain out and I was sitting flipping around looking for something to watch. I went to on demand and the Hustler is on this month. Now I have probably seen The Hustler from 700 to maybe a 1000 times. I know, how is that possible.

Back when VCR's first came out for the public to buy I bought one of the first ever. In fact, I didn't even know anyone else who owned one. I paid like $1300.00 for it. If I remember right it was a Panasonic and must have weighed 60 lb's. I also had a huge B&W camera that cost almost as much.

I set it up in the pool room and people could tape themselves playing pool. For most it was like some kind of magic to see themselves playing pool on TV. I also had a big screen 60"' TV I built myself from parts I ordered from Edmond scientific. Once everything was set up in the pool room it was pretty cool.

The thing was, all you could do was tape from the TV or camera if you had one and play it back because there were no movies available yet. I got a catalog of movies that were now on tape and there was not many less then a 100. Surprisingly one of the first was The Hustler. I ordered it along with M.A.S.H. at a price of like $85.00 each.

So that is why I have seen it so many times, this was a pool room and people had it on all the time. The Hustler must have been on the big screen TV like 5 times a day. This was also before cable TV and there was not much to watch anyway.

Back to today, so I put on The Hustler and sit back to watch. Because it is on demand I can stop it and go back re-watch certain scenes and so on. I began really studying the movie and spent more then 4 to 5 hours watching it. I was watching people in the background, and the way the scenes were done. Going back and stopping it and moving forward.

Watching reactions and the layouts of the sets. So many things I never really saw before or noticed. I have always just liked the movie for the pool plot but not much beyond that. In fact for a time I didn't even like it at all.

I have to say, I have a renewed appreciation for the movie, it is almost Shakespearean. It is also surprising how little dialog there is in the movie so much of it is visual. I guess what I am saying is, I have seen a movie so many times and missed so much till now.
It is truly by any standard, a great movie.
 
134 minute movie multiplied by one thousand watches equals over three months of continuous Hustler watching.

Holy cow macguy! :)
 
Bert Gordon: Eddie, is it alright if I get personal?

Fast Eddie: Whaddaya been so far?

Bert Gordon: Eddie, you're a born loser.

Fast Eddie: What's that supposed to mean?

Bert Gordon: First time in ten years I ever saw Minnesota Fats hooked... really hooked. But you let him off.

Fast Eddie: I told you I got drunk.

Bert Gordon: Sure you got drunk. You have the best excuse in the world for losing; no trouble losing when you got a good excuse. Winning... that can be heavy on your back, too, like a monkey. You'll drop that load too when you got an excuse. All you gotta do is learn to feel sorry for yourself. One of the best indoor sports, feeling sorry for yourself. A sport enjoyed by all, especially the born losers.

Fast Eddie: Thanks for the drink.
 
I didn't pay that much for mine, was probably a later one, RCA. Pop-up top loader, bought it in Scranton, Pa. Got it home and while I hooked it up my wife went and bought a copy of The Hustler, VHS. Good memories;)
 
have you recognized any world greats from the background? notice george balabushka?

did you also notice when paul aka fast eddie newman tosses the ball around the table,
how it hops when it hits the back short rail, just before he says, clean pocket drop.

there's alot going on in that movie, 3 cushion world chapions fill the place.
everybody showed up for that movie, they're all there :smile:
 
Without a doubt the movie that taught me more about life than anything else. For instance: Arroganc eand Hubris - "I'm the best you've ever seen, Fats. And, even if you beat me I'm still the best." Art masterpieces - The scene in the park when his thumbs are broken and Eddie talks about what "greatness" really is. I learned how to SEE and not only LOOK - Remember the shot that causes Fats to tap his cue on the floor and say, "Great shot."? Slow the video down and watch it. It's a trick shot and a foul of the highest magnitude. The cue stick contacts the cue ball which contacts object ball 1.....but......the cue stick continues forward and shoot ball 2 into the pocket. What's most interesting about the movie is that in reality it has little to do with playing pool. What it IS all about is character and humility and what it really REALLY takes to be a winner. The movie is about not being able to see what you have that IS great even when it's staring you right in the face. At the end of the day true winning is NOT about the final score of a game of pool. Brilliant movie.
V.
 
Pushout said:
I didn't pay that much for mine, was probably a later one, RCA. Pop-up top loader, bought it in Scranton, Pa. Got it home and while I hooked it up my wife went and bought a copy of The Hustler, VHS. Good memories;)
Click to expand...

It came is a two tape set. In the beginning most tapes were like from $59.00 to over a $100.00.. I am talking about the late 70's. The prices came down fast once the rental stores began opening.
 
slip said:
have you recognized any world greats from the background? notice george balabushka?

did you also notice when paul aka fast eddie newman tosses the ball around the table,
how it hops when it hits the back short rail, just before he says, clean pocket drop.

there's alot going on in that movie, 3 cushion world chapions fill the place.
everybody showed up for that movie, they're all there :smile:
Click to expand...
I recognized Charles Dierkop. He is an actor who was in later Newman movies like BC and the SD kid and the Sting. In the Hustler he is the guy who drags him out to have his thumbs broken.

There are not many mistakes in the movie. Near the end before Eddie tells Fats "You play a great game of Pool" there is a cut where Newman seems to be in a completely different spot in relation to Gleason.

Another thing I noticed is how convincing Newman is as a player. He moves around quickly and has a decent stroke. This is also assisted with great editing that makes everything move seamlessly.

I think one of the big mistakes in the movie is when Charlie tells Eddie "You have been playing 25 hours". That would make it around 9 pm the following night yet the place is empty. It should be hopping especially with a big action game going on. The first night at 8 PM every table was going it looked like.
 
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Vince_Former_BB said:
Without a doubt the movie that taught me more about life than anything else. For instance: Arroganc eand Hubris - "I'm the best you've ever seen, Fats. And, even if you beat me I'm still the best." Art masterpieces - The scene in the park when his thumbs are broken and Eddie talks about what "greatness" really is. I learned how to SEE and not only LOOK - Remember the shot that causes Fats to tap his cue on the floor and say, "Great shot."? Slow the video down and watch it. It's a trick shot and a foul of the highest magnitude. The cue stick contacts the cue ball which contacts object ball 1.....but......the cue stick continues forward and shoot ball 2 into the pocket. What's most interesting about the movie is that in reality it has little to do with playing pool. What it IS all about is character and humility and what it really REALLY takes to be a winner. The movie is about not being able to see what you have that IS great even when it's staring you right in the face. At the end of the day true winning is NOT about the final score of a game of pool. Brilliant movie.
V.
Click to expand...

Yea, the shot is a follow through shot where he makes the ball with the cue and not the cueball. He also make the two ball Masse at the pocket that would have no reason in a real game. Fats runs the first rack without ever having position on a ball. He banks a ball cross side for no reason.

The strangest shot is the cross corner combo that Eddie makes. It made no sense what so ever and at best would be like a 1 in 10 shot, just pure chance you would make it and why would anyone in their right mind shoot such a shot.

Because of where the break ball was I have always assumed he was banking the ball cross corner and Newman hit it so bad he made the combo instead and they left that shot in the movie.
 
Hungarian said:
no way you've watched it 700 to 1000 times... for real??
Click to expand...
Yea, I owned the pool room and this was before cable TV. Someone was always asking to "Put on the Hustler" and this went on for years. It may have been on the screen 10 times on any given weekend with me there. In a few months I would be exposed to it over a hundred times on weekends alone and this went on for years. Not to mention the movie has been around since 1961 and I saw it when it first came out. Plus I saw it twice today.

Now that I think about it, when it was first out I may have seen it several dozen times just at the movies. You may not be old enough to remember but back then, you could go in a theater and stay all day if you wanted. People very often sat through movies several times. Today they throw you out even if you missed the beginning and want to stay to see what you missed. Times have changed.

Heck, when I got a movie called "This is Elvis" it was on so many time I am sure I have see it like several hundred times as well as "Arthur" with Dudley Moore. When that came out it was on several times every night. I am sure I have seen it over a hundred times. The place was like a movie house. People loved sitting watching that big screen TV.
 
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ahh, I see

macguy said:
Yea, I owned the pool room and this was before cable TV. Someone was always asking to "Put on the Hustler" and this went on for years. It may have been on the screen 10 times on any given weekend with me there. I a few months I would be exposed to it over a hundred times on weekends alone and this went on for years. Not to mention the movie has been around since 1961 and I saw it when it first came out. Plus I saw it twice today.

Heck, when I got a movie called "This is Elvis" it was on so many time I am sure I have see it like several hundred times as well as "Arthur" with Dudley Moore. When that came out it was on several times every night. I am sure I have seen it over a hundred times. The place was like a movie house. People loved sitting watching that big screen TV.
Click to expand...
 
slip said:
have you recognized any world greats from the background? notice george balabushka?

did you also notice when paul aka fast eddie newman tosses the ball around the table,
how it hops when it hits the back short rail, just before he says, clean pocket drop.

there's alot going on in that movie, 3 cushion world chapions fill the place.
everybody showed up for that movie, they're all there :smile:
Click to expand...
Do you know roughly at what point in the movie Balabushka can be seen?
 
Bert Gordon said:
Bert Gordon: Eddie, is it alright if I get personal?

Fast Eddie: Whaddaya been so far?

Bert Gordon: Eddie, you're a born loser.

Fast Eddie: What's that supposed to mean?

Bert Gordon: First time in ten years I ever saw Minnesota Fats hooked... really hooked. But you let him off.

Fast Eddie: I told you I got drunk.

Bert Gordon: Sure you got drunk. You have the best excuse in the world for losing; no trouble losing when you got a good excuse. Winning... that can be heavy on your back, too, like a monkey. You'll drop that load too when you got an excuse. All you gotta do is learn to feel sorry for yourself. One of the best indoor sports, feeling sorry for yourself. A sport enjoyed by all, especially the born losers.

Fast Eddie: Thanks for the drink.
Click to expand...

You need help! Serious professional help! Romoved from society kind of help! Lol
 
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