The Color of Money - Movie vs Book

[BC21]

Regarding COM read the book a couple of times and saw the movie a couple of times. Neither one was a knock out although they fared better than 'The Baltimore Bullet' and way way way better thaN 'Pool Hall Junkies' which was a complete joke of a movie if you could even call it that.

In the COM book there was a character toward the end by the name of Earl Borchard I believe who was obviously based on Strickland.
The Hustler movie and book stand on their own as being untouchable.

I had a pool movie collection years ago, but sold it on eBay at some point. There was a darker movie that wasn't bad, except it was a low-budget film with bad lighting. It was called "Chalk".

 

[ShootingArts]

Not sure what Hustler story you read. With The Hustler book, by Tevis, the movie is goes along with the book quite well, with the exception that Eddie's girl doesn't die. In the book, she just leaves leaves him. Besides that, there isn't any major difference between the book and the movie.

I read the original short story by Tevis. Guy gets out of prison, first thing he does is try for a score to get a road stake. The idea is California where the living is easy. No good hitting California broke so he takes on a gangster in Chicago, I believe it was. He makes a nice score but someone comes in and recognizes him as a former world champion as he is playing what he intended to be the final game.

The gangster laughs, seems to take things well. This is a very short story and here is where there is a weak spot. I believe the guy's name is Sam in the story, Sam decides to have a nice meal and a nap before hitting the airport. Anybody with decades of experience that just conned a mobster would have grabbed the quickest ticket out of town and bounced from there maybe a stop or two before going to California.

The mobster with a carload of hoods catches Sam. Trapped with nowhere to go he casually gets in the car and tells them hello. Like a lot of short stories we are left hanging there. We don't know if Sam survives or not. Major damage or not. A good short story other than after changing his name and dyeing his hair, buying out of character clothes, then the major stumble, big meal, back to the same room he has been staying in, what turned into a long nap after the long pool session and meal.

Hu