Thoughts on The Hustler and Color of Money books?
- Thread starter outrider1
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I know one thing for sure and tha
I wonder how two books by the same author produced such different movies. Is it just the wildly different leads - Newman the actor vs. Cruise the face?
pj
chgo
pj
chgo
outrider1
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Correct, 25 cents each from a 2nd hand store.
Marketing — Cruise being more marketable than Newman at that period.
Lou Figueroa
outrider1
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Exactly, Walter Tevish was and excellent writer. Both books have the same good quality. It's the producers/directors I believe. Had they followed the COM's direction we would have two classic movies IMO.
outrider1
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Like the books storyline way better.
outrider1
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My thoughts exactly! I saw the COM when it came out. But reading the book amazed me,I'd love to see it like Tevish meant it to be!
Was Tevis involved in both screenplays?
Edit: I just checked and Tevis died a couple years before COM was released (1984 - 1986). I suppose he still could have been involved, at least in the beginning.
pj
chgo
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outrider1
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I really don't know, maybe someone does? I know the Hustler followed the authors writing better than COM.
Ames Billiards isn’t even involved and Fast Eddie winds up working for Bert, not walking out.
The action is centered around Chicago. But the main characters are all the same. At the end,
after beating Fats and being told by Bert he was still Eddie’s manager, he tosses his brass joint
cue to Gordon saying “find me a locker to keep this in.” which is what Fats did. It’s a different
ending but just as realistic as the film’s version. In fact, I liked it more than the movie’s ending.
The action is centered around Chicago. But the main characters are all the same. At the end,
after beating Fats and being told by Bert he was still Eddie’s manager, he tosses his brass joint
cue to Gordon saying “find me a locker to keep this in.” which is what Fats did. It’s a different
ending but just as realistic as the film’s version. In fact, I liked it more than the movie’s ending.
L.S. Dennis
Well-known member
Oddly enough there’s some idle talk about doing a third movie to finish off the trilogy. This would be totally up to Cruise of course, but an interesting thought nonethelessl Someone would have to pen a good script and of course it would be without Newman but it’s not that crazy of an ideal We have to see what kind of shape Kieth is in these days to play Cruise’s adversary in the film. Like I said just idle talk but an interesting idea.
outrider1
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I've heard that myself.
Mine is one old book since it’s a reprint by Dell printing in July 1961.
I tried getting a copy of the original by Harper and Bros. but couldn’t
justify spending $500 and that was a very long time ago. Bennington’s
was the centerpiece pool hall. Maybe it was switched to Ames in the
film because Jackie Gleason was filming his TV show in the CBS studios
on W. 57th St. Ames was located in Times Square on W. 44th St. & 7th Ave.
I tried getting a copy of the original by Harper and Bros. but couldn’t
justify spending $500 and that was a very long time ago. Bennington’s
was the centerpiece pool hall. Maybe it was switched to Ames in the
film because Jackie Gleason was filming his TV show in the CBS studios
on W. 57th St. Ames was located in Times Square on W. 44th St. & 7th Ave.
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tomatoshooter
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It's a little ironic that the back cover says "behind the eight ball" when the predominant game is straight pool. I can't remember if they played 9 ball or something else right before Eddie gets his thumbs broken, and they played carom at the Kentucky Derby.