The Hustler

The test of what a man has inside him - the basic Hemingway-style masculine story that's frequently set in the bullring in America, in the world of sports, especially among prizefighters - is set here in the world of pool sharks. Paul Newman is the young contender Fast Eddie Felson, and Jackie Gleason is the old champ Minnesota Fats. Paul Newman was only a promising and somewhat successful actor until performing the part of the brash, lonely, love-and-reputation seeking pool shark, "Fast" Eddie Felson. This single role turned Newman's career and made him an overnight superstar.