The Hustler
Fast‑talking pool prodigy “Fast Eddie” Felson stakes everything on a showdown with the legendary Minnesota Fats, forcing him to confront his own self‑destructive bravado before the high‑stakes game destroys more than just his reputation.
“They called him Fast Eddie. He was a winner. He was a loser. He was a hustler.”
Synopsis
Fast Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with considerable talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado leads him to challenge the legendary Minnesota Fats to a high-stakes match.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 83+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Dede AllenShot by Eugen SchufftanScored by Kenyon HopkinsDesigned by Harry Horner
Box Office
1961 · Box office
✅ Made its money back — grossed 3.8× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$7.6M
Also known as
- Haie der Großstadtde
- El buscavidases
- L'Arnaqueurfr
- Lo spacconeit
- (Bulgarian)Играчът на билярд
Release dates around the world4 countries · showhide
- United StatesSep 24, 1961
- United KingdomOct 26, 1961
- ItalyOct 27, 1961
- GermanyDec 5, 1961
Companies
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Cast & Crew
83 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Paul Newman
as Eddie Felson
Jackie Gleason
as Minnesota Fats
Piper Laurie
as Sarah Packard
George C Scott
as Bert Gordon
Myron Mccormick
as Charlie Burns
Murray Hamilton
as Findley
Michael Constantine
as Big John
Stefan Gierasch
as Preacher
Clifford A Pellow
as Turk
Jake Lamotta
as Bartender
Gordon B Clarke
as Cashier
Alexander Rose
as Score Keeper
Supporting cast
25Carolyn Coates
as Waitress
Carl York
as Young Hustler
Vincent Gardenia
as Bartender
William Adams
as Old Doctor
Tom Ahearne
as Bartender
Charles Andre
as Waiter at Parisien Restaurant
Don Crabtree
as Small Role
Gloria Curtis
as Girl with Fur Coat
Robert Daget
Don De Leo
as Another Player
Charles Dierkop
as Pool Room Hood
William Duell
as Billy (Louisville Hustler)
James Dukas
as Kibitzer
Brendan Fay
as Player
Larry Gaynes
as Extra in Poolroom
Jack Healy
as Hotel Proprietor
Hoke Howell
as Bit Part
Don Koll
as Racetrack Ticket Clerk
Charles Mcdaniel
as Reservation Clerk at Louisville Hotel
Charles Mosconi
as Second Man
Willie Mosconi
as Willie
Sid Raymond
as First Man
Art Smith
as Old Man Attendant
Paul Stevens
as Maître d' at fancy restaurant
Blue Washington
as Limping Attendant at Ames Billiards
Directors
1Writers
3Producers
1Other crew
45Felix Trimboli
assistant camera (uncredited)
William Cronjager
assistant cameraman
Don Kranze
assistant director (uncredited)
Ulu Grosbard
assistant director (uncredited)
Charles H Maguire
assistant director (as Charles Maguire)
Dick Stone
assistant film editor (as Richard Stone)
Albert Brenner
associate art director
Walter Tevis
based on the novel by (as Walter S. Tevis)
Saul Midwall
camera operator
David Golden
chief electrician
Martin Nallan
chief grip (as Martin Nallan Jr.)
Eugen Schufftan
Cinematographer, director of photography (as Eugene Shuftan)
Parents Guide
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