106-456: The Hustler is a 1961 sports drama film , directed by Robert Rossen . It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, who challenges legendary pool player " Minnesota Fats ". The film, which was based on the 1959 book of the same name by Walter Tevis , stars Paul Newman as Fast Eddie, Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats, Piper Laurie as Sarah, George C. Scott as Bert, and Myron McCormick as Charlie. The Hustler
212-406: A cameo appearance as Willie, who holds the stakes for Eddie and Fats's games. Mosconi's hands also appear in many of the closeup shots. The Tevis novel had been optioned several times, including by Frank Sinatra , but attempts to adapt it for the screen were unsuccessful. Director Rossen's daughter Carol Rossen speculates that previous adaptations focused too much on the pool aspects of
318-492: A wage or salary ). Amateur participation in sport at lower levels is often called "grassroots sport". The popularity of spectator sport as a recreation for non-participants has led to sport becoming a major business in its own right, and this has incentivised a high paying professional sport culture, where high performing participants are rewarded with pay far in excess of average wages, which can run into millions of dollars. Some sports, or individual competitions within
424-464: A "25% slice of something big is better than a 100% slice of nothing". Bert, Eddie and Sarah travel to the Kentucky Derby , where Bert arranges a match for Eddie against a wealthy local socialite named Findley. The game turns out to be three-cushion billiards , not pool. When Eddie loses badly, Bert refuses to keep staking him. Sarah pleads with Eddie to leave with her, saying that the world he
530-402: A "born loser" but nevertheless offers to stake him in return for 75% of his winnings; Eddie refuses. Eddie goes back to hustling to get the money he needs to play Fats. After hustling a local player at a pool room near the waterfront, Eddie is attacked after winning and his thumbs are broken. After Sarah helps Eddie convalesce, and when he’s ready to play, he agrees to Bert's terms, deciding that
636-547: A "tie" or "draw", in which there is no single winner; others provide tie-breaking methods to ensure one winner. A number of contests may be arranged in a tournament format, producing a champion . Many sports leagues make an annual champion by arranging games in a regular sports season , followed in some cases by playoffs . Sport is generally recognised as system of activities based in physical athleticism or physical dexterity , with major competitions admitting only sports meeting this definition. Some organisations, such as
742-549: A Leading Role . A number of observers and critics have suggested that this Oscar was in belated recognition for his performance in The Hustler , as well as some of his other Oscar-nominated performances in films like Cool Hand Luke and The Verdict . In the decades since its release, The Hustler has cemented its reputation as a classic. Roger Ebert , echoing earlier praise for the performances, direction, and cinematography and adding laurels for editor Dede Allen , cites
848-717: A ball has crossed the goal line or not. The technology is not compulsory, but was used in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, as well as in the Premier League from 2013–14 , and the Bundesliga from 2015–16 . In the NFL , a referee can ask for a review from the replay booth, or a head coach can issue a challenge to review the play using replays. The final decision rests with
954-462: A dining area that was so realistic that confused passengers sat there and waited to place their orders. Willie Mosconi served as technical advisor on the film and shot a number of the trick shots in place of the actors. All of Gleason's shots were his own; they were filmed in wide-angle to emphasize having the actor and the shot in the same frames. Rossen, in pursuit of the style he termed "neo-neo-realistic", hired actual street thugs, enrolled them in
1060-471: A disability have no equivalent in able-bodied sports. Masters sport , senior sport , or veteran sport is an age category of sport, that usually contains age groups of those 35 and older. It may concern unaltered or adapted sport activities, with and without competitions. Competitions The competition element of sport, along with the aesthetic appeal of some sports, result in the popularity of people attending to watch sport being played. This has led to
1166-426: A game. After initially falling behind, Eddie surges back to being $ 1,000 ahead and suggests raising the bet to $ 1,000 a game. Eddie gets ahead $ 11,000 and Charlie tries to convince him to quit, but Eddie insists the game will end only when Fats says it is over. Fats agrees to continue after a spectator, the professional gambler Bert Gordon, labels Eddie a "loser". After 25 hours and an entire bottle of bourbon, Eddie
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#17327939562311272-439: A handful of films from the early 1960s that re-defined the relationship of films to their audiences. This new relationship, he writes, is "one of challenge rather than flattery, of doubt rather than certainty". No film of the 1950s, Mordden asserts, "took such a brutal, clear look at the ego-affirmation of the one-on-one contest, at the inhumanity of the winner or the castrated vulnerability of the loser". Although some have suggested
1378-617: A member of the public at a charity horse race. Rossen filmed The Hustler over six weeks, entirely in New York City. Much of the action was filmed at two now-defunct pool halls, McGirr's and Ames Billiard Academy. Other shooting locations included a townhouse on East 82nd Street, which served as the Louisville home of Murray Hamilton's character Findley, and the Manhattan Greyhound bus terminal. The film crew built
1484-528: A miss during a straight pool exhibition in Springfield, Ohio on March 19–20, 1954. A handwritten and notarized affidavit with the signatures of more than 35 eyewitnesses exists as proof of this feat. The record has been surpassed, with 626 consecutive balls run by John Schmidt on May 27, 2019, recorded on a videotape. Critics have argued that Mosconi's record was made in competition while Schmidt simply set up break shots for himself, and that his video
1590-430: A national recreation activity. During the 1940s and 1950s, the pocket billiards game most often played in competition was called straight pool , or 14.1 continuous, a form of pool considered by most top players to be more difficult than today's fast tournament game nine-ball . Mosconi set the officially-recognized straight pool high run world record of 526 consecutive balls in 1954. Mosconi's family lived above
1696-449: A pool hall that William's father, Joseph Mosconi, owned. Despite that, Joseph was strongly opposed to his son playing pocket billiards, preferring he become a Vaudeville performer like his cousins, the dancers Charles and Louis Mosconi . He tried to keep his young son away from the game by hiding the billiard balls, but Willie improvised by practicing with an old broomstick and small potatoes from his mother's kitchen. The young Mosconi
1802-571: A short while, Mosconi was making a living as a professional pool player. Willie claimed he never hustled anyone, beating everyone honestly: "I played everyone straight". In 1933, Mosconi competed in the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) World Straight Pool Championship . Erwin Rudolph won the title and Willie came in 5th place. His performance garnered the attention of the president of Brunswick Corporation who immediately hired
1908-482: A single game. He wins game after game, beating Fats so badly that Fats is forced to quit. Bert demands half of Eddie's winnings and threatens to have him beaten unless he pays. Eddie says he will come back to kill Bert if he survives, shaming Bert into giving up his claim by invoking Sarah's memory. Instead, Bert orders Eddie never to walk into a big-time pool hall again. Eddie and Fats compliment each other as players, and Eddie walks out. Pool champion Willie Mosconi has
2014-769: A small number of mind sports, it is not open to admitting any further mind sports. There has been an increase in the application of the term "sport" to a wider set of non-physical challenges such as video games , also called esports (from "electronic sports"), especially due to the large scale of participation and organised competition, but these are not widely recognised by mainstream sports organisations. According to Council of Europe , European Sports Charter, article 2.i, " 'Sport' means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels." There are opposing views on
2120-468: A sport from other leisure activities varies between sources. The closest to an international agreement on a definition is provided by the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), which is the association for all the largest international sports federations (including association football , athletics , cycling , tennis , equestrian sports , and more), and is therefore
2226-471: A sport, retain a policy of allowing only amateur sport . The Olympic Games started with a principle of amateur competition with those who practised a sport professionally considered to have an unfair advantage over those who practised it merely as a hobby. From 1971, Olympic athletes were allowed to receive compensation and sponsorship, and from 1986, the IOC decided to make all professional athletes eligible for
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#17327939562312332-509: A story of what it means to be a human being, couched within the context of winning and losing. Describing the film, Robert Rossen said: "My protagonist, Fast Eddie, wants to become a great pool player, but the film is really about the obstacles he encounters in attempting to fulfill himself as a human being. He attains self-awareness only after a terrible personal tragedy which he has caused — and then he wins his pool game." Roger Ebert concurs with this assessment, citing The Hustler as "one of
2438-849: A stroke in 1956, Mosconi slowed down on his tournament appearances in order to recover. In 1958 Mosconi made a return and won the National Invitational Tournament defeating Jimmy Moore . Mosconi retired from tournament play in 1966, after once again making it to the final of the World Straight Pool Championship but losing to Joe Balsis . He remained active in promoting the game and consulted and appeared in several movies dealing with billiards, made game show appearances and wrote many articles on billiards, as well as co-authored some books. A feud with pool hustler Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone (concocted mainly by Wanderone himself) kept Mosconi in
2544-555: Is running , while association football is the most popular spectator sport. The word "sport" comes from the Old French desport meaning " leisure ", with the oldest definition in English from around 1300 being "anything humans find amusing or entertaining". Other meanings include gambling and events staged for the purpose of gambling; hunting; and games and diversions, including ones that require exercise. Roget's defines
2650-453: Is a form of physical activity or game . Often competitive and organized , sports use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills . They also provide enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Many sports exist, with different participant numbers, some are done by a single person with others being done by hundreds. Most sports take place either in teams or competing as individuals. Some sports allow
2756-437: Is a problem at some national and international sporting contests. Female participation in sports continues to rise alongside the opportunity for involvement and the value of sports for child development and physical fitness . Despite increases in female participation during the last three decades, a gap persists in the enrollment figures between male and female players in sports-related teams. Female players account for 39% of
2862-467: Is accompanied by his partner, Charlie, at a pool room in a small town. Pretending to be salesmen on their way to a convention, Eddie and Charlie convince onlookers that Eddie is a drunk blowhard, and induce them to bet on Eddie to lose a trick shot. He wins and takes their money. Eddie and Charlie arrive in Ames, Iowa, where Eddie challenges the legendary player Minnesota Fats to play straight pool for $ 200
2968-436: Is ahead over $ 18,000, but loses it all along with all but $ 200 of his original stake. Fats declares the game over. At their hotel later, Eddie leaves a sleeping Charlie without saying goodbye. Eddie stashes his belongings in a locker at a bus terminal, where he meets Sarah Packard, an alcoholic. They begin a relationship and he moves in with her. Charlie finds Eddie at Sarah's apartment and tries to persuade him to go back out on
3074-431: Is also a major source of entertainment for non-participants, with spectator sport drawing large crowds to sport venues , and reaching wider audiences through broadcasting . Sport betting is in some cases severely regulated, and in others integral to the sport. According to A.T. Kearney , a consultancy, the global sporting industry is worth up to $ 620 billion as of 2013. The world's most accessible and practised sport
3180-516: Is common for popular sports to attract large broadcast audiences, leading to rival broadcasters bidding large amounts of money for the rights to show certain events. The football World Cup attracts a global television audience of hundreds of millions; the 2006 final alone attracted an estimated worldwide audience of well over 700 million and the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final attracted an estimated audience of 135 million in India alone. In
3286-420: Is living in and its inhabitants are "perverted, twisted, and crippled"; he refuses. Seeing Eddie's anger, Bert agrees to let the match continue at $ 1,000 a game. Eddie comes back to win $ 12,000. He collects his $ 3,000 share and decides to walk back to the hotel where he discovers that Sarah has committed suicide, because of Bert's sadism. Eddie returns to challenge Fats again, putting up his entire $ 3,000 stake on
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3392-465: Is playing Findley, Eddie is positioned below Bert in a two shot but above Findley while still below Bert in a three shot. When Sarah enters the room, she is below Eddie in two-shot while in a three-shot Eddie is still below Bert. When Eddie is kneeling over Sarah's body, Bert again appears above him but Eddie attacks Bert, ending up on top of him. Eddie finally appears above Bert in two-shot when Eddie returns to beat Fats. The Hustler is, fundamentally,
3498-842: The 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin , and the 1936 Winter Olympics held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen , to promote the Nazi ideology of the superiority of the Aryan race , and inferiority of the Jews and other " undesirables ". Germany used the Olympics to give off a peaceful image while secretly preparing for war. When apartheid was the official policy in South Africa, many sports people, particularly in rugby union , adopted
3604-608: The Council of Europe , preclude activities without any physical element from classification as sports. However, a number of competitive, but non-physical, activities claim recognition as mind sports . The International Olympic Committee who oversee the Olympic Games recognises both chess and bridge as sports. SportAccord , the international sports federation association, recognises five non-physical sports: chess, bridge, draughts , Go and xiangqi . However, they limit
3710-646: The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) if she/he played or supported Association football , or other games seen to be of British origin. Until recently the GAA continued to ban the playing of football and rugby union at Gaelic venues. This ban, also known as Rule 42, is still enforced, but was modified to allow football and rugby to be played in Croke Park while Lansdowne Road was redeveloped into Aviva Stadium . Until recently, under Rule 21,
3816-538: The Mosconi Cup , an annual pool competition between American and European players, was founded in his honor. The event has been held every year since then. In 2006, Mosconi was posthumously honored with membership in the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame . Shortly before winning his first World Straight Pool Championship in 1941, Mosconi married Ann Harrison, his first wife. Shortly thereafter
3922-483: The Screen Actors Guild and used them as extras. Scenes that were included in the shooting script but did not make it into the final film include a scene at Ames pool hall establishing that Eddie is on his way to town (originally slated to be the first scene of the film) and a longer scene of Preacher talking to Bert at Johnny's Bar which establishes Preacher is a junkie . Early shooting put more focus on
4028-752: The Valley Billiards Hall of Fame tribute dinner show. The event was hosted by billiard artists the Birkbeck Twins at the Williamson Restaurant in Horsham, Pennsylvania . Both players were stopped every couple of racks for interviews. His story was also featured in an episode of Mysteries at the Museum. In 1968, at the age of 55, Mosconi was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame . In 1994 ,
4134-616: The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Mosconi won all three sets of the competition, which included nine-ball, eight-ball, and rotation, 5–2, 5–3 and 5–2 respectively. Aired on ABC 's Wide World of Sports with commentator Howard Cosell and referee Charles Ursitti . Throughout the 1970s and 1980s: Mosconi made several other television appearances competing in challenge matches with other legends such as Jimmy Caras, Luther Lassiter , Irving Crane , Joe Balsis and "Fats" Wanderone. Many of these shows aired on ABC and
4240-675: The de facto representative of international sport. GAISF uses the following criteria, determining that a sport should: They also recognise that sport can be primarily physical (such as rugby or athletics ), primarily mind (such as chess or Go ), predominantly motorised (such as Formula 1 or powerboating ), primarily co-ordination (such as snooker and other cue sports ), or primarily animal-supported (such as equestrian sport ). The inclusion of mind sports within sport definitions has not been universally accepted, leading to legal challenges from governing bodies in regards to being denied funding available to sports. Whilst GAISF recognises
4346-489: The war on drugs encourage youth sport as a means to increase educational participation and to fight the illegal drug trade . According to the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital , the biggest risk for youth sport is death or serious injury including concussion . These risks come from running, basketball, association football, volleyball, gridiron, gymnastics, and ice hockey. Youth sport in
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4452-496: The ' rebel ' era ... [b]ut he does end up seeking out his emotions" and telling Bert that he is a loser because he's dead inside. The Hustler had its world premiere in Washington, D.C., on September 25, 1961. Prior to the premiere, Richard Burton hosted a midnight screening of the film for the casts of the season's Broadway shows, which generated a great deal of positive word of mouth . Initially reluctant to publicize
4558-657: The GAA also banned members of the British security forces and members of the RUC from playing Gaelic games, but the advent of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 led to the eventual removal of the ban. Nationalism is often evident in the pursuit of sport, or in its reporting: people compete in national teams, or commentators and audiences can adopt a partisan view. On occasion, such tensions can lead to violent confrontation among players or spectators within and beyond
4664-523: The IOC or SportAccord are required to implement a testing programme, looking for a list of banned drugs, with suspensions or bans being placed on participants who test positive for banned substances. Violence in sports involves crossing the line between fair competition and intentional aggressive violence. Athletes, coaches, fans, and parents sometimes unleash violent behaviour on people or property, in misguided shows of loyalty, dominance, anger, or celebration. Rioting or hooliganism by fans in particular
4770-413: The Olympics, with the exceptions of boxing , and wrestling. Technology plays an important part in modern sport. It is a necessary part of some sports (such as motorsport), and it is used in others to improve performance. Some sports also use it to allow off-field decision making. Sports science is a widespread academic discipline, and can be applied to areas including athlete performance, such as
4876-505: The Town later known as The Ed Sullivan Show on April 23, 1950 and January 6, 1952, September 25, 1961: Theatrical release of The Hustler (see above ) . February 5, 1962: Mosconi was a contestant on the television game show I've Got a Secret . September 2, 1962: Mosconi was a contestant on the television game show What's My Line? . 1966: An episode of Get Smart , "The Dead Spy Scrawls" {1/18}, featured actor Harry Bartell in
4982-518: The US is a $ 15 billion industry including equipment up to private coaching. Disabled or adaptive sports are played by people with a disability , including physical and intellectual disabilities . As many of these are based on existing sports modified to meet the needs of people with a disability, they are sometimes referred to as adapted sports . However, not all disabled sports are adapted; several sports that have been specifically created for people with
5088-687: The United States, the championship game of the NFL , the Super Bowl , has become one of the most watched television broadcasts of the year. Super Bowl Sunday is a de facto national holiday in America; the viewership being so great that in 2015, advertising space was reported as being sold at $ 4.5m for a 30-second slot. Sport can be undertaken on an amateur, professional or semi-professional basis, depending on whether participants are incentivised for participation (usually through payment of
5194-790: The activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. The well-known sentiment by sports journalist Grantland Rice , that it is "not that you won or lost but how you played the game", and the modern Olympic creed expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin : "The most important thing... is not winning but taking part" are typical expressions of this sentiment. Key principles of sport include that the result should not be predetermined, and that both sides should have equal opportunity to win. Rules are in place to ensure fair play, but participants can break these rules in order to gain advantage. Participants may cheat in order to unfairly increase their chance of winning, or in order to achieve other advantages such as financial gains. The widespread existence of gambling on
5300-415: The ancient Olympics up to the present century. Industrialisation has brought motorised transportation and increased leisure time , letting people attend and follow spectator sports and participate in athletic activities. These trends continued with the advent of mass media and global communication. Professionalism became prevalent, further adding to the increase in sport's popularity, as sports fans followed
5406-807: The audience watching the match. Mosconi also had a cameo role as himself in George Thorogood's official video for his song "Bad to the Bone". 1937: Super Cue Men , a short feature starring Mosconi, Jimmy Caras and Joi Lansing . 1945: Columbia World of Sports : "Champion of the Cue", an eight-minute "sports reel" in which Mosconi demonstrates his cueing expertise in slow motion. 1953: Columbia World of Sports : "Billiard and Bowling Champs", another short documentary starring Willie Mosconi and carom billiards great Willie Hoppe (as well as bowlers), once again in slow motion. 1950–57: Mosconi appeared on Toast of
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#17327939562315512-434: The challenge match, which was the largest first place prize in cue sports at the time. Mosconi authored an autobiography titled Willie's Game , published in 1993. He and a ghost writer authored an instructional book on pocket billiards entitled Willie Mosconi on Pocket Billiards . In the book he offers advice on fundamentals, includes photographs and diagrams on shotmaking and provides straight pool strategies. The book
5618-471: The community in sports such as mass media campaigns, educational sessions, and policy changes. There is also no high-quality studies that investigate the effect of such interventions in promoting healthy behaviour change in the community. sports is one of the important part of life Benito Mussolini used the 1934 FIFA World Cup , which was held in Italy, to showcase Fascist Italy . Adolf Hitler also used
5724-483: The conscientious approach that they should not appear in competitive sports there. Some feel this was an effective contribution to the eventual demolition of the policy of apartheid, others feel that it may have prolonged and reinforced its worst effects. In the history of Ireland, Gaelic sports were connected with cultural nationalism . Until the mid-20th century a person could have been banned from playing Gaelic football , hurling , or other sports administered by
5830-561: The end of the match time. Artifacts and structures suggest sport in China as early as 2000 BC. Gymnastics appears to have been popular in China's ancient past. Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a number of sports, including swimming and fishing, were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt . Other Egyptian sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling. Ancient Persian sports such as
5936-431: The end. He is beaten, but knows when to quit. Rossen often points out and exposes class divisions; for example, when Minnesota Fats asks Preacher, a junkie willing to run errands, to get him some "White Tavern whiskey, a glass and some ice", Eddie counters by ordering cheap bourbon, without any of the niceties: "J.T.S. Brown, no ice, no glass." Film and theatre historian Ethan Mordden has identified The Hustler as one of
6042-585: The exploits of professional athletes – all while enjoying the exercise and competition associated with amateur participation in sports. Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been increasing debate about whether transgender sports people should be able to participate in sport events that conform with their post-transition gender identity . Sportsmanship is an attitude that strives for fair play, courtesy toward teammates and opponents, ethical behaviour and integrity, and grace in victory or defeat. Sportsmanship expresses an aspiration or ethos that
6148-698: The few American movies in which the hero wins by surrendering, by accepting reality instead of his dreams". The film was also somewhat autobiographical for Rossen, relating to his dealings with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). A screenwriter during the 1930s and '40s, he had been involved with the Communist Party in the 1930s and refused to name names at his first HUAC appearance. Ultimately he changed his mind and identified friends and colleagues as party members. Similarly, Felson sells his soul and betrays
6254-490: The film Two for the Seesaw . Rossen offered Darin the part after seeing him on The Mike Wallace Interview . When Taylor was forced to drop out of Seesaw because of shooting overruns on Cleopatra , Newman was freed up to take the role, which he accepted after reading just half of the script. No one associated with the production officially notified Darin or his representatives that he had been replaced; they found out from
6360-436: The film "strays a bit" and that the romance between Newman and Laurie's characters "seems a mite far-fetched", nonetheless found that The Hustler "speaks powerfully in a universal language that spellbinds and reveals bitter truths". American Film Institute Lists: Paul Newman reprised his role as "Fast Eddie" Felson in the 1986 film The Color of Money , for which he won his one and only Academy Award for Best Actor in
6466-399: The film a weighted average score of 90 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". The film was well received by critics, although with the occasional reservation. Variety praised the performances of the entire main cast but felt that the "sordid aspects" of the story prevented the film from achieving the "goal of being pure entertainment". Variety also felt the film
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#17327939562316572-487: The film as "one of those films where scenes have such psychic weight that they grow in our memories". He further cites Eddie as one of "only a handful of movie characters so real that the audience refers to them as touchstones". TV Guide calls the film a "dark stunner", offering "a grim world whose only bright spot is the top of the pool table, yet [with] characters [who] maintain a shabby nobility and grace". The four leads are again lavishly praised for their performances and
6678-475: The film is summed up as "not to be missed". Carroll and Rossen's screenplay was selected by the Writers Guild of America in 2006 as the 96th best motion picture screenplay of all time. In June 2008, AFI released its " Ten top Ten "—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. The Hustler was acknowledged as the sixth best film in
6784-501: The film, 20th Century-Fox responded by stepping up its promotional activities. Box office was healthy, with estimated eventual U.S. - Canada rentals of $ 3,000,000, according to Variety magazine. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason give iconic performances in this dark, morally complex tale of redemption." Metacritic assigned
6890-486: The first of his three children was born, William, Jr., who attended St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia and graduated with the class of 1959. Willie's and Ann's daughter, Candace, followed soon after William, Jr. The marriage ended in divorce. Mosconi married his second wife, Flora Marchini, in 1953. Their daughter Gloria was born in 1954. Flora remained married to Willie until his death in 1993. Willie Mosconi died of
6996-568: The fledgling ESPN network. May 9, 1980: Mosconi played a sportscaster in the film The Baltimore Bullet starring James Coburn and Omar Sharif . 1982: He appeared in the music video for George Thorogood 's " Bad to the Bone ", as a spectator and betting on Bo Diddley 's character. October 1984:In the Resorts International Shoot-Out—Mosconi lost to his rival "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone. August 10, 1991: Mosconi played his last challenge match, against Jimmy Caras at
7102-553: The greatest pool players of all time. Between the years of 1941 and 1957, he won the World Straight Pool Championship nineteen times. For most of the 20th century, his name was essentially synonymous with pool in North America ;– he was nicknamed " Mr. Pocket Billiards " – and he was among the first Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame inductees. Mosconi pioneered and regularly employed numerous trick shots , set many records, and helped to popularize pool as
7208-414: The host broadcaster, a number of different technologies are used during an umpire or player review, including instant replays, Hawk-Eye , Hot Spot and Real Time Snickometer . Hawk-Eye is also used in tennis to challenge umpiring decisions. Research suggests that sports have the capacity to connect youth to positive adult role models and provide positive development opportunities, as well as promote
7314-427: The impact of losing on less able participants, there has been an introduction of non-competitive physical activity to traditionally competitive events such as school sports days , although moves like this are often controversial. In competitive events, participants are graded or classified based on their "result" and often divided into groups of comparable performance, (e.g. gender, weight and age). The measurement of
7420-509: The impact of technical advantage between participants. For example, in 2010, full-body, non-textile swimsuits were banned by FINA , as they were enhancing swimmers' performances. The increase in technology has also allowed many decisions in sports matches to be taken, or reviewed, off-field, with another official using instant replays to make decisions. In some sports, players can now challenge decisions made by officials. In Association football , goal-line technology makes decisions on whether
7526-535: The incumbent president is more likely to win, and if the Redskins lose, then the opposition candidate is more likely to win; this has become known as the Redskins Rule . Willie Mosconi William Joseph Mosconi ( / m ɒ ˈ s k oʊ n i / ; June 27, 1913 – September 17, 1993) was an American professional pool player from Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Mosconi is widely considered one of
7632-431: The learning and application of life skills . In recent years the use of sport to reduce crime , as well as to prevent violent extremism and radicalization , has become more widespread, especially as a tool to improve self-esteem , enhance social bonds and provide participants with a feeling of purpose. There is no high-quality evidence that shows the effectiveness of interventions to increase sports participation of
7738-599: The necessity of competition as a defining element of a sport, with almost all professional sports involving competition, and governing bodies requiring competition as a prerequisite of recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or GAISF. Other bodies advocate widening the definition of sport to include all physical activity. For instance, the Council of Europe include all forms of physical exercise, including those competed just for fun. In order to widen participation, and reduce
7844-525: The noun sport as an "activity engaged in for relaxation and amusement" with synonyms including diversion and recreation. The singular term "sport" is used in most English dialects to describe the overall concept (e.g. "children taking part in sport"), with "sports" used to describe multiple activities (e.g. "football and rugby are the most popular sports in England"). American English uses "sports" for both terms. The precise definition of what differentiates
7950-581: The number of mind games which can be admitted as sports. Sport is usually governed by a set of rules or customs , which serve to ensure fair competition. Winning can be determined by physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first. It can also be determined by judges who are scoring elements of the sporting performance, including objective or subjective measures such as technical performance or artistic impression. Records of performance are often kept, and for popular sports, this information may be widely announced or reported in sport news . Sport
8056-416: The one person who really knows and loves him in a Faustian pact to gain character. Rossen also takes aim at capitalism, often showing money as a malign and corrupting influence. Eddie, Bert and Findley are all shown to be perverted by their pursuit of money. Of the pool hall inhabitants, only Minnesota Fats, who never handles money himself, focusing only on the game he is playing, is uncorrupted and undamaged by
8162-399: The pool playing, but during filming Rossen made the decision to place more emphasis on the love story between Newman and Laurie's characters. Despite the change in emphasis, Rossen still used the various pool games to show the strengthening of Eddie's character and the evolution of his relationship to Bert and Sarah, through the positioning of the characters in the frame. For example, when Eddie
8268-572: The referee. A video referee (commonly known as a Television Match Official or TMO) can also use replays to help decision-making in rugby (both league and union ). In international cricket, an umpire can ask the Third umpire for a decision, and the third umpire makes the final decision. Since 2008, a decision review system for players to review decisions has been introduced and used in ICC -run tournaments, and optionally in other matches. Depending on
8374-433: The resemblance of this film to classic film noir , Mordden rejects the comparison based on Rossen's ultra-realistic style, also noting that the film lacks noir's "Treacherous Woman or its relish in discovering crime among the bourgeoisie, hungry bank clerks and lusty wives". Mordden does note that while Fast Eddie "has a slight fifties ring", the character "makes a decisive break with the extraordinarily feeling tough guys of
8480-412: The result may be objective or subjective, and corrected with "handicaps" or penalties. In a race, for example, the time to complete the course is an objective measurement. In gymnastics or diving the result is decided by a panel of judges, and therefore subjective. There are many shades of judging between boxing and mixed martial arts, where victory is assigned by judges if neither competitor has lost at
8586-596: The result of sports events can affect the results. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that when the home team wins the game before the election, the incumbent candidates can increase their share of the vote by 1.5 per cent. A loss had the opposite effect, and the effect is greater for higher-profile teams or unexpected wins and losses. Also, when Washington Redskins win their final game before an election, then
8692-450: The results of sports events creates a motivation for match fixing , where a participant or participants deliberately work to ensure a given outcome rather than simply playing to win. The competitive nature of sport encourages some participants to attempt to enhance their performance through the use of medicines, or through other means such as increasing the volume of blood in their bodies through artificial means . All sports recognised by
8798-472: The road. Eddie refuses and Charlie realizes he plans to challenge Fats again. Eddie learns that Charlie had money he could have used to rebound and beat Fats. Eddie dismisses Charlie as a scared old man and tells him to "lay down and die by yourself". Eddie joins a poker game where Bert is playing. Afterward, Bert tells Eddie that he has talent as a pool player but no character. He figures that Eddie will need at least $ 3,000 to challenge Fats again. Bert calls him
8904-500: The role of "Willie Marconi," trying to teach Maxwell Smart how to play pool. While some have erroneously believed this is a cameo of Willie Mosconi playing himself, the Marconi character is a fictitious but obvious tribute to Mosconi, who is acknowledged by The Chief as "the greatest pool player in the world." February 25, 1978: "The Great Pool Shoot-Out", a US$ 15,000 match between Rudolf "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone, Jr. and Mosconi at
9010-486: The script "strains hard to give an air of menace and criminality to the pool hall" and also declares it "full of pseudo-meaning", Kauffmann lauds Rossen's "sure, economical" direction, especially in regard to Gleason who, he says, does not so much act as "[pose] for a number of pictures which are well arranged by Rossen. It is the best use of a manikin by a director since Kazan photographed Burl Ives as Big Daddy." A. H. Weiler of The New York Times , despite finding that
9116-558: The specific phenomenon of spectator sport. Both amateur and professional sports attract spectators, both in person at the sport venue, and through broadcast media including radio , television and internet broadcast. Both attendance in person and viewing remotely can incur a sometimes substantial charge, such as an entrance ticket, or pay-per-view television broadcast. Sports league and tournament are two common arrangements to organise sport teams or individual athletes into competing against each other continuously or periodically. It
9222-658: The sporting venue, as in the Football War . These trends are seen by many as contrary to the fundamental ethos of sport being carried on for its own sake and for the enjoyment of its participants. Sport and politics collided in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Masked men entered the hotel of the Israeli Olympic team and killed many of their men. This was known as the Munich massacre . A study of US elections has shown that
9328-465: The sports genre. The Hustler is credited with sparking a resurgence in the popularity of pool in the United States, which had been on the decline for decades. The film also brought recognition to Willie Mosconi , who, despite having won multiple world championships, was virtually unknown to the general public. Perhaps the greatest beneficiary of the film's popularity was a real-life pool hustler named Rudolf Wanderone . Mosconi claimed in an interview at
9434-464: The spotlight well into the 1970s and 1980s. In 1974, Mosconi competed against Rex Williams in a challenge match, where both players competed in snooker and in various pocket billiards games in a 17 day competition, to conclude the winner. The 60 year old Mosconi won the challenge, winning 7 out of the 18 games in snooker , while dominating in straight pool , nine-ball , eight-ball , one-pocket , and bank pool . Mosconi earned $ 15,000 for winning
9540-537: The story and not enough on the human interaction. Rossen, who had hustled pool himself as a youth and who had made an abortive attempt to write a pool-themed play called Corner Pocket , optioned the book and teamed with Sidney Carroll to produce the script. According to Bobby Darin 's agent, Martin Baum, Paul Newman's agent turned down the part of Fast Eddie. Newman was originally unavailable to play Fast Eddie regardless, being committed to star opposite Elizabeth Taylor in
9646-575: The time of Ancient Greece and the military culture and the development of sport in Greece influenced one another considerably. Sport became such a prominent part of their culture that the Greeks created the Olympic Games , which in ancient times were held every four years in a small village in the Peloponnesus called Olympia . Sports have been increasingly organised and regulated from the time of
9752-716: The time of the film's release that the character of Minnesota Fats was based on Wanderone, who at the time was known as "New York Fatty". Wanderone immediately adopted the Minnesota Fats nickname and parlayed his association with the film into book and television deals and other ventures. Author Walter Tevis denied for the rest of his life that Wanderone had played any role in the creation of the character. Other players would claim, with greater or lesser degrees of credibility, to have served as models for Fast Eddie, including Ronnie Allen , Ed Taylor, Eddie Parker , and Eddie Pelkey. Notes Bibliography Sports Sport
9858-465: The total participation in US interscholastic athletics. Certain sports are mixed-gender , allowing (or even requiring) men and women to play on the same team. One example of this is Baseball5 , which is the first mixed-gender sport to have been admitted into an Olympic event. Youth sport presents children with opportunities for fun, socialisation, forming peer relationships, physical fitness , and athletic scholarships . Activists for education and
9964-403: The traditional Iranian martial art of Zoorkhaneh had a close connection to warfare skills. Among other sports that originated in ancient Persia are polo and jousting . Various traditional games of India such as Kho kho and Kabbadi have been played for thousands of years. The kabaddi was played potentially as a preparation for hunting. A wide range of sports were already established by
10070-460: The use of video analysis to fine-tune technique, or to equipment, such as improved running shoes or competitive swimwear . Sports engineering emerged as a discipline in 1998 with an increasing focus not just on materials design but also the use of technology in sport, from analytics and big data to wearable technology . In order to control the impact of technology on fair play, governing bodies frequently have specific rules that are set to control
10176-454: The young phenom. That same year, Mosconi embarked on a hectic cross-country exhibition tour promoting Brunswick products. Mosconi was joined by his idol and then World Champion Ralph Greenleaf , who was at the top of his game. In the end the scoreline read 57 wins for Greenleaf and a close 50 for the 20-year-old Mosconi. From 1940 to 1941, a round-robin tournament series was sponsored by billiard halls, with eight invitational players. Mosconi
10282-431: Was a prodigy and his father soon realized that he could use his son's talent to help earn money for their growing family. Joseph Mosconi began advertising challenge matches, and though Willie had to stand on a box in order to reach the table, he beat experienced players many years his senior. In 1919, an exhibition match was arranged between six-year-old Mosconi and the reigning World Champion, Ralph Greenleaf . The hall
10388-796: Was a major critical and popular success, gaining a reputation as a modern classic. Its exploration of winning, losing, and character garnered a number of major awards; it is also credited with helping to spark a resurgence in the popularity of pool. In 1997, the Library of Congress selected The Hustler for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The Academy Film Archive preserved The Hustler in 2003. A 1986 sequel, The Color of Money , starred Newman reprising his role as Felson, for which he won his only Academy Award . "Fast Eddie" Felson
10494-433: Was already skilled at billiards, and Mosconi recommended Gleason for the role of the original "Minnesota Fats". Mosconi also had a cameo role as himself, acting as a stakes holder during the first match-up between the film's characters "Fast Eddie" Felson and "Minnesota Fats". Gleason can be heard saying "Willie, hang on to that" when the match commences. At various points in the extended scene, Mosconi can be seen in
10600-419: Was far too long. Stanley Kauffmann , writing for The New Republic , concurred in part with this assessment. Kauffmann strongly praised the principal cast, calling Newman "first-rate" and writing that Scott's was "his most credible performance to date". Laurie, he writes, gives her part "movingly anguished touches" (although he also mildly criticizes her for over-reliance on Method acting ). While he found that
10706-419: Was never released. In similar fashion to Schmidt, on January 18, 2022 as part of the "Legends of Pocket Billiards" high run series, Jayson Shaw completed a 51-rack record-breaking run of 714, however, after review of the unedited video by a BCA committee of 5 people it was noted that on the 45th ball, Jayson Shaw inadvertently touched an object ball. The outing was certified as a run of 669. Mosconi's record
10812-554: Was packed, and though Greenleaf won that match, Mosconi played well enough to draw considerable attention and launch his professional career. In 1924, at the age of 11, Mosconi was the juvenile straight pool champion and was regularly holding trick shot exhibitions. By the early 1930s, Mosconi had taken a brief hiatus from the game, but returned a few years later in the hopes of earning some money. Upon his return, Mosconi entered one local tournament after another and according to his autobiography, "Willie's Game", he won them all. After
10918-526: Was published originally [number 121 in the Little Sports Library series] by Ziff-Davis Publishing Company of Chicago & New York in July 1948. It was reissued by Crown Publishers of New York in 1959. A second ghost-written book (which on some finer points contradicts On Pocket Billiards ) was also published under his name. Mosconi set the world record by running 526 consecutive balls without
11024-525: Was set on a 4 × 8 foot Brunswick table with 5 1/4 inch corner pockets at the East High Billiard Club. Schmidt's run was on a 4 1/2 by 9 foot table which is more difficult in the sense that longer shots are required but which is easier to play on in the sense that there is more room for the balls to spread, creating unfettered shots. Mosconi competed successfully on 4 1/2 × 9 and even 5 x 10 ft tables. Mosconi
11130-534: Was sponsored by a hall in New York City called McGirr's. He dominated this series, and ran 125 balls from the break five times, being one of the first players to achieve this feat at the time. In 1944, Mosconi enlisted in the United States Army , having already spent several years working within the defense industry. When World War II ended, he returned to a successful tournament career and renewed his affiliation with Brunswick. After suffering
11236-453: Was the technical advisor on the 1961 film The Hustler , starring Paul Newman , Jackie Gleason , George C. Scott , and Piper Laurie . The movie played a major part in the boom in the popularity of pool. Mosconi's job was to teach Newman how to walk, talk, and shoot like a real pool hustler. Newman had never even picked up a pool cue before filming, but Mosconi's instruction helped to hide Newman's inexperience. According to Mosconi, Gleason
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