Fast Eddie Felson
Some thoughts about Paul Newman.
I've always been somewhat of a complacent moviegoer and I admit that I've only seen a handful of Paul Newman's movies. Most of them on HBO or Cinemax when I was a kid. He's approaching 82 and I am preparing myself for the day I see a headline that reads "Screen Legend, Social Activist and Philanthropist Paul Newman Dies."
Walter Tevis, who wrote both The Hustler and The Color of Money, was posthumously voted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame seven years after he died. Both books are good reads for anyone interested in pool. The differences between those books and the movies they went on to become is a topic that I love to discuss. I have seen The Hustler probably 20 times and every time I watch it I always wonder which scene from it might end up getting used for one of those video-montage-compilation tributes to Newman's life's work. There are so many great possibilities but my suggestion would be the scene from Arthur's Pool Hall. It's right after his opponent (we'll call him "Friend") had suggested raising the bet in a game of 9-ball to "two on the five, five on the nine".
--Fast Eddie: (chuckling) You know what kid, I think maybe you're a hustler.
--Friend: Try me.
--Fast Eddie: (turns immediately serious, not missing a beat) Shoot.
--Friend: (laughing, feigning intimidation) Okay.
Friend breaks and makes the 5 in on the break, camera goes up to Eddie as he is chalking his cue, slight smirk on his face, assessing what he's just seen, and then he pulls out the money he owes.
--Friend: You, uh, sure you don't want to quit, friend?
cut to the legendary scene
--Fast Eddie: Let's cut out the small stuff, huh? Hundred dollar freeze-out. Ten games, ten bucks a game, winner take all. Then we'll see who quits.
(Fast Eddie pulls out a coin)
--Fast Eddie: Call it.
--Friend: Heads.
(coin lands tails)
--Friend: You win.
(Friend goes on to rack)
--Friend: (mocking him) You better not miss, friend.
--Fast Eddie (with scorn): I don't rattle, kid. But just for that I'm gonna beat you flat. (grabs cue ball, breaks and pockets the nine)
--Fast Eddie: That's one.
What follows is a series of combo-carom-billiard shots clearly set up for the movie camera. To the average non-player, the effect of Eddie running ten consecutive games is pretty convincing, considering legendary Willie Mosconi's technical supervision of the film.
--Fast Eddie: That's ten! Now punk, you two-bit punk, come on, pay up, a hundred bucks. (nearly trembling with anger) You quitting, friend?
What happens immediately after this is what takes the movie to a much deeper, darker level. It is Paul Newman's portrayal of Fast Eddie Felson that has singlehandedly kept pool alive in the minds of the movie-watching general public for nearly the past half century. He is irreplaceable. He has my vote for the BCA Hall of Fame. This is a shot from his narration of a piece played by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City, April 16, 2005. Photo by Cary Conover
I've always been somewhat of a complacent moviegoer and I admit that I've only seen a handful of Paul Newman's movies. Most of them on HBO or Cinemax when I was a kid. He's approaching 82 and I am preparing myself for the day I see a headline that reads "Screen Legend, Social Activist and Philanthropist Paul Newman Dies."
Walter Tevis, who wrote both The Hustler and The Color of Money, was posthumously voted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame seven years after he died. Both books are good reads for anyone interested in pool. The differences between those books and the movies they went on to become is a topic that I love to discuss. I have seen The Hustler probably 20 times and every time I watch it I always wonder which scene from it might end up getting used for one of those video-montage-compilation tributes to Newman's life's work. There are so many great possibilities but my suggestion would be the scene from Arthur's Pool Hall. It's right after his opponent (we'll call him "Friend") had suggested raising the bet in a game of 9-ball to "two on the five, five on the nine".
--Fast Eddie: (chuckling) You know what kid, I think maybe you're a hustler.
--Friend: Try me.
--Fast Eddie: (turns immediately serious, not missing a beat) Shoot.
--Friend: (laughing, feigning intimidation) Okay.
Friend breaks and makes the 5 in on the break, camera goes up to Eddie as he is chalking his cue, slight smirk on his face, assessing what he's just seen, and then he pulls out the money he owes.
--Friend: You, uh, sure you don't want to quit, friend?
cut to the legendary scene
--Fast Eddie: Let's cut out the small stuff, huh? Hundred dollar freeze-out. Ten games, ten bucks a game, winner take all. Then we'll see who quits.
(Fast Eddie pulls out a coin)
--Fast Eddie: Call it.
--Friend: Heads.
(coin lands tails)
--Friend: You win.
(Friend goes on to rack)
--Friend: (mocking him) You better not miss, friend.
--Fast Eddie (with scorn): I don't rattle, kid. But just for that I'm gonna beat you flat. (grabs cue ball, breaks and pockets the nine)
--Fast Eddie: That's one.
What follows is a series of combo-carom-billiard shots clearly set up for the movie camera. To the average non-player, the effect of Eddie running ten consecutive games is pretty convincing, considering legendary Willie Mosconi's technical supervision of the film.
--Fast Eddie: That's ten! Now punk, you two-bit punk, come on, pay up, a hundred bucks. (nearly trembling with anger) You quitting, friend?
What happens immediately after this is what takes the movie to a much deeper, darker level. It is Paul Newman's portrayal of Fast Eddie Felson that has singlehandedly kept pool alive in the minds of the movie-watching general public for nearly the past half century. He is irreplaceable. He has my vote for the BCA Hall of Fame. This is a shot from his narration of a piece played by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City, April 16, 2005. Photo by Cary Conover
posted by Cary at 8/09/2006
2 Comments:
Not knowing much about pool except that I enjoy playing it, I was looking for the location of the first Fast Eddie's Billiard Hall chain. It was in this search that I came across your blog. Little did I know that Fast Eddie was a real person or that there had been a movie made based on the events of his life. I'm pleased to have come across your description of this film because it surely has enticed me to see it. Thanks!
A friend said he played golf yesterday in Las Vegas with a guy claiming to be Fast Eddie Felson. Is this guy for real? Some things I have read is that 'Felson' was an alias of a guy named Parker.
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