Continuing my alternating pattern between Paul Newman and Michelle Williams movies, I watched the Robert Rossen (All The King’s Men, Body and Soul) 1961 classic The Hustler. This movie stars Paul Newman (Cool Hand Luke, Hud), perhaps in his most recognizable role. If someone were asked to name a billiards player, either real or fictional, the name Fast Eddie Felson would be on the tips of most people’s tongues. Twenty-five years between the release of The Hustler and 1986’s The Color of Money is the longest period between an original movie and its first sequel. Newman’s performance as Fast Eddie in the sequel is the one that won him his overly due Oscar Win for Best Actor.
Category Archives: Classics
Hud (1963)
What a great actor Paul Newman is. An eight-time Oscar nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Newman finally won for 1986’s The Color of Money. During 11 years between 1958-1969, Newman received an Oscar nomination an astonishing six times. We have all seen the first two of these (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Hustler) movies. His third nomination was as the title role of the slightly less recognized Hud.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Roman Polanski’s (The Pianist, Chinatown) first American film, 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby, is a classic film that has held the test of time and should be viewed by every film fan at least once. Though classified primarily as a horror film, it isn’t scary compared to today’s movies. However, it does have a certain eeriness that only the legendary film directors (such as Alfred Hitchcock in Psycho and others) could capture in that day and age. It’s neither the darkness nor the freaky-looking characters that establish the fear. Instead, the fascinating, web-weaving storyline captures the audience’s interest for the film’s duration.