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<unk> , David ( 1998 ) . " <unk> ( 96 – 98 <unk> ) " . De <unk> <unk> . Retrieved 2007 @-@ 08 @-@ 11 .

Pelham , Henry Francis ( 1911 ) . " <unk> , Marcus <unk> " . In Chisholm , Hugh . <unk> Britannica 19 ( 11th ed . ) . Cambridge University <unk> pp. 393 – 394 .

= The <unk> ( film ) =

The <unk> is a 1961 American drama film directed by Robert <unk> from Walter <unk> 's 1959 novel of the same name , adapted for the screen by <unk> and Sidney Carroll . It tells the story of small @-@ time pool <unk> " Fast Eddie " <unk> and his desire to break into the " major league " of professional <unk> and high @-@ stakes <unk> by high @-@ <unk> that follows it . He throws his raw talent and ambition up against the best player in the country ; seeking to best the legendary pool player " Minnesota <unk> . " After initially losing to <unk> and getting involved with <unk> manager Bert Gordon , Eddie returns to try again , but only after paying a terrible personal price .

The film was shot on location in New York City . It stars Paul Newman as " Fast " Eddie <unk> , Jackie Gleason as Minnesota <unk> , Piper Laurie as Sarah , and George C. Scott as Bert .

The <unk> 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 . Real @-@ life pool player Rudolf <unk> , known at the time as " New York <unk> " and " Chicago <unk> " , claimed to be the real life inspiration for Gleason 's character , Minnesota <unk> , and adopted the name as his own .

= = Plot = =

Small @-@ time pool <unk> " Fast Eddie " <unk> travels cross @-@ country with his partner Charlie to challenge the legendary player " Minnesota <unk> " . Arriving at <unk> ' home pool hall , Eddie declares he will win $ 10 @,@ 000 that night . <unk> arrives and he and Eddie agree to play straight pool for $ 200 a game . After initially falling behind , Eddie <unk> back to being $ 1 @,@ 000 ahead and suggests raising the bet to $ 1 @,@ 000 a game ; <unk> agrees . He sends out a runner , Preacher , to Johnny 's Bar , ostensibly for whiskey , but really to get professional <unk> Bert Gordon to the hall . Eddie gets ahead $ 11 @,@ 000 and Charlie tries to convince him to quit , but Eddie insists the game will end only when <unk> says it is over . <unk> agrees to continue after Bert labels Eddie a " loser . " After 25 hours and an entire bottle of <unk> , Eddie is ahead over $ 18 @,@ 000 , but loses it all along with all but $ 200 of his original stake . At their hotel later , Eddie leaves half of the remaining stake with a sleeping Charlie and leaves .

Eddie <unk> his belongings at the local bus terminal , where he meets Sarah <unk> , an alcoholic who is supported by her father , attends college part @-@ time , and walks with a limp . He meets her again at a bar . They go back to her place but she refuses to let him in , saying he is " too hungry " . Eddie moves into a <unk> house and starts <unk> for small stakes . He finds Sarah again and this time she takes him in , but with reservations . Charlie finds Eddie at Sarah 's and tries to persuade him to go back out on the road . Eddie refuses and Charlie realizes he plans to challenge <unk> again . Eddie realizes that Charlie held out his percentage and becomes enraged , believing that with that money he could have rebounded to beat <unk> . Eddie dismisses Charlie as a scared old man and tells him to " go lie down and die " by himself .

At Johnny 's Bar , Eddie joins a poker game where Bert is playing , and loses $ 20 . 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 <unk> again . Bert calls him a " born loser " but nevertheless offers to stake him in return for 75 % of his <unk> ; Eddie refuses .

Eddie <unk> a local pool shark , exposing himself as a <unk> , and the other players punish him by breaking his <unk> . As he <unk> , Sarah cares for him and tells him she loves him , but he cannot say the words in return . When Eddie is ready to play , he agrees to Bert 's terms , deciding that 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 <unk> a match for Eddie against a wealthy local <unk> named <unk> . The game turns out to be <unk> <unk> , not pool . When Eddie loses badly , Bert refuses to keep <unk> him . Sarah pleads with Eddie to leave with her , saying that the world he is living in and its inhabitants are " <unk> , 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 . Bert arrives first and subjects Sarah to a humiliating sexual encounter . After , she <unk> " <unk> " , " <unk> " , and " <unk> " in lipstick on the bathroom mirror . Eddie arrives back at the hotel to learn that she has killed herself .

Eddie returns to challenge <unk> again , putting up his entire $ 3 @,@ 000 stake on a single game . He wins game after game , beating <unk> so badly that <unk> is forced to quit . Bert demands a share of Eddie 's <unk> and threatens that Eddie will be injured unless he pays . But Eddie says that if he is not killed he will kill Bert when he recovers ; invoking the memory of Sarah , he <unk> Bert into giving up his claim . Instead , Bert orders Eddie never to walk into a big @-@ time pool hall again . Eddie and <unk> compliment each other as players , and Eddie walks out .

= = Cast = =

Cast notes

Pool champion Willie <unk> has a cameo appearance as Willie , who holds the stakes for Eddie and <unk> 's games . <unk> 's hands also appear in many of the <unk> shots .

= = Production = =

The <unk> novel had been optioned several times , including by Frank Sinatra , but attempts to adapt it for the screen were unsuccessful . Director <unk> 's daughter Carol <unk> speculates that previous adaptations focused too much on the pool aspects of the story and not enough on the human interaction . <unk> , who had <unk> 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 <unk> '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 the film Two for the <unk> . <unk> offered <unk> the part after seeing him on The Mike Wallace Interview . When Taylor was forced to drop out of <unk> because of shooting <unk> 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 <unk> or his representatives that he had been replaced ; they found out from a member of the public at a charity horse race .

<unk> filmed The <unk> over six weeks , entirely in New York City . Much of the action was filmed at two now @-@ defunct pool halls , <unk> 's and Ames <unk> Academy . Other shooting locations included a <unk> on East 82nd Street , which served as the Louisville home of Murray Hamilton 's character <unk> , and the Manhattan <unk> bus terminal . The film crew built a dining area that was so realistic that confused passengers sat there and waited to place their orders . Willie <unk> 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 . <unk> , in pursuit of the style he termed " neo @-@ neo @-@ realistic " , hired actual street thugs , enrolled them in 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 <unk> .

Early shooting put more focus on the pool playing , but during filming <unk> made the decision to place more emphasis on the love story between Newman and Laurie 's characters . Despite the change in emphasis , <unk> 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 is playing <unk> , Eddie is positioned below Bert in a two shot but above <unk> 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 <unk> .

= = Themes = =

The <unk> is fundamentally a story of what it means to be a human being , <unk> within the context of winning and losing . Describing the film , Robert <unk> 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 <unk> self @-@ awareness only after a terrible personal tragedy which he has caused — and then he wins his pool game . " Roger <unk> <unk> with this assessment , citing The <unk> as " one of 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 <unk> , relating to his dealings with the House Un @-@ American Activities Committee . 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 <unk> appearance . Ultimately he changed his mind and identified friends and colleagues as party members . Similarly , <unk> sells his soul and betrays the one person who really knows and loves him in a <unk> pact to gain character .

Film and theatre historian <unk> <unk> has identified The <unk> as one of 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 <unk> , of doubt rather than certainty . " No film of the 1950s , <unk> asserts , " took such a brutal , clear look at the ego @-@ affirmation of the one @-@ on @-@ one contest , at the <unk> of the winner or the <unk> vulnerability of the loser . " Although some have suggested the resemblance of this film to classic film noir , <unk> rejects the comparison based on <unk> 's ultra @-@ realistic style , also noting that the film lacks noir 's " <unk> Woman or its <unk> in discovering crime among the <unk> , hungry bank clerks and <unk> wives . " <unk> does note that while Fast Eddie " has a slight fifties ring " , the character " makes a decisive break with the extraordinarily feeling tough guys of the ' rebel ' era ... [ b ] <unk> he does end up seeking out his emotions " and telling Bert that he is a loser because he 's dead inside .

= = Reception = =

The <unk> 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 the film , 20th Century Fox responded by stepping up its promotional activities .

The film was well received by critics , although with the occasional <unk> . Variety praised the performances of the entire main cast but felt that the " <unk> aspects " of the story prevented the film from achieving the " goal of being pure entertainment . " Variety also felt the film was far too long . Stanley <unk> , writing for The New Republic , concurred in part with this assessment . <unk> 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 " <unk> <unk> touches " ( although he also <unk> criticizes her for over @-@ reliance on Method acting ) . While he found that the script " strains hard to give an air of menace and <unk> to the pool hall " and also declares it " full of pseudo @-@ meaning " , <unk> <unk> <unk> '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 <unk> . It is the best use of a <unk> by a director since <unk> photographed <unk> <unk> as Big Daddy . " The New York Times , despite finding that the film " <unk> a bit " and that the romance between Newman and Laurie 's characters " seems a <unk> far @-@ <unk> " , nonetheless found that The <unk> " speaks powerfully in a universal language that <unk> and reveals bitter truths . "

The <unk> received nine Academy Award nominations . The film won two , for Best Art Direction @-@ Set Decoration , Black @-@ and @-@ White ( Harry Horner and Gene <unk> ) and Best <unk> , Black @-@ and @-@ White ( <unk> <unk> ) . The film was also nominated for Best Picture and Newman was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role . Gleason and Scott were both nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role ; Scott refused the nomination . Laurie was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role . <unk> received nominations for Best Director and , with Carroll , for Best Writing , Screenplay Based on Material from Another <unk> .

Newman was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor . Gleason and Scott were each nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Scott was also nominated as Best New Star of the Year . At the 1962 BAFTA Awards , The <unk> tied with the Soviet film Ballad of a Soldier for Best Film from Any Source . Newman won for Best Foreign Actor and Piper Laurie was nominated for Best Foreign Actress . Gleason was honored as Best Supporting Actor by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and the film was named among the Board 's ten best films of 1961 . <unk> was named Best Director by the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and <unk> and Carroll shared the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Drama .

American Film Institute <unk>

<unk> 's 100 Years ... 100 Movies - <unk>

<unk> 's 100 Years ... 100 <unk> - <unk>

<unk> 's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes and <unk> :

Bert Gordon - <unk> <unk>

<unk> 's 100 Years ... 100 Movie <unk> :

" Eddie , you 're a born loser . " - <unk>

<unk> 's 100 Years ... 100 Movies ( 10th <unk> Edition ) - <unk>

<unk> 's 10 Top 10 - # 6 Sports Film

= = Legacy = =

In the decades since its release , The <unk> has cemented its reputation as a classic . Roger <unk> , echoing earlier praise for the performances , direction , and cinematography and adding <unk> for editor <unk> Allen , cites the film as " one of those films where scenes have such psychic weight that they grow in our memories . " He further cites Fast Eddie <unk> as one of " only a handful of movie characters so real that the audience refers to them as <unk> . " TV Guide calls the film a " dark <unk> " offering " a <unk> world whose only bright spot is the top of the pool table , yet [ with ] characters [ who ] maintain a <unk> nobility and grace . " The four leads are again lavishly praised for their performances and the film is summed up as " not to be missed . "

Paul Newman reprised his role as Fast Eddie <unk> in the 1986 film The Color of Money , for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role . A number of observers and critics have suggested that this Oscar was in <unk> recognition for his performance in The <unk> . In 1997 , the Library of Congress selected The <unk> for preservation in the United States National Film <unk> as " culturally , historically , or <unk> significant . " Carroll and <unk> 's screenplay was selected by the Writers Guild of America in 2006 as the <unk> best motion picture screenplay of all time . In June 2008 , <unk> 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 <unk> was acknowledged as the sixth best film in the sports genre .

The <unk> 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 <unk> , who , despite having won multiple world championships , was virtually unknown to the general public . Perhaps the greatest <unk> of the film 's popularity was a real @-@ life pool <unk> named Rudolf <unk> . <unk> claimed in an interview at the time of the film 's release that the character of Minnesota <unk> was based on <unk> , who at the time was known as " New York <unk> " . <unk> immediately adopted the Minnesota <unk> nickname and <unk> his association with the film into book and television deals and other ventures . Author Walter <unk> denied for the rest of his life that <unk> 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 , Ed Parker , and Eddie <unk> .