The Hustler (1961, dir. Robert Rossen)

A young pool shark struggles to find himself in the world. Still-effective if slightly stagey drama from the Walter Tevis novel, balancing a faltering love story (perhaps too prominent in the mix) with pool hall and backroom dive bar action. Looks great, and the performances are fun throughout, not least George C Scott’s sly fixer. A sequel followed a generation later.

Here’s the trailer.

Author: Eamonn

Writes. Latest: 2019: East of England - a noir thriller. Other books: Benches of Louth (2018); Juggernaut: a sequel to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2017); Torc, (2016); The Prospect of This City (2015). Twitter: @eamonngriffin

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