Mickarackit

Mick:

Yeah, yeah, you understood Burt's real name. Right on with Bernie Schwartz. Like you I always thought Rock Hudson was Roy "Fitzgerald", but with some research I find it actually was Roy Harold Scherer, Jr. Close on Tab Hunter, but not Aaron Klum--I think it was Andrew Kelm. What great fun from one one-eyed fat man to another.

As to THE HUSTLER, well sir, let's try and get you straightened out. First of all there were two actors that played bartenders; one was Jake LaMotta, doing a cameo for friend and director Robert Rossen, and the other was Vincent Gardenia. Now it is my understanding that both Newman and Gleason made all their own shots except one; the masse shot. Champion pool player Willie Mosconi did a cameo in the film, and he made that "one" shot for Newman. I think he was the one who racked the balls for them too.

And now some trivia questions from the film for you. What famous actor turned down the part of Fast Eddie before Newman was considered? What actor was in competition with Newman and lost the part to him? Paul Newman almost turned the part himself, because he was contracted to be in a film with Elizabeth Taylor (No, not CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, that was years before), but when Liz was held up finishing CLEOPATRA, the proposed film fell through. Oddly when the film finally got done it starred Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine. What was the name of that film? What famous actress turned down the part that went to Piper Laurie in HUSTLER?

There, that should challenge the cortex for you! As to the Charles Manson question, I can't recall what actor was supposed to be at the Tate/Polanski household. Maybe Roddy McDowell or Troy Donahue? Do you like to play Six Degrees of Separation, where you pick an actor, say Paul Newman, and then pick another out of the air, and figure out 1-6 films where they worked with someone who worked with someone who leads to Paul Newman. So we just pick an actor, say Robin Williams. The idea is to get back to Paul Newman with film roles. So let us begin:
Robin Williams was in THE BIRDCAGE with Gene Hackman.
Gene Hackman was in UNFORGIVEN with Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman was in ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THEIVES with Kevin Costner. Kevin Costner was in WATERWORLD with Dennis Hopper.
Dennis Hopper was in COOL HAND LUKE with "Paul Newman".
So we made it to Newman with only 5 degrees of separation. Can you dig it?

Glenn

Mick wrote:

That Burt Lancaster thing was I thought a good joke that backfired. I knew that was his real name and you caught me with my trivia trousers down. Here goes: Tony Curtis aka Bernie Swartz; Rock Hudson aka Roy Fitzgerald; Tab Hunter aka Aaron Klum? Don't bet your next paycheck on the aka's or spelling but not to bad for a one eye'd fat man. What actor did Psycho Charles Manson have in mind as his primary murder victim for his Psycho women who was scheduled to be at the Tate Polanski house for dinner. If that's to easy, In the Hustler who played the bartender where Paul Newman met Piper Laurie in a couple of scenes and who played the guy who racked the balls for them when Gleason said his first name with "rack em ?????". He also shot some of Newman's trick shots but Gleason shot all his own.

Regards: Mickarackit cuz he can't smack it.