Newman’s “Fast Eddie” Felson is a brilliant pool shark who must contend with an unscrupulous sponsor, an alcoholic lover, and a legendary competitor in this gritty yet stylish drama directed and co-written by Robert Rossen (All the King’s Men) from the novel by Walter Tevis. According to Paul Newman’s friend, screenwriter Walon Green, “It was the only script in his life when he read the first five pages and knew it was dead right for him.” The film won Oscars for its black-and-white art direction and cinematography and received nine nominations, including for the performances of Newman, Piper Laurie, Jackie Gleason, and George C. Scott.