Fast Eddie Felson is back. But honestly, when the The Color of Money trailer first hit screens in 1986, people weren't just looking for a sequel; they were looking for a passing of the torch. It had been twenty-five years since The Hustler. Twenty-five years since Newman’s Eddie Felson was the young, hungry shark in the smoky pool halls of Chicago. Now, the trailer had to sell something tricky: a world that had moved on from smoke and grit to neon lights and Phil Collins. It worked.
The teaser doesn’t mess around. It opens with that iconic, gravelly Newman voice-over, reminding everyone that "money won is twice as sweet as money earned." That line? It’s legendary. It set the tone for a Martin Scorsese film that felt more like a heist movie than a sports drama. You’ve got the clicking of billiard balls, the rhythmic thumping of a cue, and a very young, very hyperactive Tom Cruise. It was a collision of two eras of Hollywood royalty.
What the Color of Money Trailer Got Right About the 80s
Marketing in the mid-80s was a different beast. Trailers were often long, rambling messes with too much narration, but Scorsese’s team understood rhythm. The The Color of Money trailer uses quick cuts—sharper than a straight razor—to show off Cruise’s "Vincent" character. Vincent is a kid who doesn't just play pool; he performs it. He’s the "flake" with the big gift, and the trailer leans heavily into that kinetic energy.
You see him swinging his cue like a samurai sword to the beat of "Werewolves of London." It’s flashy. It’s loud. It’s exactly what audiences in 1986 wanted. But beneath that, the trailer sneaks in the real hook: the tension between the old master and the arrogant student. It’s a classic trope, sure, but seeing Newman’s weary, cynical eyes staring down Cruise’s manic grin? That’s pure cinema.
The trailer also managed to hide the fact that the movie isn't really about pool. Not in the way The Hustler was. It’s about the soul of a hustler in a corporate world. The trailer highlights the stakes—the "big tournament" in Atlantic City—but it focuses more on the psychology. It shows Eddie teaching Vincent how to "lay down," how to lose on purpose to win big later. It’s about the long game.
Breaking Down the Visual Language
Scorsese didn't just film a pool game; he filmed a war zone. The The Color of Money trailer showcases his signature camera moves. Think about those "whip pans" where the camera flies across the green felt. The sound design in the trailer is equally aggressive. Every "clack" of the balls sounds like a gunshot. This wasn't your grandfather’s pool movie.
Michael Ballhaus, the cinematographer, used a lot of low-angle shots to make the pool table look like a vast, dangerous landscape. When you watch the trailer today, you can see how they were trying to modernize the look of the franchise. It’s sleek. It looks expensive. It looks like money.
The Newman Factor and the Oscar Buzz
Let's be real: the main reason anyone cared about the The Color of Money trailer back then was Paul Newman. He had been nominated for an Oscar seven times without a win. People knew this was his year. The trailer plays into that gravitas. It gives him the space to be "Cool Hand Luke" all grown up.
There is a specific shot in the trailer where Eddie is looking in a mirror, adjusting his suit. It’s a quiet moment in a loud preview. It signals that this movie has layers. It’s not just Cruise jumping on tables; it’s a character study of a man trying to find his "character" again. The trailer effectively promised that Newman was going to finally take home the gold, which he eventually did.
Interestingly, the trailer almost completely ignores the female lead, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. She plays Carmen, Vincent’s girlfriend and the real brains of the operation. In the actual film, she’s the one pulling the strings, but the 1980s marketing machine decided to focus on the "Alpha" battle between the two men. It’s a bit of a dated approach, but it served the "blockbuster" vibe they were going for.
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Behind the Scenes of the Edit
The editing of the The Color of Money trailer was a deliberate attempt to distance itself from the black-and-white gloom of the first film. The color palette is saturated. Deep reds, harsh blues, and that omnipresent green felt. It looked "modern" (for 1986). It promised a high-octane experience.
Some fans of the original Hustler were actually worried by the trailer. They thought it looked too flashy. They thought Cruise was too "Top Gun." But the trailer did its job—it brought in the kids who loved Cruise and the adults who worshipped Newman. It was a bridge between generations.
Why This Trailer Still Matters to Film Students
If you’re a film nerd, you should study the The Color of Money trailer for one reason: pacing. It builds. It starts with a slow burn, establishing Eddie's boredom with his life as a liquor salesman. Then it introduces the "spark" (Vincent). Then the music kicks in. By the end, the cuts are so fast you can barely see the shots, but you feel the momentum.
It’s a masterclass in building hype without giving away the ending. You know there’s a showdown coming. You know Eddie is going to pick up a cue again. But you don't know who wins. That’s the "hustle" of a great trailer. It leaves you wanting more.
Practical Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
When you go back and watch the The Color of Money trailer or the film itself, pay attention to these specific things:
- The Sound of the Break: Scorsese spent weeks getting the sound of the pool balls just right. In the trailer, the sound is actually amplified to create a sense of power.
- The Reflection: Look at how many times the characters are shown in mirrors or glass. It’s a recurring theme about identity.
- The Hands: The trailer focuses a lot on hands—chalking the cue, counting money, shaking hands. It’s a movie about what people do with their hands when they’re lying.
Getting the Most Out of the Color of Money Experience
If you’ve only seen the trailer and haven’t dived into the film recently, you’re missing out on the nuance. The trailer sells a sports movie; the film delivers a mid-life crisis masterpiece.
To really appreciate the The Color of Money trailer and the movie's legacy, start by watching The Hustler first. Seeing the transformation from the 1961 Eddie to the 1986 Eddie is one of the greatest character arcs in cinema history. Then, watch the trailer again. Notice how it subtly references the "old" Eddie while introducing the "new" one.
Next, pay attention to the soundtrack. Robbie Robertson of The Band did the score, and it’s a blues-rock hybrid that perfectly matches the visuals. The trailer uses that energy to make pool—a relatively stationary sport—look like an Olympic event.
Finally, look for the cameos. The trailer doesn't show him, but a very young Forest Whitaker has one of the best scenes in the movie. It’s a reminder that every frame of this film was packed with talent. The trailer was just the tip of the iceberg.
Go watch the film on a high-quality 4K restoration if you can. The colors—the ones the trailer promised—are even more vivid when you see them as Scorsese intended. The way the blue chalk dust hangs in the air under the table lights is something you just don't see in modern, CGI-heavy films. It’s tactile. It’s real. It’s why we still talk about this movie forty years later.