Need some Newman? Check out “The Hustler”

The Library of Congress Mount Pony Theater in Culpeper is taking a rain check on its screening of the late Paul Newman’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969, 20th Cen-tury Fox) and making way for “The Hustler” from 1961, also starring the late, great actor.

And it’s all so we can see his blue eyes better.

“Butch Cassidy” was originally scheduled as the Jan. 17 matinee in the Mount Pony Theater as part of the month-long tribute to movie stars who passed away last year.

Considering it’s the 40th anni-versary of the rowdy train robbery flick, 20th Century Fox is working on a new restoration and plans to donate a copy to the Packard Campus of the National Audio Visual Conservation Center and archives in Culpeper.

The donation was expected last month, said LOC staffer Jenny Paxson, but technical problems in the lab have delayed the process. Butch and Sundance are coming to the Mount Pony Theater as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the LOC pays tribute to Newman with “The Hustler,” for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson.

Newman got robbed that year, but interestingly, Paxson pointed out, he nabbed the prize more than 20 years later for playing the very same character in 1987’s “The Color of Money.”

“The Hustler” was named to the National Film Registry in 1997 and is said to be a crackling good morality tale.

It shows Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. on Mount Pony. All movies are free.

RESERVATIONS: (540) 827-1079 x79994 or (202) 707-9994.
Don’t have reservations? Show up in the lobby early to get on stand-by. All outstanding reservations will be awarded 10 minutes prior to show time to those with stand-by tickets.