The Player is a 1971 about pool hustler named Lou, his relationship with a woman named Sylvia who hates his way of life, and how they try to navigate his passion for pool and his unorthodox lifestyle. It was directed by former billiards professional Thomas DeMartini and stars Minnesota Fats as ‘The Player’, and draws heavy inspiration from his life and the world of pool.
While the film had been previously lost, FT Depot uploaded a copy in his classic 35mm 4K style:
Regarding this lost film, the best background we have been able to put together on the history of this specific 35mm print is that it played at a theater on its original release in 1971. It is unknown if the distributor abandoned the print or why it was never returned and instead sat in the theater for around 15-20 years until the theater closed. The theater’s projection service technician fortunately saw it was discarded and took it with him when he was removing the projection equipment.
It’s an important part of pool history and you should definitely check it out if you’re into any kind of billiards game.