DIRECTOR: Andy Warhol
DIRECTOR: Chuck Wein
PRODUCER: Andy Warhol
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andy Warhol
CAMERA AND ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT: Paul Morrissey
Prepare to be surprised. If your only encounters with Andy Warhol’s cinema are Chelsea Girls or Empire, don’t give up just yet. My Hustler is a very different experience: a film with a straightforward narrative, strong performances, and a sly sense of humor. Shot on Fire Island in 1965, it follows the rivalry among two men and a woman competing for the attention of a young male hustler—openly engaging with queer themes that were daring for its time.
At 76 minutes, the film is brisk and unexpectedly engaging. Warhol shares directorial credit (with Chuck Wein) for the first time, as he would later with Paul Morrissey. Wein’s presence obviously made a difference. Much of the film’s appeal comes from Ed Hood, who transforms what could have been a stock “bitter old queen” role into a hilarious yet sympathetic character. The cast also includes Paul America as the hustler at the center of desire; Joe Campbell (nicknamed the Sugar Plum Fairy) as an older, more seasoned hustler; and Genevieve Charbin Cerf as a straight woman determined to get her share of the action. The Factory’s legendary door person—and Chelsea Girls alum—Dorothy Dean makes a cameo appearance, adding another layer of Warholian texture. All of the actors are uncredited.
The film’s wit, looseness, and sun‑bleached Fire Island energy have made it a favorite among both gay and straight audiences. Conceived by Warhol and Wein, the project relied heavily on improvised dialogue—hence the absence of an official screenwriting credit. Paul Morrissey served as the camera operator and general electrical guru, while Warhol himself is credited as cinematographer. Morrissey was the first to introduce synchronized sound and camera movement into a Factory film, giving My Hustler a clarity and immediacy that set it apart from Warhol’s earlier experiments.
The film premiered at the Filmmakers’ Cinematheque in New York in January 1966 and then ran in alternative and art-house venues across the U.S. through 1968. At the time, the Production Code (Hays Code) still prohibited depictions of homosexuality as “sex perversion”. Mainstream studios had to submit films for approval, but Warhol’s underground productions operated outside the studio system. Because My Hustler was independently produced and distributed through non‑studio channels, it bypassed the Production Code Administration entirely. It never carried the Code seal of approval.
