The new A24 film Marty Supreme hit theaters on Christmas day, just a few weeks ago. The critically acclaimed sports drama is loosely based on the true story of a ping pong extraordinaire from the late 40s and 50s. Since announced, Marty Supreme has created quite the buzz on social media, whether that be the star studded cast with names like Gwnyth Paltrow and Tyler the Creator, or the seven year training process Timothee Chalamet went through in order to prepare for his leading role. Senior Emily Gu remarked, “I feel like every time I have opened any social media recently I have seen something about Marty Supreme.” But who was the real “Marty Supreme” and how did the sport of ping pong land him his own film?
Early Life
Born on February 1st, 1930 to Jewish parents Sarah and Morris Reisman, Marty grew up on East Broadway, New York City with his older brother David. He didn’t grow up with much, as his family’s main source of income was derived from his father driving taxi cabs, and young Marty often struggled with anxiety.
After one specifically hard anxiety driven breakdown, Marty and his family began to search for a better way to cope with his stress. That’s when Marty first discovered his ping pong prowess at a local community center. From then on he couldn’t get enough; winning his first Junior City Championship at the age of 13.
Marty the Showman
Quickly growing out of simply beating the other kids he knew again and again at the game, Marty took his skill and transformed it into a more lucrative venture. He would place bets and hustle his opponents at Lawrence’s Broadway Table Tennis Club on 54th, easily racking in the profits as no one stood a chance against his level of skill. And, he quickly became known for his cocky demeanor, playing blindfolded or sitting down just to show off his abilities.
At this age, he also traveled all over for national and international competitions, and began to make connections with other well known players. From the age of 19 to 21, Marty and dear friend Douglass Cartland started their own comedy ping pong act in which they would play the game with untraditional objects instead of paddles, like their shoes or frying pans. The duo would even open for the Harlem Globetrotters.
Peak Career
Marty’s more traditional career was no less exciting. By 1952, Reisman had already earned five bronze medals at the World Table Tennis Championships in team, duo and individual events, and was on track to be that year’s World Champion in Bombay, India. However, Reisman was dethroned by Japan’s Jiroji Satoh.
When he wasn’t out winning metals, Marty was running the Riverside Table Tennis Club on 96th street. His club has been home to many well known names such as Hollywood’s Dustin Hoffman and the chess prodigy Bobby Fischer.
In order to preserve his name for generations to come, Reisman published his own autobiography in 1974, titled The Money Player: the Confessions of America’s Greatest Table Tennis Player and Hustler, recounting all the drama of his successful career in the sport.
Later Years
As he aged, Marty didn’t stop, going on to become the oldest player to win a racket sport national championship with his US National Hardbat (a style of ping pong) Championship in 1997, at the age of 67. Although he eventually took a step back from the table, Marty continued to appear in the media, known by his fashionable signature fedora and flashy clothing.
Legacy
Although Reisman passed away in 2012, at the age of 82, his long and lively personality remains well-known as a part of the ping pong community and even beyond. In fact, he is one of the only people in the niche sport to have a film be created about them. The story of Marty Reisman is intriguing enough to live on on its own, but the new film will ensure his legacy never dies and reaches audiences beyond those who know the sport. To this point sophomore Izzie Donnelly offered “I had never heard of him before, but this movie was so exciting!”
