|
|
. |
| |
| The Cincinnati Kid
(1965) |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
| |
One movie you are not allowed to avoid in your life is this
one, but is it actually any good? Well yes it is.
Its 1965 in this film,
as opposed to the 1930s in the Richard Jessup book. This is a good
thing because we feel the big city in the first major scene as McQueen runs
across a rail yard, away from three hoods.
The massive cast might have
gotten in the way of the film but Norman Jewison plays cleverly with the story
line and plays each scene with only two main cast members. That is of course
until he has built the epic ending and then every person in the whole film gets
in it (except Tuesday Weld).
For 1965 the film was ground breaking.
McQueen is seen to be good friends with a Black poker player and Rip Torn gets
in bed with a Black woman in a hotel room. Cab Calloway is one of the major
players in the final scene. Poker was supposedly racially sound forty years ago
- we must have gone backwards since then.
Edward G. is a master in this.
We are supposed to dislike him but he never really does anything to earn that
feeling except being ruthless. But then he is a poker player. Of course we root
for Steve because he's made it from nothing. |
 |
| |
| The major difference
from the book other than being 30 years on, is the transition of Shooter
from being a completely noble guy to being the servant of the real bad guy,
Slade (Rip Torn). In the film he tries to cheat to give the Kid
extra chances but the Kid stops him. Ultimately though, the film is
a little shaky on the actual poker. A strange scene between Slade and
The Man occurs where $4,000 is bet on a Jack high versus a Queen
high. |
| |
| Then there is the
much talked about ( in poker circles, which are quite small ) final hand.
People almost entirely shout loudly that the hand is a mockery but we like to
be different. The hand actually makes sense (albeit unlikely to occur) but it
could do with a commentary to explain why. One day that will appear on this
site. |
|
|
|
| Director |
Norman
Jewison |
Steve
McQueen |
Cincinnati Kid |
| Producer |
Martin
Ransohoff |
Edward G. Robinson |
Lancey
Howard |
| Writing |
Ring
Lardner Jr. et al. |
Ann-Margret |
Melba
|
| Production |
MGM |
Karl
Malden |
Shooter
|
| Cert./Runtime |
113
mins |
Tuesday Weld |
Christian Rudd |
| |
| Also
starring Joan Blondell (as Lady Fingers ), Rip Torn (as Slade ), Jack Weston
(as Pig ), and Cab Calloway (as Yeller). |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Main Menu
