Underplayed Gems

The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

The Cincinnati Kid poster
Directed by
Norman Jewison
Genre
drama film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 42m
Rated
NR
Rating
7.0 of 10 from 308 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A young poker player in the 1930s aims to prove he is the best by challenging a renowned older champion. The story focuses on their showdown and the final hand that decides the outcome.

tensegrittyclassicunderstatedmasculinecooldeterminedhigh-stakes

What happens

The Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 American sports drama film directed by Norman Jewison. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best. This quest leads him to challenge Lancey "The Man" Howard, an older player widely considered to be the best, culminating in a climactic final poker hand between the two. The script, adapted from Richard Jessup's 1963 novel of the same name, was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Terry Southern; it was Lardner's first major studio work since his 1947 blacklisting as one of The Hollywood Ten. The film stars Steve McQueen in the title role and Edward G. Robinson as Howard. Director Jewison, who replaced Sam Peckinpah shortly after filming began, describes The Cincinnati Kid as his "ugly duckling" film. He stated in his autobiography that he felt "sheer joy" in making the film. He considers it the film that allowed him to make the transition from the lighter comedic films he had been making and take on more serious films and subjects. The film garnered mixed reviews from critics on its initial release. Joan Blondell earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Lady Fingers. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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