The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Richard Jessup (novel)
Ring Lardner Jr. (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 October 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A RAMBLING - GAMBLING MAN ... ! !

Plot:

An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game.

Plot Keywords:

Poker | Poker Player | 1930s | Stud Poker | Cemetery

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	The Cincinnati Kid
Edward G. Robinson	...	Lancey Howard
Ann-Margret	...	Melba
Karl Malden	...	Shooter
Tuesday Weld	...	Christian
Joan Blondell	...	Lady Fingers
Rip Torn	...	Slade
Jack Weston	...	Pig
Cab Calloway	...	Yeller
Jeff Corey	...	Hoban
Theodore Marcuse	...	Felix (as Theo Marcuse)
Milton Selzer	...	Sokal
Karl Swenson	...	Mr. Rudd
Émile Genest	...	Cajun (as Emile Genest)
Ron Soble	...	Danny
Irene Tedrow	...	Mrs. Rudd
Midge Ware	...	Mrs. Slade
Dub Taylor	...	Dealer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andy Albin	...	Referee (uncredited)
William Challee	...	Old man (uncredited)
Mimi Dillard	...	Slade's girlfriend (uncredited)
Robert DoQui	...	Philly (uncredited)
Larry Duran	...	Gambler, First Game (uncredited)
Donald Elson	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Sweet Emma	...	Blues singer (uncredited)
Ken Grant	...	Shoeshine Boy (uncredited)
Claude Hall	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Virginia Harrison	...	Employee (uncredited)
John Hart	...	Poker player (uncredited)
Harry Hines	...	Old man in pool hall (uncredited)
Brenda Howard	...	Cajun's woman (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Gambler, First Game (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Spectator at cockfight (uncredited)
Sandy Kevin	...	Poker player (uncredited)
Gregg Martell	...	Danny's henchman (uncredited)
Pat McCaffrie	...	Poker player (uncredited)
Burt Mustin	...	Old man in pool hall (uncredited)
Barry O'Hara	...	Eddie (uncredited)
Brett Pearson	...	Gambler, First Game (uncredited)
Joyce Perry	...	Mrs. Hoban (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Railroad Worker (uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Desk clerk (uncredited)
Robert Stevenson	...	Gambler, First Game (uncredited)
Joseph B. Stewart	...	White man at funeral parade (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Bettor (uncredited)
Paul Verdier	...	Second Bettor (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Old man (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	...	(uncredited)
Howard Wendell	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Spectator at Cockfight (uncredited)
Dick Winslow	...	Second Player (uncredited)
Bill Zuckert	...	Poker player (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
Richard Jessup		(novel "The Cincinnati Kid")
Ring Lardner Jr.		(screenplay) and
Terry Southern		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Calley	....	associate producer
Martin Ransohoff	....	producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Philip H. Lathrop

Film Editing by
Hal Ashby

Art Direction by
Edward C. Carfagno		(as Edward Carfagno)
George W. Davis

Set Decoration by
Henry Grace
Hugh Hunt

Costume Design by
Donfeld

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist
Jay Sebring	....	hair designer: Steve McQueen (uncredited)

Production Management
Austen Jewell	....	unit production manager
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	assistant production manager: MGM (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kurt Neumann	....	assistant director
Lynn Guthrie	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor

Stunts
Archie Butler	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Duran	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bud Ekins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Armbruster	....	conductor: orchestra
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• Filmways Pictures (producer) (as Filmways)
• Solar Productions (producer) (as Solar)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (2005) (Argentina) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Cincinnati Kid (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Cincinnati Kid (Italy) [it]
Cincinnati Kid (Sweden) [sv]
Cincinnati Kid (Poland) [pl]
Cincinnati Kid (Denmark) [da]
Cincinnati Kid und der Pokerkönig (West Germany) [de]
El gran desafío (Venezuela) [es]
El rey del juego (Spain) [es]
Kumarbazlar krali (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Le Kid de Cincinnati (France) [fr]
O Aventureiro de Cincinnati (Portugal) [pt]
O hartopaiktis (Greece) [el]
Täyskäsi-Kid (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | UK:AA (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1993) | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Spencer Tracy was originally cast as Lancey Howard but poor health forced him to withdraw and he was replaced by Edward G. Robinson.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Kid is accusing Shooter of cheating by dealing him winning hands, Shooter begins to deny it, and the Kid grabs Shooter by the lapels and bangs him into the door. When he does that, the whole door and jamb and the wall beside it visibly shake and move, showing that the wall is definitely not a real wall.

Quotes:

Lady Fingers: How you holdin' up, Lancey?
Lancey Howard: Lady Fingers, that young man is a stud poker playing son of a...
Lady Fingers: He's gettin' to you, ain't he?
Lancey Howard: No, Lady, he hasn't gotten to me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Odd Couple (1968)

Soundtrack:

The Cincinnati Kid

A poker classic with suspense, realistic characters and a stunning cast

Steve McQueen, who was deservedly called Mister Cool, plays the young upcoming poker player, already said to be among the best in the business. But there is one he hasn't played against, The Man, Lancey Howard, played by the great Edward G. Robinson. With the help of his friend Shooter they set up the big fight. While having a high suspense factor in the poker scenes, the non-poker ones might get a bit boring at times, especially in the love story between the Kid and his girlfriend Christian. But when it comes to playing this gets almost perfect. McQueen has the ideal poker face, and so has Robinson, and they both play their parts realistically and brilliantly. McQueen was said not to be a real actor, just a poser, they said he didn't act he only looked, but he proves it wrong here. His facial expressions are perfect, and he plays the young hotshot player convincingly.

Needless to say the cast is the really stunning cast. Next to the afro-mentioned McQueen and Robinson, there's the always reliable Karl Malden, as Shooter. Malden has the most developed character in the picture, and he does a great job. And the women, oh my god, two stunning young ladies are here in all their glory. Ann-Margret plays the cheater, the femme fatal, the sexy beast, who's married to Shooter but wants the Kid. Surely one of the most attractive actresses of her time, actually all time, Ann is presented here in all her glory and beauty and sex appeal. Her seduction of McQueen early in the film, is incredibly sexy, and played brilliantly. They say Ann learned to act during Carnal Knowledge in '71. but that's not true, she already was a versatile and talented actress here. Watch her face during the cockfight scenes, or her cheating while doing a jigsaw puzzle, she acts naturally, and does a great job. And those tight dresses she wears with lots of cleavage are eye candy in its best form. One of the sexiest performances ever. Definitely shows you can be looking divine, and having acting talent at the same time.

Tuesday Weld plays the good girl, the girl from the country, Christian, and while not as pretty as Ann, she's quite a looker too, and she's also a talented and natural actress. The supporting cast is rounded out by Joane Blondell, Rip Torn, Cab Calloway and Jack Weston, all great actors who all do a fine job. Music score by Lalo Schifrin is good too, and so is the title track sung by legendary Ray Charles.

As for the often-mentioned, often-criticized last hand, it's Hollywood, only Hollywood, not a poker documentary. The film needs a strong climax, and gets it. Norman Jewison is a fine director, and especially the poker scenes and head-shots are well directed. Not much action, not much character development but it's not much of a problem. If only Peckinpah had directed, now that could have been something, Jewison is a great substitute, but I like the thought Peckinpah could have even improved it.