IMDb > The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
The Cincinnati Kid
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The Cincinnati Kid (1965) More at IMDbPro »

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The Cincinnati Kid (1965) -- Trailer: #2
The Cincinnati Kid (1965) -- Trailer: #1

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   5,258 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 62% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Richard Jessup (novel)
Ring Lardner Jr. (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Cincinnati Kid on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
15 October 1965 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
A RAMBLING - GAMBLING MAN ... ! ! more
Plot:
An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins more
User Reviews:
A poker classic with suspense, realistic characters and a stunning cast more (79 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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)
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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)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

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]
more
Runtime:
102 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Spencer Tracy was originally cast as Lancey Howard but poor health forced him to withdraw and he was replaced by Edward G. Robinson. more
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. more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Odd Couple (1968) more
Soundtrack:
The Cincinnati Kid more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
21 out of 27 people found the following review useful.
A poker classic with suspense, realistic characters and a stunning cast, 8 November 2005
10/10
Author: floydianer from Germany

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.

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peckinpah russellbuhr_mjmag
How many think the kid was a better player than the man. and really won? tricksoftrade02
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No string bets? RicoMuerte
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