The Cincinnati Kid

''The Cincinnati Kid'' is a 1965 American 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 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 considers it the film that allowed him to transition from the lighter comedic films he had previously been making and take on more serious films and subjects.

The film garnered mixed reviews from critics on its initial release; supporting actors Robinson and Joan Blondell earned award nominations for their performances.

Plot

In the 1930s Eric Stoner, nicknamed "The Kid", is an up-and-coming poker player in New Orleans. He hears that Lancey Howard, a longtime master of the game nicknamed "The Man", is in town, and sees it as his chance to finally become the Man himself. The Kid's friend Shooter cautions him, reminding the Kid how Shooter thought he was the best five-card stud player in the world, until Howard "gutted" him when they played.

Howard arranges a game with wealthy and corrupt William Jefferson Slade, who secures Shooter's services as dealer. Howard wins $6,000 from Slade over a 30-hour game, angering Slade and wounding his pride. That night at Slade's home, he tries to bribe Shooter into cheating in the Kid's favor when the two players meet. Shooter declines, but Slade calls in Shooter's markers worth $12,000, and blackmails him by threatening to reveal damaging information about Shooter's sleazy wife, Melba. Shooter agonizes over his decision, having spent the last 25 years building a reputation for integrity.

With the Kid's girl Christian visiting her parents, Melba tries to seduce him, even though she and Christian are close friends. Out of respect for Shooter, he rebuffs her, and spends the day before the game with Christian at her family's farm.

The Kid intentionally arrives late to the game. The big game starts with six players, including Howard and the Kid, with Shooter playing as he deals and Lady Fingers relieving him whenever Shooter needs a break. In the first big confrontation between the Kid and Howard, the Kid is short $2,000 and Slade steps in to stake him. Several hours later, Howard busts a player called Pig, perhaps with a bluff, and the remaining players take a break. Following the break, Lady Fingers, who has been delighting in needling Howard all evening, takes over as dealer and continues to needle him.

As the game wears on, Shooter only deals, and then after another hand when Howard outplays them, two more players, Yeller and Sokal, drop out. That leaves just Howard and the Kid. After a few unlikely wins, the Kid calls for a break and confronts Shooter, who admits to being forced into cheating by Slade. The Kid insists he can win on his own and tells Shooter to deal straight or he will blow the whistle, destroying Shooter's reputation. Before the game resumes, Melba succeeds in seducing the Kid. Christian makes a surprise visit to the room, catches them after the fact and walks out on the Kid.

Slade tells the Kid that Shooter will continue to cheat for him and confronts him with a menacing thug, but the Kid flatly refuses. Back at the game, the Kid maneuvers to have Shooter replaced by Lady Fingers, lying that Shooter is ill. He then wins several major pots from Howard, who is visibly losing confidence.

During the final hand Howard beats the Kid with a queen-high straight flush. The Kid turns over his cards to show he has a full house, aces full of tens. This loss devastates the Kid, who not only loses all his money in this final hand, but also an additional $5,000 raise from Howard which the Kid called before Howard showed his hand. Howard then mocks the Kid, telling him that he will always be "second best" as long as Howard is around. As the Kid leaves the table, he is ridiculed by both Slade and Melba, and consoled by Shooter.

Following the game, the Kid leaves the hotel and loses a penny pitch to the shoe shine boy he had beaten at the same game at the film's opening. Around the corner, he runs into Christian and they embrace.

Alternative versions

In some cuts, the film ends with a freeze-frame on Steve McQueen's face following his penny-pitching loss. Turner Classic Movies and the DVD feature the ending with Christian. Jewison wanted to end the film with the freeze-frame but was overruled by the producer.

The cockfight scene was cut by British censors.

Cast

Production

''The Cincinnati Kid'' was filmed on location in New Orleans, Louisiana, a change from the original St. Louis, Missouri, setting of the novel. Spencer Tracy was originally cast as Lancey Howard, but ill health forced him to withdraw from the film. Sam Peckinpah was originally hired to direct; producer Martin Ransohoff fired him shortly after filming began for "vulgarizing the picture." Peckinpah's version was to be shot in black-and-white to give the film a 1930s period feel. Jewison scrapped the black-and-white footage, feeling it was a mistake to shoot a film with the red and black of playing cards in greyscale. He did mute the colors throughout, both to evoke the period and to help pop the card colors when they appeared. Strother Martin said he was cast in the film but got fired after Jewison replaced Peckinpah.

The film features a theme song performed by Ray Charles, the Eureka Brass Band performing a second line parade, and a scene in Preservation Hall with Emma Barrett (vocalist and pianist), Punch Miller (trumpet), Paul Crawford (trombone), George Lewis (clarinet), Cie Frazier (drums) and Allan Jaffe (helicon).

Notes on the game

* When reciting the rules, Shooter clearly states "no string bets", though players (including Howard) go on to make string bets during the game.
* The game is open stakes. This is unusual in modern times and almost never allowed in casinos, but permissible in home games and was common for the time period of the film.
* The unlikely nature of the final hand is discussed by Anthony Holden in his book '' Big Deal: A Year as a Professional Poker Player'', "the odds against any full house losing to any straight flush, in a two-handed game, are 45,102,781 to 1", with Holden continuing that the odds against the particular final hand in the movie are astronomical (as both hands include 10s). Holden states that the chances of both such hands appearing in one deal are "a laughable" 332,220,508,619 to 1 (more than 332 billion to 1 against) and goes on: "If these two played 50 hands of stud an hour, eight hours a day, five days a week, the situation would arise about once every 443 years." Nevertheless, the nature of probability is that even if something is possible, however unlikely, it nevertheless might happen, and therefore is certainly not an impossibility. The movie reflects that truth - if something is possible, it may possibly happen whatever the odds. Despite Holden's statement, such a hand is exactly as likely to appear on the first day as it might be in the 222nd day of the 443rd year.

Release

The world premiere was held at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans on October 15, 1965, with a nationwide release on October 27. On November 5 the film opened in Los Angeles.

Home media

''The Cincinnati Kid'' was released on Region 1 DVD on May 31, 2005. The DVD features a commentary track by director Norman Jewison, commentary on selected scenes from ''Celebrity Poker Showdown'' hosts Phil Gordon and Dave Foley and ''The Cincinnati Kid Plays According to Hoyle'', a promotional short featuring magician Jay Ose. A Blu-ray Disc was released on June 14, 2011.
With the release of the film on DVD, one modern reviewer said the film "is as hip now as when it was released in 1965" and another cited McQueen as "effortlessly watchable as the Kid, providing a masterclass in the power of natural screen presence over dialogue" and Robinson "simply fantastic." Poker author Michael Wiesenberg calls ''The Cincinnati Kid'' " e of the greatest poker movies of all time."

Soundtrack

Reception

Critical response

Upon its 1965 release, ''The Cincinnati Kid'' was favorably reviewed by ''Variety'' which wrote "Martin Ransohoff

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