An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game.An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game.An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations
Theodore Marcuse
- Felix
- (as Theo Marcuse)
Émile Genest
- Cajun
- (as Emile Genest)
- Directors
- Norman Jewison
- Sam Peckinpah(fired after one week shooting) (uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEdward G. Robinson wrote in his autobiography, "In the film I played Lancey Howard, the reigning champ of the stud poker tables...I could hardly say I identified with Lancey; I was Lancey. That man on the screen, more than in any other picture I ever made, was Edward G. Robinson with great patches of Emanuel Goldenberg [his real name] showing through. He was all cold and discerning and unflappable on the exterior; he was ageing and full of self-doubt on the inside....Even the final session of the poker game was real...I played that game as if it were for blood. It was one of the best performances I ever gave on stage or screen or radio or TV, and the reason for it is that is wasn't a performance at all; it was symbolically the playing out of my whole gamble with life."
- GoofsThe film is set in the 1930s, but the women sport obvious 1960s hairstyles.
- Quotes
Lancey Howard: [to Cincinnati Kid] You're good, kid, but as long as I'm around, you're only second best.
- Alternate versionsIn 2005, the BBFC cut this release further compared to the previous 1993 edits. UK cinema release in 1970 and early video versions were cut by 38 seconds to a scene featuring a cockfight (scenes involving cockfights are always cut by the BBFC). The 2005 wide-screen version substituted some scenes though the cuts were lengthened to 1 min 4 secs.
- ConnectionsEdited into Ann-Margret: Från Valsjöbyn till Hollywood (2014)
- SoundtracksThe Cincinnati Kid
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Lyrics by Dorcas Cochran
Theme song of "The Cincinnati Kid"
Sung by Ray Charles
Featured review
One cool (and good) movie.
Like the rest of the English-speaking world, I've recently succumbed to poker-mania, and started wasting some of my spare cash in amateur Texas Hold 'Em games.
Due to my newfound interest in card-playing, and my appreciation for old movies, I picked up "The Cincinatti Kid" on DVD. And I sure wasn't disappointed. The movie's awesome, on so many levels. As you might expect, the poker scenes are incredibly tense and, from what little I know of the game, they're pretty realistic. But other aspects of the film are great, too.
The New Orleans location shooting is gorgeous. You get to see a lot of the city, so I imagine the crew must've spent a fair amount of time there. There's plenty of cool jazz numbers and some nice French Quarter atmosphere. Director Norman Jewison manages to imbue New Orleans, and the movie as a whole, with an atmosphere that's both sleazy and glamorous at the same time.
The strong cast is another highlight. Steve McQueen is understated yet compelling, while Joan Blondell hams it up in a highly entertaining fashion (I love how she keeps teasing Lancey Howard about his age). Edward G. Robinson, one of my favorite character actors, radiates class and even a little menace as Howard. And - this is the best part - the movie also features the sweetly beautiful Tuesday Weld and the painfully sexy Ann-Margret. You just can't lose with a multi-generational cast of stars (and babes) like that.
Some commentators have complained that "The Cincinatti Kid" is slow, particularly during the scenes that don't feature poker. I can't say that I agree. The McQueen-Weld romance is sweet, and it doesn't really take up that much screen time. Sure, the movie may seem a little plodding if compared to contemporary films, but then again even "Aliens" is plodding compared to contemporary films.
The theme song's catchy, too. What more do you need? This movie's a mini-classic.
Due to my newfound interest in card-playing, and my appreciation for old movies, I picked up "The Cincinatti Kid" on DVD. And I sure wasn't disappointed. The movie's awesome, on so many levels. As you might expect, the poker scenes are incredibly tense and, from what little I know of the game, they're pretty realistic. But other aspects of the film are great, too.
The New Orleans location shooting is gorgeous. You get to see a lot of the city, so I imagine the crew must've spent a fair amount of time there. There's plenty of cool jazz numbers and some nice French Quarter atmosphere. Director Norman Jewison manages to imbue New Orleans, and the movie as a whole, with an atmosphere that's both sleazy and glamorous at the same time.
The strong cast is another highlight. Steve McQueen is understated yet compelling, while Joan Blondell hams it up in a highly entertaining fashion (I love how she keeps teasing Lancey Howard about his age). Edward G. Robinson, one of my favorite character actors, radiates class and even a little menace as Howard. And - this is the best part - the movie also features the sweetly beautiful Tuesday Weld and the painfully sexy Ann-Margret. You just can't lose with a multi-generational cast of stars (and babes) like that.
Some commentators have complained that "The Cincinatti Kid" is slow, particularly during the scenes that don't feature poker. I can't say that I agree. The McQueen-Weld romance is sweet, and it doesn't really take up that much screen time. Sure, the movie may seem a little plodding if compared to contemporary films, but then again even "Aliens" is plodding compared to contemporary films.
The theme song's catchy, too. What more do you need? This movie's a mini-classic.
Helpful•366
- dr_foreman
- Nov 10, 2006
- Permalink
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $15,260,000
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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