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Drama

Ace in the Hole

- Rough, tough Chuck Tatum, who battered his way to the top... trampling everything in his path - men, women and morals !

An arrogant reporter exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career.

Release Date : 1951-06-29

Language :LatinSpanishEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Paramount Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : The Big Carnival

Cast

Kirk Douglas

Character Name : Charles Tatum

Original Name : Kirk Douglas

Gender : Male

Jan Sterling

Character Name : Lorraine

Original Name : Jan Sterling

Gender : Female

Robert Arthur

Character Name : Herbie Cook

Original Name : Robert Arthur

Gender : Male

Porter Hall

Character Name : Jacob Q. Boot

Original Name : Porter Hall

Gender : Male

Frank Cady

Character Name : Mr. Federber

Original Name : Frank Cady

Gender : Male

Richard Benedict

Character Name : Leo Minosa

Original Name : Richard Benedict

Gender : Male

Ray Teal

Character Name : Sheriff

Original Name : Ray Teal

Gender : Male

Lewis Martin

Character Name : McCardle

Original Name : Lewis Martin

Gender : Male

John Berkes

Character Name : Papa Minosa

Original Name : John Berkes

Gender : Male

Frances Dominguez

Character Name : Mama Minosa

Original Name : Frances Dominguez

Gender : Male

Gene Evans

Character Name : Deputy Sheriff

Original Name : Gene Evans

Gender : Male

Frank Jaquet

Character Name : Smollett

Original Name : Frank Jaquet

Gender : Male

Harry Harvey

Character Name : Dr. Hilton

Original Name : Harry Harvey

Gender : Male

Bob Bumpas

Character Name : Radio Announcer

Original Name : Bob Bumpas

Gender : Male

Geraldine Hall

Character Name : Mrs. Federber

Original Name : Geraldine Hall

Gender : Female

Richard Gaines

Character Name : Nagel

Original Name : Richard Gaines

Gender : Male

Oscar Belinda

Character Name : Barker (uncredited)

Original Name : Oscar Belinda

Gender : Male

Martin Bendleton

Character Name : Barker (uncredited)

Original Name : Martin Bendleton

Gender : Male

Basil Chester

Character Name : Indian (uncredited)

Original Name : Basil Chester

Gender : Male

Ken Christy

Character Name : Jessop (uncredited)

Original Name : Ken Christy

Gender : Male

Stewart Kirk Clawson

Character Name : Federber Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Stewart Kirk Clawson

Gender : Male

Iron Eyes Cody

Character Name : Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Iron Eyes Cody

Gender : Male

Francisco Day

Character Name : Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : Francisco Day

Gender : Male

Lester Dorr

Character Name : Father Diego (uncredited)

Original Name : Lester Dorr

Gender : Male

Claire Du Brey

Character Name : Spinster (uncredited)

Original Name : Claire Du Brey

Gender : Female

Edith Evanson

Character Name : Miss Deverich (uncredited)

Original Name : Edith Evanson

Gender : Female

William Fawcett

Character Name : Sad-Faced Man (uncredited)

Original Name : William Fawcett

Gender : Male

John Stuart Fulton

Character Name : Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : John Stuart Fulton

Gender : Male

Joe Gray

Character Name : Minor Role (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Gray

Gender : Male

Charles Griffin

Character Name : Mr. Wendel (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Griffin

Gender : Male

Larry Hogan

Character Name : Television Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry Hogan

Gender : Male

Frank Keith

Character Name : Fireman (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Keith

Gender : Male

Bob Kortman

Character Name : Digger (uncredited)

Original Name : Bob Kortman

Gender : Male

Martha Maryman

Character Name : Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Martha Maryman

Gender : Male

Stanley McKay

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley McKay

Gender : Male

Joe J. Merrill

Character Name : Digger (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe J. Merrill

Gender : Male

Paul D. Merrill

Character Name : Federber Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul D. Merrill

Gender : Male

Lee Miller

Character Name : Mover (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Miller

Gender : Male

Ralph Moody

Character Name : Kusac - Miner (uncredited)

Original Name : Ralph Moody

Gender : Male

Bert Moorhouse

Character Name : Josh Morgan (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Moorhouse

Gender : Male

William H. O'Brien

Character Name : Customer at Minosa's (uncredited)

Original Name : William H. O'Brien

Gender : Male

Frank Andrew Parker

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Andrew Parker

Gender : Male

Martin Pendleton

Character Name : Barker (uncredited)

Original Name : Martin Pendleton

Gender : Male

William N. Peters

Character Name : Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : William N. Peters

Gender : Male

Timothy Carey

Character Name : Construction Worker (uncredited)

Original Name : Timothy Carey

Gender : Male

Bill Ramsey

Character Name : Vocalist (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Ramsey

Gender : Male

Jack Roberts

Character Name : Newspaperman (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Roberts

Gender : Male

Bill Sheehan

Character Name : Man (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Sheehan

Gender : Male

Bert Stevens

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Stevens

Gender : Male

John 'Bub' Sweeney

Character Name : Reporter (uncredited)

Original Name : John 'Bub' Sweeney

Gender : Male

Rythem Wranglers

Character Name : Band (uncredited)

Original Name : Rythem Wranglers

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

It's a good story today. Tomorrow, they'll wrap a fish in it. Ace in the Hole is directed by Billy Wilder and Wilder co-writes the screenplay with Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman and Victor Desny. It stars Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Bob Arthur, Porter Hall and Richard Benedict. Music is by Hugo Friedhofer and cinematography by Charles Lang Jr. Chuck Tatum (Douglas) is a one time big-city journalist who is now stuck working for an out of the way Albuquerque newspaper. When on his way to another mundane reporting job he happens upon the chance to exploit a story about a man trapped in a cave to rekindle his career and put him back in the big league. However, the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control media circus... Inspired by the real life Floyd Collins disaster in 1925, Ace in the Hole finds Wilder on supreme acerbic and cynical form. Flopping upon release, nobody was quite ready for Wilder to paint an uncompromising portrait of the human spirit stinking to high heaven. It now holds up as one of the finest exponents of media machinations and the human fallibility that encompasses a thirst for tragedy. Douglas leads the way with one of his finest and intensified performances, filling Chuck Tatum with a reprehensible attitude to media ladder climbing. When one witnesses the harrowing sequences as Tatum talks to the trapped Leo Minosa (Benedict tugs the heart strings), telling him it's going to be alright, we feel complicit in knowing just exactly what is going on up top. Leo adores his wife Lorraine (Sterling a splendidly subtle bitch perf hiding hollow turmoil), but she has wanted out for some time, but under Chatum's prompting she sticks around to make money on her husbands trapped suffering. Pretty soon this one store tin-pot town is booming, tills are ringing and the papers are selling big time, the coupling of Tatum and Lorraine is a match made in hell. Dialogue is in true noir fashion often sharp and biting, even with some of Wilder's customary humour deftly tucked away. As the exploitation of the situation reaches fever pitch, and the hypocrisy of the human condition is laid bare, "Ace in the Hole" proves itself to be a pitiless story that is a compelling journey for the viewers invested in the darker shades of what Wilder was fronting. A big flip-flop for a main character's behaviour at film's end seems a little out of place, given what has preceded it, but the ending is straight out of noirville and ensures the pic is a near masterpiece from a true master of his craft. 9/10