The Cincinnati Kid

Originally set in St. Louis in Jessup's novel and transferred by the screenwriters (wisely) to more sporting New Orleans, this production of The Cincinnati Kid scores big with any fan of card play. The cast is an assembly of veteran actors centered around the number one box office draw at the time, Steve McQueen. You could say that Edward G. Robinson and Karl Malden co-star due to the importance of their roles throughout the movie, but make no mistake, McQueen was the reason people went to see this picture.(and no doubt Ann Margaret) I'll leave the description of the plot to other reviewers who have done well here and tell you that McQueen was extremely concerned during the making of this production that Edward G. Robinson was taking over the picture! His presence on screen is "unmatched" and I say that with a twinkle in the eye because of a scene where Robinson speaks to McQueen holding a lit matchstick that is held so long you can't understand why he was not burned. It is a powerful scene and was one of the reasons McQueen raised a fuss about his amount of time in the picture. The film is serious about five card stud poker as a professional gambling game and has sub-plots that had nothing to do with the original novel.Malden's performance as 'The Shooter' is excellent but you get that "Streets of San Francisco" feeling as you watch him. Joan Blondell seems to reprise her role as Zelda in "Nightmare Alley" however the "Southerness" of this film is a strong point. The only other film to match the atmosphere was "Hard Times" with Charles Bronson. If you are looking for an entertaining, different locale film about an era far removed from today's pace this is a great movie to get. One of the best films about gaming and gambling ever made!

This film has great headliners and suspense that builds up to a riveting, marathon poker game and climax that leaves the Cincinnati Kid and old pro Lancey Howard drained at the finish as well as the many onlookers in that hotel room who witness the grand showdown. Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson are great adversaries who spar, feint, thrust and circle, feeling each other out in a realistic drama worthy of a great heavyweight championship match. Karl Malden is the pathetic Shooter whose ethics, such as they are, are part of the film's plot. Rip Torn also weighs in with fine work as a New Orleans gentleman with a keen interest in the big game. Sexy Ann-Margret is a siren with a past who takes great delight in tormenting husband Shooter and Tuesday Weld is pretty as the marriage-minded girlfriend of the Cincinnati Kid.

Classic performances by Steve McQueen, Karl Malden and Edward G. Robinson, along with an impressive supporting cast, lend character and depth to a deceptively straight forward plot. Hunter's (McQueen) quest to become "the man" is complicated by the people, both sympathetic and avaricious, who are drawn into his orbit. Yet, the plot remains focused as all converge on the big match, and the players dwindle to the head to head clash that will decide much more than the outcome of a simple game of cards. Raw and gritty, this film is a wonderful period piece of both Depression Era society in general and simmering, sultry New Orleans in specific. The characters are interesting and colorful; and like most outstanding movies, what you get out of it is what you read between the lines. This movie is to Rounders what The Hustler is to The Color of Money.