Feature Movie Description... continued.
The Cincinnati Kid - 1965
Not only is it one of the best gambling movies of all-time, it's also one of those rare movies that's better than the book it's based on. Epitome of cool McQueen is the titular Kid, a cocky poker player in Depression Era New Orleans who holds markers from everyone in town. But the Kid is only interested in "The Man," a.k.a. aging five-card-stud legend Lancey Howard (Edward G. Robinson), who the Kid challenges to a high-stakes game. One of director Norman Jewison's best early flicks (based on Richard Jessup's more tame novel) and one of McQueen's finest performances, the movie's pivotal game is refreshingly free of the do-or-die cliché of most movies about poker. Kid's best friend, card dealer Shooter (Karl Malden), is pressured by a local fat cat into fixing the game for Kid. Kid finds out and insists his pal be a straight Shooter, because his sole goal is proving that he can beat Lancey and take the title of five-card-stud stud. The jackpot scene: The flick's thrilling final poker scene, a back-and-forth match that leaves you both heartbroken and oddly satisfied.