The Cincinnati Kid
An emerging poker talent strives to prove himself in a high-stakes showdown against a long-time master of the game.
Director(s)
Norman Jewison
Cast & Crew
Details
Reviews
John Chard
People will sit down at the table with you, just so they can say they played with The Man Blah blah blah is the feelings I get when I see comments about this being McQueen's answer to The Hustler, the Newman film is firmly ensconced in the hall of classics and rightly so, but this is a different animal that stands up on its own two feet as a great film regardless of comparisons of leading men or films they respectively delivered. "It's a pleasure to meet someone who understands that to the true gambler, money is never an end in itself, it's simply a tool, as a language is to thought" Steve McQueen is The Cincinnati Kid of the title, a young man who has an enviable reputation as the pretender to the throne of the king stud poker player. Standing in his way of claiming the crown is the holder of said crown, Lancey "The Man" Howard (a wonderfully sedate yet dominant Edward G. Robinson), both men are in New Orleans for the big showdown across the card table. The film does suffer slightly from a meandering script, though, because you can't help feeling that there is so much more to these characters that needed fleshing out before the big tense showdown arises. However, the cast and director manage to stere the film home with a glorious final third. Suspense and drama start to boil to the surface, the tight knit editing bringing claustrophobic clarity to the enormity of the game. McQueen is perfect here, cocky and cool in equal measure, yet still infusing the role with stoic heart and honest endearment. Tuesday Weld & Ann-Margret are playing second fiddle in the acting stakes to a delightful turn from Joan Blondell (a little under used though), but both Weld and Margret bring their respective girls' traits to life, with Margret positively smouldering with femme fatale sex appeal. Karl Malden is solid and safe, whilst Rip Torn gives an acting lesson in dialogue driven menace. Yet in all honesty it's director Norman Jewison who has the trump card here. Once the game commences, even those who know nothing about a good game of poker are firmly watching every frame, such is the intense way that Jewison has brought the finale together. No cop outs here, a film about egos, ambitions and personal satisfaction is gloriously laid out for a very enjoyable viewing experience. 8/10
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The Cincinnati Kid FAQs
Norman Jewison is the director of The Cincinnati Kid.
The cast of The Cincinnati Kid includes Sig Frohlich as Poker Game Spectator (uncredited), Jack Weston as Pig, Gene Coogan as Poker Game Spectator (uncredited), Rudy Germane as Hotel Clerk (uncredited), Richard LaMarr as Spectator at Cockfight (uncredited), Harry Wilson as Spectator at Cockfight (uncredited), George Ford as Poker Game Spectator (uncredited), Mike Morelli as Poker Game Spectator (uncredited), Robert DoQui as Philly (uncredited), Sol Murgi as Poker Game Spectator (uncredited), Larry Duran as Gambler (uncredited), Jimmie Horan as Spectator at Cockfight (uncredited), and more.
The duration of The Cincinnati Kid is 1h 42 mins.
Yes. You can watch the The Cincinnati Kid trailer on this Fanbiz page on Fanziz.
The Cincinnati Kid was released on 15 Oct 1965.
The Cincinnati Kid is listed under Drama on Fanbiz.
The Cincinnati Kid has 1 review on Fanziz, with an average rating of 8.0/10. One reviewer wrote: "People will sit down at the table with you, just so they can say they played with The Man Blah blah blah is the feelings I get when I see comments about this being McQueen's..."
