Poker & Popcorn
Had a chance not too long ago to see A Big Hand for the Little Lady (dir. Fielder Cook, 1966), a poker-themed western/comedy starring Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, and Burgess Meredith. Was pleasantly surprised by this funny, clever film for which poker is a meaningful part of the story-telling and not just incidental to other purposes.
If yr interested, I posted a review of the film today over on Hard-Boiled. Don’t worry — I give no spoilers over there. Although if yr like me, you tend not to care too much about reviews of films you haven’t seen.
When I started the blog, I had an idea I’d try to review poker-related films on a semi-regular basis, though I’ve only been able to do so every now and then. I have gotten around to writing about a few, though, including The Cincinnati Kid (1965), California Split (1974), Casino Royale (2006), and the documentary No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail (2006).
Clearly I need one day to write something over there about Rounders — it’s so well-known among poker players today, I haven’t felt compelled to say anything about it. But what other poker-themed movies would you recommend?
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Review Lucky You. The movie itself was horrendous but there was some pretty good poker. They play a little Omaha-Hi and some Stud 8. Plus, lots of poker players get screen time.