Ace in the Hole (1951)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Billy Wilder (written by) &
Lesser Samuels (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 June 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Plot:

A frustrated former big-city journalist now stuck working for an Albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to re-jump start his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an out-of-control circus.

Plot Keywords:

Newspaper | Trapped | Reporter | Rescue | Cave

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Chuck Tatum
Jan Sterling	...	Lorraine Minosa
Robert Arthur	...	Herbie Cook (as Bob Arthur)
Porter Hall	...	Jacob Q. Boot
Frank Cady	...	Al Federber
Richard Benedict	...	Leo Minosa
Ray Teal	...	Sheriff Gus Kretzer
Lewis Martin	...	McCardle
John Berkes	...	Papa Minosa
Frances Dominguez	...	Mama Minosa
Gene Evans	...	Deputy Sheriff
Frank Jaquet	...	Sam Smollett
Harry Harvey	...	Dr. Hilton
Bob Bumpas	...	Radio Announcer
Geraldine Hall	...	Nellie Federber
Richard Gaines	...	Nagel
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roy Regnier	...	Nagel, New York Editor (replaced by Richard Gaines) (scenes deleted)
Oscar Belinda	...	Barker (uncredited)
Martin Bendleton	...	Barker (uncredited)
Timothy Carey	...	Construction Worker (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Basil Chester	...	Indian (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Jessop (uncredited)
Stewart Kirk Clawson	...	Federber Boy (uncredited)
Iron Eyes Cody	...	Indian Copy Boy (uncredited)
Francisco Day	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Father Diego (uncredited)
Claire Du Brey	...	Spinster (uncredited)
Edith Evanson	...	Miss Deverich (uncredited)
William Fawcett	...	Sad-Faced Man (uncredited)
John Stuart Fulton	...	Boy (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Charles Griffin	...	Mr. Wendel (uncredited)
Larry Hogan	...	Television Announcer (uncredited)
Frank Keith	...	Fireman (uncredited)
Bob Kortman	...	Digger (uncredited)
Martha Maryman	...	Woman (uncredited)
Stanley McKay	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Joe J. Merrill	...	Digger (uncredited)
Paul D. Merrill	...	Federber Boy (uncredited)
Lee Miller	...	Mover (uncredited)
Ralph Moody	...	Kusac, Miner (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Josh Morgan (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Customer at Minosa's (uncredited)
Frank Andrew Parker	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Martin Pendleton	...	Barker (uncredited)
William N. Peters	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Jack Roberts	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Bill Sheehan	...	Man (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Reporter (uncredited)
John 'Bub' Sweeney	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Billy Wilder		(written by) &
Lesser Samuels		(written by) &
Walter Newman		(written by)
Victor Desny		(story) uncredited

Produced by
William Schorr	....	associate producer
Billy Wilder	....	producer

Original Music by
Hugo Friedhofer

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(as Charles B. Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Arthur P. Schmidt		(as Arthur Schmidt)

Casting by
Bert McKay		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
A. Earl Hedrick		(as Earl Hedrick)
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Hal Lierley	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Richard Blaydon	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
Hugh Brown	....	production manager (uncredited)
Don Robb	....	assistant unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (as C.C. Coleman)
Francisco Day	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Al Mann	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Jason Rosenberger	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Maurice Goodman	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Cline Jones	....	prop maker (uncredited)
Martin Pendleton	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Tom Plews	....	props (uncredited)
Harold Worthington	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene Garvin	....	sound recordist
Harold Lewis	....	sound recordist
Bob Carr	....	sound (uncredited)
A.D. Cook	....	cableman (uncredited)
John Cope	....	sound (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
Irmin Roberts	....	transparency camera (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Guy Bennett	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Frank Carroll	....	grip (uncredited)
William Collins	....	grip (uncredited)
Don English	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Cliff Hartley	....	grip (uncredited)
Al Lipsey	....	grip (uncredited)
Kenneth Meade	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Jess Miller	....	electrician (uncredited)
William Rand	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Dominic Seminerio	....	grip (uncredited)
George Sherman	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
William Poole	....	location casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ed Fitzharris	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Hazel Hegarty	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Doane Harrison	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Van Cleave	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Francis J. Abdo	....	medical technical advisor (uncredited)
Henry Giles	....	technical advisor: teletype (uncredited)
Lupe Hall	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Harry Hogan	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Sally Hunt	....	technical advisor: teletype (uncredited)
Irene Martin	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Kenny Miner	....	auditor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount-Films (1951) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Lii-Filmi (1965) (Finland) (theatrical) (re-release)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1985) (Finland) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV)
• Paramount Home Entertainment Finland (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• TV3 (1988) (Finland) (TV)
• Terminal Video (2013) (Italy) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1973) (2004) (2005) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"The Big Carnival" - USA (reissue title)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | USA:Approved (PCA #14772) | USA:TV-14 (TV rating) | UK:A (1951) | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When the film was released, it got bad reviews and lost money. The studio, without Billy Wilder's permission, changed the title to "The Big Carnival" to increase the box office take of the film. It didn't work. On top of that, Billy Wilder's next picture Stalag 17 (1953) was a hit and Billy Wilder expected a share of the Stalag 17 (1953)'s profits. Paramount accountants told him that since this picture lost money, the money it lost would be subtracted from the profits of Stalag 17 (1953).

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Lorraine and Chuck are talking out in front of Minosa's store by the gas pumps, reflections of the crew moving around behind the camera can be seen in the store windows.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Charles Tatum:Hey. Pull up at the corner.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Hut-Sut Song

wow!

Saw this films years ago and it's still gripping.Mr.Wilder seldom did films that gripped the human condition like this one.After this movie flopped he stuck to screen adaptions of stage hits through most of the fifties.Both director and star,Kirk Douglas really delivered a stinging expose of media hype and manipulation of the newspaper business.Herein,burned out reporter Douglas chances on a man trapped in a cave and ruthlessly exploits it for his own gain.There's no softness here,even the leading lady (played wonderfully by Jan Sterling)is as hard as Douglas.The scenes of all the gawkers showing up,complete with carnival,are outright creepy.There's even a cheesy country western singer plunking a guitar and singing about poor Leo,(the trapped man.) The only sympathetic person is poor Leo's mom who continually prays for his release.Definitely a film for lovers of great movie drama.