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 | Rescue | Reporter | 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:

Residents of Gallup, New Mexico were hired as extras. They were paid 75 cents an hour for a ten-hour day. Extras earned an additional three dollars if they could bring an automobile to the set.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Rattlesnakes will not eat bubble gum, in or out of the wrapper.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Climbers High (2008)

Soundtrack:

We're Coming, Leo

A brilliant movie that lingers in the mind

Of the many movies I viewed in the early 50's, so many ,like now, were here today, forgotten tomorrow. However some movies that became memorable and that were able to make a dramatic impact on this young guy include, Duel in the Sun and Gone with the Wind. Strangely enough, Ace in the Hole is the most memorable of all movies viewed. It is one that invades the mind and leaves one sad.

Few films I remember as vividly as this dark movie, the images linger to haunt me still. 'Why?' one might ask 'would a sombre movie like this made over 50 years ago remain so memorable, when so many others have vanished. Was it the surreal inhumanity of the plot, the repugnant newsman devoid of ethics, the exploitation of the trapped victim, the purposeful prolonging of the victim's entrapment to create a media frenzy, the ultimate commercial creation of an 'event' style attraction complete with a circus like atmosphere surrounding the cave while the victim remained entrapped and close to death.'

Supposedly based on a real incident, it's a tough movie to watch and more so if one is prepared to accept the premise that such inhumanity displayed in the movie has an element of truth.

I echo the desires of others to have the availability of this movie on VHS or DVD. In the interim my memory will continue to keep the images intact. See it if you can.