California Split (1974)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writer:

Joseph Walsh (written by)

Release Date:

7 August 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

California Split ... being the story of two bet-on-anything guys who happily discover something called a "winning streak."

Plot:

A down on his luck gambler links up with free spirit Elliot Gould at first to have some fun on, but...

Plot Keywords:

Poker | Casino | Magazine | Writer | Gambling

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

George Segal	...	Bill Denny
Elliott Gould	...	Charlie Waters
Ann Prentiss	...	Barbara Miller
Gwen Welles	...	Susan Peters
Edward Walsh	...	Lew
Joseph Walsh	...	Sparkie
Bert Remsen	...	Helen Brown
Barbara London	...	Lady on the Bus
Barbara Ruick	...	Reno Barmaid
Jay Fletcher	...	Robber
Jeff Goldblum	...	Lloyd Harris
Barbara Colby	...	Receptionist
Vincent Palmieri	...	First Bartender (as Vince Palmieri)
Alyce Passman	...	Go-Go Girl
Joanne Strauss	...	Mother
Jack Riley	...	Second Bartender
Sierra Bandit	...	Woman at Bar
John Considine	...	Man at Bar
Eugene Troobnick	...	Harvey
Richard Kennedy	...	Used Car Salesman
John Winston	...	Tenor
Bill Duffy	...	Kenny
Michael Greene	...	Reno Dealer (as Mike Greene)
Tom Signorelli	...	Nugie
Sharon Compton	...	Nugie's Wife
Arnold Herzstein	...	California Club Poker Player
Alvin Weissman	...	California Club Poker Player
Marc Cavell	...	California Club Poker Player
Mickey Fox	...	California Club Poker Player
Carolyn Lohmann	...	California Club Poker Player
'Amarillo Slim' Preston	...	Reno Poker Player
Harry Drackett	...	Reno Poker Player
Ted Say	...	Reno Poker Player
Winston Lee	...	Reno Poker Player
Thomas Hal Phillips	...	Reno Poker Player
A.J. Hood	...	Reno Poker Player
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kane Hodder	...	Reno Poker Player
James Dan Calvert	...	Nugie's Son (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Altman

Writing credits
Joseph Walsh		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Altman	....	producer
Robert Eggenweiler	....	associate producer
Leonard Goldberg	....	executive producer
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer
Joseph Walsh	....	producer

Cinematography by
Paul Lohmann		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
O. Nicholas Brown
Lou Lombardo

Casting by
Scott Bushnell

Art Direction by
Leon Ericksen

Set Decoration by
Sam J. Jones		(as Sam Jones)

Makeup Department
Joe DiBella	....	makeup artist (as Joe Di Bella)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Rudolph	....	second assistant director
Tommy Thompson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Jerry Graham	....	property master
Paolo Rocco Innamorato	....	first assistant art director (uncredited)
Bob McLing	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Randy Kelley	....	assistant sound editor
Chris McLaughlin	....	sound crew
Richard Portman	....	dubbing mixer
Kay Rose	....	sound editor
James E. Webb	....	sound mixer (as Jim Webb)
George Wycoff	....	sound crew

Stunts
Larry Holt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dick Colean	....	assistant camera (as Richard Colean)
Tom Doherty	....	grip
Ron Frantzvog	....	assistant camera
Randy Glass	....	electrical gaffer
Edmond L. Koons	....	camera operator (as Edward Koons)
Eddie Lara	....	grip
Harry Rez	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hugh McFarland	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Stephen Altman	....	editorial assistant (as Stephen W. Altman)
Dennis M. Hill	....	assistant editor (as Dennis Hill)
Tony Lombardo	....	assistant editor
Marion Segal	....	editorial assistant

Music Department
Phyllis Shotwell	....	music player
Phyllis Shotwell	....	singer

Other crew
Jac Cashin	....	assistant to producers (as Jac Cachin)
Carole Gister	....	script supervisor
Regina Gruss	....	unit publicist
Kelly Marshall	....	production coordinator
Dan Perri	....	title designer
Noreen Beasley	....	assistant: Dan Perri (uncredited)
Mark Eggenweiler	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Mark Martin	....	location auditor (uncredited)
Vince Martinez	....	location auditor (uncredited)

Thanks
Barbara Ruick	....	dedicatee (as Barbara)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Spelling Goldberg
• Won World

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Canada:14+ (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Steven Spielberg was originally going to direct.

Goofs:

Continuity: Some of the balls hanging from Charlie's sombrero keep changing position throughout the scene.

Quotes:

Charlie Waters:If it takes a watermelon five minutes to water. How long does it take a sweetpea to pee? As long as it takes a pair of dice to crap.

Movie Connections:

References The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

The compulsive gambler seen through Altman's dark glass

Why California Split remains among the most obscure of Robert Altman's extraordinary 1970s oeuvre is a mystery. Its stars -- Elliot Gould and George Segal -- were at the top of their form, free and comfortable working in Altman's off-the-cuff, low-key style. Its supporting cast -- Ann Prentiss, Gwen Welles and especially Bert Remsen, as the cross-dressing old jane "Helen Brown," -- is memorable. And its full gallery of extras (many drawn from the therapeutic community Synanon) populate a surreal gambling netherworld in California and Nevada. Altman is working in highest gear with the layered, semi-improvised and alluringly murky style he pioneered. As in Altman's best work, the story just sort of happens, without much distinction between foreground and backdrop, principal characters and walk-ons. Lacking the rigid and didactic "dramaturgy" of its competitors, California Split endures as one of the most probing examinations of the soul and psyche of the abnormal gambler ever filmed.