| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Mel Gibson | ... | Bret Maverick | |
| Jodie Foster | ... | Annabelle Bransford | |
| James Garner | ... | Marshal Zane Cooper | |
| Graham Greene | ... | Joseph | |
| Alfred Molina | ... | Angel | |
| James Coburn | ... | Commodore Duvall | |
| Dub Taylor | ... | Room Clerk | |
| Geoffrey Lewis | ... | Matthew Wicker / Eugene, Banker | |
| Paul L. Smith | ... | The Archduke | |
| Dan Hedaya | ... | Twitchy, Riverboat Poker Player | |
| Dennis Fimple | ... | Stuttering | |
| Denver Pyle | ... | Old Gambler on Riverboat | |
| Clint Black | ... | Sweet-Faced Gambler | |
| Max Perlich | ... | Johnny Hardin | |
| Art LaFleur | ... | Poker Player (as Art La Fleur) | |
Maverick is recreated from the character James Garner created in the 1950s TV program. Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them. He needs an additional three thousand dollars in order to enter a Winner Take All poker game that begins in a few days. He tries to win some, tries to collect a few debts, and recover a little loot for the reward, all with a light hearted air. He joins forces with a woman gambler with a marvelous, though fake, southern accent as the two both try and enter the game. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Always thought this was great. Makes me laugh no end. When he lets himself go, Mel Gibson is funny, and this pastiche of an almost forgotten TV cowboy show - complete with its original star cast in the main supporting role - is comedy gold. Better yet, this is Jodie Foster's only real brush with the comedy genre and she proves so adept at it that you can't help feeling this route would have been better than Nell and Anna And The King. The ending piles twist upon twist, and it's one of those movies where everyone involved is clearly having such a great time that you do too.