The Cincinnati Kid

"He'd take on anyone, at anything, anytime."

1965 1h 42m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

🍅

86%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 318🍅86%Rotten Tomatoes●67Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 18,659

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An up-and-coming poker player tries to prove himself in a high-stakes match against a long-time master of the game.

“He'd take on anyone, at anything, anytime.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Steve McQueen
Eric Stoner ("The Cincinnati Kid")
Edward G. Robinson
Lancey Howard
Ann-Margret
Melba Nile
Karl Malden
Shooter
Tuesday Weld
Christian Rudd
Joan Blondell
Lady Fingers
Rip Torn
William Jefferson Slade
Jack Weston
Pig

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Norman Jewison
Writers: Ring Lardner Jr., Terry Southern
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

61 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Norman Jewison, shot by Philip H. Lathrop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hal Ashby shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson and Ann-Margret carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He'd take on anyone, at anything, anytime.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0059037 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Norman Jewison directs. Philip H. Lathrop behind the camera. Lalo Schifrin scores. Hal Ashby cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

161 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Norman Jewison, shot by Philip H. Lathrop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Lalo Schifrin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Hal Ashby shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Steve McQueen and Edward G. Robinson and Ann-Margret carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He'd take on anyone, at anything, anytime.".
7IMDB entry: tt0059037 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Philip H. Lathrop
Original score: Lalo Schifrin
Editing: Hal Ashby
Costume design: Donfeld
Makeup / hair: William Tuttle
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $15,260,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 67/100
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 18,659 votes
MPAA: TV-14

Awards

1 win & 2 nominations

Also by

Norman Jewison

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-10-04
★ 8/10
People will sit down at the table with you, just so they can say they played with The Man Blah blah blah is the feelings I get when I see comments about this being McQueen's answer to The Hustler, the Newman film is firmly ensconced in the hall of classics and rightly so, but this is a different animal that stands up on its own two feet as a great film regardless of comparisons of leading men or films they respectively delivered. "It's a pleasure to meet someone who understands that to the true gambler, money is never an end in itself, it's simply a tool, as a language is to thought" Steve McQueen is The Cincinnati Kid of the title, a young man who has an enviable reputation as the pretender to the throne of the king stud poker player. Standing in his way of claiming the crown is the holder of said crown, Lancey "The Man" Howard (a wonderfully sedate yet dominant Edward G. Robinson), both men are in New Orleans for the big showdown across the card table. The film does suffer slightly from a meandering script, though, because you can't help feeling that there is so much more to these characters that needed fleshing out before the big tense showdown arises. However, the cast and director manage to stere the film home with a glorious final third. Suspense and drama start to boil to the surface, the tight knit editing bringing claustrophobic clarity to the enormity of the game. McQueen is perfect here, cocky and cool in equal measure, yet still infusing the role with stoic heart and honest endearment. Tuesday Weld & Ann-Margret are playing second fiddle in the acting stakes to a delightful turn from Joan Blondell (a little under used though), but both Weld and Margret bring their respective girls' traits to life, with Margret positively smouldering with femme fatale sex appeal. Karl Malden is solid and safe, whilst Rip Torn gives an acting lesson in dialogue driven menace. Yet in all honesty it's director Norman Jewison who has the trump card here. Once the game commences, even those who know nothing about a good game of poker are firmly watching every frame, such is the intense way that Jewison has brought the finale together. No cop outs here, a film about egos, ambitions and personal satisfaction is gloriously laid out for a very enjoyable viewing experience. 8/10

Production companies