The Cincinnati Kid

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Cast & Crew

Steve McQueen
Eric Stoner

Edward G. Robinson
Lancey Howard

Ann-Margret
Melba

Karl Malden
Shooter

Tuesday Weld
Christian

Joan Blondell
Lady Fingers

Rip Torn
Slade

Jack Weston
Pig

Cab Calloway
Yeller

Jeff Corey
Hoban

Theodore Marcuse
Felix

Milton Selzer
Sokal

Karl Swenson
Mr. Rudd

Emile Genest
Cajun

Ron Soble
Danny

Irene Tedrow
Mrs. Rudd

Midge Ware
Mrs. Slade

Dub Taylor
Dealer

Olan Soule
Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Joyce Perry
Mrs. Hoban (uncredited)

Norman Jewison
Director

Martin Ransohoff
Producer

Ring Lardner Jr.
Screenwriter

Terry Southern
Screenwriter

Lalo Schifrin
Original Music

Philip H. Lathrop
Cinematographer

Hal Ashby
Film Editing

Edward C. Carfagno
Art Director

George W. Davis
Art Director

Henry Grace
Set Decoration

Hugh Hunt
Set Decoration

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Audience Reviews for The Cincinnati Kid

• Dec 09, 2016

  Steve McQueen is the young upstart poker player, Edward G. Robinson an old master, Karl Malden is their friend and dealer, Ann Margret his flirtatious girlfriend, and Tuesday Weld is McQueen's. It's a fantastic cast - McQueen oozes cool, it's special to see Robinson at age 72 deliver a very good performance, Malden plays 'conflicted' well when he's pressured to fix the match, Margret is sexy and has a way of speaking with her eyes, and Weld is incredibly cute but also nuanced. To top it off, Joan Blondell is the backup dealer, and while her role and performance aren't amazing, it's very nice to see her and Robinson together again nearly three decades after 1936's 'Bullets or Ballots'. New Orleans is a fantastic setting and director Norman Jewison makes good use of it. I have to say, I was not all that jazzed about the scene with the cock fight, which is cruel. And, he's less effective in making the movie feel as though it's in the 1930's, but maybe that doesn't matter. The poker talk at the tables is pretty authentic, but I always find it amusing that the 5-card stud hands shown routinely in movies are extremely rare. The ending comes as a jolt and seems abrupt, but perhaps that's because I was thinking how interesting it would have been if it was revealed that Robinson was engaged in a nefarious fix with Blondell. As it is, the movie is about integrity and dignity, even in what may seem to be an unlikely place, amongst gamblers. Cheating, and accusations of cheating, are shown more than once to be signs of weakness, whereas real skill is cool and confident, and there is mutual respect between McQueen and Robinson's characters. How interesting that McQueen falters on the relationship side by being seduced by Margret, though even then he doesn't deny it or make excuses. It may be a little clichéd and it may have borrowed its theme from 'The Hustler', but it's an engaging, interesting film.
  Super Reviewer
• Jan 19, 2013

  A little bit o'fun as McQueen leads a pretty gosh darn good cast in this typical tale of the kid against the powers that be. Eddie G.'s that power, the Man, the guy who's on top of the stud poker game and Stevie's set to take him down. Malden's good as the buddy, Weld as the good girl, and Margret as, what else, the bad girl, surprise.
  Super Reviewer
• Apr 18, 2011

  What a classic! Right up there with "The Hustler" and "The Sting"..
  Super Reviewer
• Aug 29, 2008

  Good simple film about poker. It's great fun to watch McQueen and Edward G. play off each other. Nothing groundbreaking, but very entertaing with a great ending.
  Super Reviewer