Ace in the Hole (1951)
Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, and Walter Newman’s screenplay was nominated during the 1952 Oscars, but no other element of Ace in the Hole was honored that year. For the life of me, I can’t see how An American in Paris beat this masterpiece out of a golden statue.
Kirk Douglas plays a hotshot journalist who, due to his somewhat difficult personality, isn’t working for a big newspaper anymore. The only job he can get is in the small town of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kirk is desperate for a big story, and when Richard Benedict, a local townsman, gets trapped in an old coal mine, he decides to turn the accident to his advantage. Before long, other news outlets are jumping on the story and tourists are putting Albuquerque on the map.
Did you see All About Steve? Remember the second half of the film where Sandra Bullock gets trapped in the abandoned mine and all the newspeople exploit her situation for their own benefit? If you thought the social commentary aspect of that quirky comedy was interesting, you’ll love Ace in the Hole. Granted, this movie is a heavy drama, so it’s very different, but the story is one gigantic diatribe about people’s selfish nature. Sometimes social commentary movies are tough to take because either the humor is distorted or the metaphors are too obvious, but Ace in the Hole nails it. This movie is fantastic, even though you’ll probably feel like you need a shower afterwards.
Kirk Douglas gives a fantastic, multi-layered performance that’s one of the best in his career. In my humble opinion—and this comes from decades of crushing on bad boys—no one makes anger look as good as Kirk Douglas. The sexual tension between him and Jan Sterling scorches off the screen. If you didn’t think Kirk was a total hunk before, you absolutely will after watching this movie.
But enough about the eye candy. You’ve got plenty of other reasons to watch this film, and I recommend you do the next time you’re in the mood for a movie that really matters.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Kirk Douglas movies here!
Kirk Douglas plays a hotshot journalist who, due to his somewhat difficult personality, isn’t working for a big newspaper anymore. The only job he can get is in the small town of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kirk is desperate for a big story, and when Richard Benedict, a local townsman, gets trapped in an old coal mine, he decides to turn the accident to his advantage. Before long, other news outlets are jumping on the story and tourists are putting Albuquerque on the map.
Did you see All About Steve? Remember the second half of the film where Sandra Bullock gets trapped in the abandoned mine and all the newspeople exploit her situation for their own benefit? If you thought the social commentary aspect of that quirky comedy was interesting, you’ll love Ace in the Hole. Granted, this movie is a heavy drama, so it’s very different, but the story is one gigantic diatribe about people’s selfish nature. Sometimes social commentary movies are tough to take because either the humor is distorted or the metaphors are too obvious, but Ace in the Hole nails it. This movie is fantastic, even though you’ll probably feel like you need a shower afterwards.
Kirk Douglas gives a fantastic, multi-layered performance that’s one of the best in his career. In my humble opinion—and this comes from decades of crushing on bad boys—no one makes anger look as good as Kirk Douglas. The sexual tension between him and Jan Sterling scorches off the screen. If you didn’t think Kirk was a total hunk before, you absolutely will after watching this movie.
But enough about the eye candy. You’ve got plenty of other reasons to watch this film, and I recommend you do the next time you’re in the mood for a movie that really matters.
Want to watch it? Click here to watch it on ok.ru. And thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More Kirk Douglas movies here!