Cincinnati Kid

The film tells the story of Eric Stoner (nicknamed Cincinnati Kid), who was a poker player during the onset of the Great Depression , who was trying to become the best in his business and succeed. In order to gain the respect of other players, he had to challenge Lancy "Men" to Howard, an old player who, according to many, was the best. He is known for being able to fool an opponent, even if he has all the cards he needs to win.

The script , based on the novel by Richard Jessup, was written by Terry Southern and Ring Lardner Jr. (this was his first script since he was excluded from the Hollywood Dozens of the Black List of Hollywood in 1947 ) ^[1]

The film was produced by Norman Juison , starring Steve McQueen and Edward J. Robinson as Lance Howard. Juison, who replaced Sam Peckepe at the start of filming, called the film “a tape that allowed (it) to turn from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.” He is grateful to the film for the fact that this film gave him the opportunity to move from light and comedic films, which he did before, to more serious work. ^[2] The film received mixed reviews from critics, and the actors Robinson and Blondell received nominations for their roles not small film awards.