Ace in the Hole

Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole remains a masterclass in cynicism, even if the world it depicts has shifted beyond recognition. Kirk Douglas delivers one of his finest performances as Chuck Tatum, a disgraced reporter who transforms a man's entrapment in a collapsed cliff dwelling into a calculated media spectacle. Wilder's direction is sharp, controlled, ruthless; the film moves with the precision...

It's a good story today. Tomorrow, they'll wrap a fish in it. Ace in the Hole is directed by Billy Wilder and Wilder co-writes the screenplay with Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman and Victor Desny. It stars Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Bob Arthur, Porter Hall and Richard Benedict. Music is by Hugo Friedhofer and cinematography by Charles Lang Jr. Chuck Tatum (Douglas) is a one time big-city jo...