Ace in the Hole Reviews

1951

Rated:
80
from 224 members

A cave collapse in New Mexico traps a man, and all eyes turn toward the tragedy, including those of Charles "Chuck" Tatum (Kirk Douglas), a washed-up newspaper reporter who sees the incident as a ticket back to his former days at the top of the journalism heap. As the media circus begins to swirl around the trapped man's plight,.. Read more

Starring	Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Porter Hall, Frank Cady
Director	Billy Wilder
Genres	Drama

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Critics' reviews (2) of Ace in the Hole
View all
An incisive, compelling melodrama taking a sour look at the American scene; one of its director's masterworks, in which he was in a serious mood, exposing the sensationalism of the tabloid press.
- Halliwell's Film Guide
- Posted 02 Mar 2006
Wilder ran into charges of bad taste with this acid tale of reporter Chuck Tatum (Douglas), resentfully stagnating in a... read more on Time Out
- Time Out
- Posted 04 Nov 2008
Most helpful members' reviews (3) of Ace in the Hole
View all
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

GREAT FILM, BUT ...

This is one of the high points of the career of the inimitable Billy Wilder. Sadly it is NOT on DVD, so if you've come here hoping to finally get your hands on a pristine digital edition of this neglected gem, you're going to be very disappointed ... sorry!
- - BIGGERTHANLIFE from UK
  - Posted 08 Feb 2007 22:02
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

[Highly rated reviewer]

Surpassingly nasty

Although Billy Wilder is probably best remembered for his comedies ('Some like it hot'; 'The apartment', etc), he also had a knack for serious films as well. This may be the most corruscating and unpleasant hundred minutes he ever made. The story of a down-on-his-luck reporter (career-best Kirk Douglas) determined to do anything to get himself back on top again is like living with a bag of disease-ridden rattlesnakes, but it's mighty effective for all that: genuine car-crash stuff, from which it's impossible to take one's eyes. If it has one fault, it is only that Wilder takes such delight in rubbing our noses in the cynicism and duplicity of the media, that he forgets to provide any shading. Otherwise, this is one film you won't forget.

At the time of writing (September 07) this had just been released by Criterion on an excellent Region 1 disc, so it should be out here soon.
- - Savage from London, England
  - Posted 29 Sep 2007 09:38
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

aces high!

a film that reflects on todays celeb culture that shows just how fickle the rubbernecking public can turn a human tragedy into a three ring circus for their own self obsessed entertainment,with little or thought about the poor soul trapped underground ,who is kept there, until hard-nosed reporter (douglas) can milk the very last drop of human interest ,and money-spinning sales for his newspaper bosses, with tragic results for so many
- - tweeza from Wallsend
  - Posted 04 Mar 2009 19:31
Most recent members' review of Ace in the Hole
View all
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

[Highly rated reviewer]

Surpassingly nasty

Although Billy Wilder is probably best remembered for his comedies ('Some like it hot'; 'The apartment', etc), he also had a knack for serious films as well. This may be the most corruscating and unpleasant hundred minutes he ever made. The story of a down-on-his-luck reporter (career-best Kirk Douglas) determined to do anything to get himself back on top again is like living with a bag of disease-ridden rattlesnakes, but it's mighty effective for all that: genuine car-crash stuff, from which it's impossible to take one's eyes. If it has one fault, it is only that Wilder takes such delight in rubbing our noses in the cynicism and duplicity of the media, that he forgets to provide any shading. Otherwise, this is one film you won't forget.

At the time of writing (September 07) this had just been released by Criterion on an excellent Region 1 disc, so it should be out here soon.
- - Savage from London, England
  - Posted 29 Sep 2007 09:38

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

GREAT FILM, BUT ...

This is one of the high points of the career of the inimitable Billy Wilder. Sadly it is NOT on DVD, so if you've come here hoping to finally get your hands on a pristine digital edition of this neglected gem, you're going to be very disappointed ... sorry!
- - BIGGERTHANLIFE from UK
  - Posted 08 Feb 2007 22:02
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

[Highly rated reviewer]

Surpassingly nasty

Although Billy Wilder is probably best remembered for his comedies ('Some like it hot'; 'The apartment', etc), he also had a knack for serious films as well. This may be the most corruscating and unpleasant hundred minutes he ever made. The story of a down-on-his-luck reporter (career-best Kirk Douglas) determined to do anything to get himself back on top again is like living with a bag of disease-ridden rattlesnakes, but it's mighty effective for all that: genuine car-crash stuff, from which it's impossible to take one's eyes. If it has one fault, it is only that Wilder takes such delight in rubbing our noses in the cynicism and duplicity of the media, that he forgets to provide any shading. Otherwise, this is one film you won't forget.

At the time of writing (September 07) this had just been released by Criterion on an excellent Region 1 disc, so it should be out here soon.
- - Savage from London, England
  - Posted 29 Sep 2007 09:38
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

aces high!

a film that reflects on todays celeb culture that shows just how fickle the rubbernecking public can turn a human tragedy into a three ring circus for their own self obsessed entertainment,with little or thought about the poor soul trapped underground ,who is kept there, until hard-nosed reporter (douglas) can milk the very last drop of human interest ,and money-spinning sales for his newspaper bosses, with tragic results for so many
- - tweeza from Wallsend
  - Posted 04 Mar 2009 19:31
[Highly rated reviewer]

The circus is not over

Wilder's dark tale of a cynical newspaper man (Kirk Douglas) creating a media circus around a human tragedy is dated in many respects but has not lost its bite.

Douglas plays an anti-hero with so few redeeming qualities it makes the film almost difficult to watch. But when he turns towards a younger reporter and says 'Bad news sells. Good news is no news' he's uttering a media mantra that's as relevant today as it ever was.
- - LaurenceScotford from Hove, England
  - Posted 19 Sep 2009 17:42

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Critics' reviews (2)
An incisive, compelling melodrama taking a sour look at the American scene; one of its director's masterworks, in which he was in a serious mood, exposing the sensationalism of the tabloid press.
- Halliwell's Film Guide
- Posted 02 Mar 2006
Wilder ran into charges of bad taste with this acid tale of reporter Chuck Tatum (Douglas), resentfully stagnating in a... read more on Time Out
- Time Out
- Posted 04 Nov 2008

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop

- Ace in the Hole
  
  A cave collapse in New Mexico traps a man, and all eyes turn toward the tragedy, including those of Charles "Chuck" Tatum (Kirk Douglas), a washed-up newspaper reporter who sees the incident as a ticket back to his former days at the top of the journalism heap. As the media circus begins to swirl ...