#396: WILDER, Billy: Ace In The Hole (1951)

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WILDER, Billy (United States)
Ace In The Hole [1951]
Spine #396
DVD


One of the most scathing indictments of American culture ever produced by a Hollywood filmmaker, Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole is legendary for both its cutting social critique and its status as a hard-to-find cult classic. Kirk Douglas gives the fiercest performance of his career as Chuck Tatum, an amoral newspaper reporter caught in dead-end Albuquerque who happens upon the story of a lifetime — and will do anything to ensure he gets the scoop. Wilder's follow-up to Sunset Boulevard is an even darker vision, a no-holds-barred exposé that anticipated the rise of the American media circus.

111 minutes
Black & White
Monaural
1:33:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2007
Director/Writers


Written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels and Walter Newman.
Wilder was 45 when he directed Ace in the Hole.

Other Wilder films in the Collection:

#1126: Double Indemnity (1944)
#950: Some Like It Hot (1959)

The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Four-page faux-newspaper foldout featuring essays by Molly Haskell and Guy Maddin.

Commentary

By film scholar Neil Sinyard.

Portrait of a “60% Perfect Man”: Billy Wilder

A 1990 documentary featuring in-depth interviews with Wilder by film critic Michel Ciment.
Interview

From 1984 with Douglas.
Excerpts 1

From a 1986 appearance by Wilder at the American Film Institute.
Excerpts 2

From an audio interview with coscreenwriter Newman.
Video afterword

By filmmaker Spike Lee.
Stills gallery
Theatrical trailer

 Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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