Login
Self-centred newspaper report Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) has been fired by eleven major newspapers for reasons ranging from libel lawsuits to drinking alcohol and having an affair with a publisher's wife. Broke and unemployed, Chuck winds up in Albuquerque, where he bullies his way into a job at the tiny Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin newspaper run by Mr. Boot (Porter Hall). It's not a job that Chuck actually wants - he merely plans to find a big story, make it a national sensation, and use it to get a position at another big-city newspaper. While on an assignment to cover a rattlesnake hunt, Chuck and the newspaper's young photographer, Herbie (Robert Arthur), stumble upon another story: a local man named Leo (Richard Benedict) is trapped in a cave. The situation is somewhat unremarkable, however, and the engineering team can have him out within a day, but Chuck wants to extend the dilemma for maximum media coverage, conspiring with the Sheriff (Ray Teal) to hatch an alternative rescue operation that will last several days. Chuck's exaggerated news coverage triggers a frenzy of interest, with thousands of onlookers swarming the area, providing a boom for the local businesses. One such business is operated by Leo's wife, Lorraine (Jan Sterling), who is desperate to leave Leo but stays in town to reap the financial rewards of the media circus.
Ace in the Hole is loosely based on real events: in 1925, Floyd Collins was trapped in a Kentucky cave. An intense flurry of interest ensued, and newspaper reporter William Burke Miller received a Pulitzer Prize for covering the event, during which he participated in rescue efforts and had direct contact with Collins. Unfortunately, Collins did not survive the ordeal. Chuck knowingly references the Collins story after learning about Leo while talking to Herbie, further underscoring his conscious lack of morality in his hunger for a sensationalised human interest story. Mr. Boot's fundamental philosophy at the Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin is "Tell The Truth," putting him at odds with Chuck's desire to sell millions of papers by reporting a manipulated version of the truth, especially when he starts writing daily stories about Leo. Many critics in the 1950s found it preposterous that Chuck could use shady tactics to essentially call the shots on the rescue operation while keeping the story to himself, but it's important to approach Ace in the Hole as a satire, and the execution is sufficiently believable considering Chuck's unmatched gift of the gab.
Through a combination of sharp dialogue and note-perfect performances, Ace in the Hole does not feel like homework, nor is it the type of classic film you can only admire rather than love or enjoy. It's unfailingly engaging throughout, which is also a testament to the superb technical presentation that feels more dynamic than the stilted or static movies of this era. Most note-worthy is Charles Lang's cinematography, which is distinctly noir-esque. The compositions are consistently captivating, and Lang's use of lighting and shadows make the sets feel like authentic locations, rather than internal soundstages. This is particularly beneficial for the underground sequences; the cave where Leo is trapped looks incredibly convincing. It also helps that the main external set was constructed in an outdoor location, and it looks incredibly elaborate - it was actually the largest non-combat set ever built at the time. Admittedly, the rear projection techniques throughout Ace in the Hole do look dated in the 21st Century, particularly in vehicles or, in one case, inside the press tent near the cave. However, the illusion is convincing enough, and the minor technical shortcomings do nothing to tarnish Wilder's spellbinding vision.
As the sneaky, fast-talking, manipulative Chuck Tatum, Kirk Douglas delivers a first-rate performance and superbly handles all of the character's intricacies. His spiel towards Mr. Boot at the beginning of the movie makes you believe he can talk himself into gaining a job on the spot, and Douglas does not shy away from the darker aspects of the role, including a growing alcohol dependency or a shocking moment of Chuck slapping Lorraine. There's scarcely a dud performance in sight, with Richard Benedict also making a fantastic impression as Leo. Benedict comes across as naive and somewhat pathetic while talking to Chuck, as he believes that everyone actually cares about him and he trusts the newspaperman implicitly.
Wilder is renowned for being an astute social critic, using his films to critique American culture and shine a light on unsavoury parts of society. With Ace in the Hole (the title of which Paramount secretly changed to The Big Carnival without Wilder's permission), Wilder and co-writers Walter Newman and Lesser Samuels use a real-life story to explore the shamelessness and sordidness associated with major human interest stories, and the flagrant lack of humanity exercised by journalists to gain (or manipulate) big scoops for career advancement. Wilder also eschews a happy ending, with the film closing on a powerfully tragic and depressing note that remains true to the director's vision. Ace in the Hole is one of Wilder's defining masterpieces, which is a huge call considering his iconic body of work.
10/10
