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The Resource Ace in the hole, a Paramount picture ; written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman ; produced and directed by Billy Wilder, (videorecording)

Ace in the hole, a Paramount picture ; written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman ; produced and directed by Billy Wilder, (videorecording)

Composer
Interviewer
Producer
Director
Contributor
Summary
  • The Ace in the Hole, in this case, is Leo Minosa, trapped in a cliff dwelling near Albuquerque, N.M. The publicity from his situation could build a winning hand for several people: Chuck Tatum, manipulative veteran newsman; Lorraine, his bored wife who dreams of city lights; Sheriff Gus Kretzer, boosting his re-election campaign; and young Herbie, a reporter who wants to make the big leagues. In 1951, there was no 24-hour cable news, and the Albuquerque paper was not on the Internet. The modern media age, however, was dawning. A veritable carnival sets up at the rescue scene, which may be one of the sources of the term "media circus."
  • "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 lifefime--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."--Container notes
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
2 videodiscs (111 min.)
Note
  • Enclosed folded sheet, designed to look like a newspaper, includes essays by Molly Haskell: Noir in broad daylight and Guy Maddin: Chin up for mother
  • Originally produced as an American motion picture in 1951
Contents
  • Disc 1: the film: Arrival in Albuquerque -- "Where's my desk?" -- Life sentence -- "Good news is no news" -- Human interest -- Leo -- "Forget the rattlesnakes" -- Lorraine wants out -- Mr. and Mrs. America -- "Everybody likes a break" -- Ace in the hole -- Twenty minutes -- New community -- Gentlemen of the press -- From the top -- Leo suffers as the carnival arrives -- Accusations from Boot -- Rounding third -- Song for Leo -- Turn for the worse -- Out of options -- Present -- Last rites -- Circus is over -- Tatum special -- "For nothing" -- Color bars -- special features commentary by Neil Sinyard [optional audio feature] ; theatrical trailer (2 min.)
  • Disc 2: the supplements: "Portrait of a '60% perfect man': Billy Wilder", a film by Annie Tresgot and Michel Ciment (direction: Annie Tresgot ; interview: Michel Ciment) (60 min.) ; excerpts from a 1986 appearance by Wilder at the American Film Institute (24 min.) ; 1984 interview with Kirk Douglas (14 min.) ; Walter Newman interview (audio only) (10 min.) ; Spike Lee afterword (6 min.) ; stills gallery ; insert (a facsimile newspaper) includes essays "Noir in broad daylight" by Molly Haskell and "Chin up for Mother" by Guy Maddin
Isbn
9781934121689
Instance
Label
Ace in the hole
Title
Ace in the hole
Statement of responsibility
a Paramount picture ; written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman ; produced and directed by Billy Wilder
Title variation
Billy Wilder's Ace in the hole
Contributor
Actor
Cinematographer
Commentator
Composer
Costume designer
Director
Interviewer
Producer
Screenwriter
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
  • The Ace in the Hole, in this case, is Leo Minosa, trapped in a cliff dwelling near Albuquerque, N.M. The publicity from his situation could build a winning hand for several people: Chuck Tatum, manipulative veteran newsman; Lorraine, his bored wife who dreams of city lights; Sheriff Gus Kretzer, boosting his re-election campaign; and young Herbie, a reporter who wants to make the big leagues. In 1951, there was no 24-hour cable news, and the Albuquerque paper was not on the Internet. The modern media age, however, was dawning. A veritable carnival sets up at the rescue scene, which may be one of the sources of the term "media circus."
  • "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 lifefime--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."--Container notes
Related
Member of
Awards note
Winner, International Award: Billy Wilder, 1951 Venice Film Festival; Best Actress Award: Jan Sterling, 1951 National Board of Review.
Cataloging source
TEFMT
Characteristic
videorecording
Credits note
Director of photography, Charles B. Lang, Jr.; edited by Arthur Schmidt ; music score by Hugo Friedhofer ; art direction, Hal Pereira and Earl Hedrick ; costumes, Edith Head
Dewey number
791.43/72
Language note
In English with optional subtitles in English
LC call number
PN1995.9.S87
LC item number
B5559 2007
PerformerNote
Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Bob Arthur, Porter Hall, Frank Cady, Richard Benedict, Ray Teal, Frank Jaquet
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorDate
  • 1906-2002
  • 1916-2020
  • 1923-2004
  • 1925-2008
  • 1888-1953
  • 1915-2012
  • 1916-1984
  • 1902-1976
  • 1885-1958
  • 1938-
  • 1956-
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
  • Wilder, Billy
  • Samuels, Lesser
  • Newman, Walter
  • Douglas, Kirk
  • Sterling, Jan
  • Arthur, Robert
  • Hall, Porter
  • Cady, Frank
  • Benedict, Richard
  • Teal, Ray
  • Jaquet, Frank
  • Lang, Charles B.
  • Friedhofer, Hugo
  • Head, Edith
  • Sinyard, Neil
  • Ciment, Michel
  • Haskell, Molly
  • Maddin, Guy
  • Paramount Pictures Corporation
  • Criterion Collection (Firm)
Runtime
111
Series statement
Criterion collection
Series volume
396
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Press
  • Journalists
  • Situation ethics
  • Mine accidents
  • Mass media
  • Albuquerque (N.M.)
  • Feature films
  • Film noir
  • Thrillers (Motion pictures)
Target audience
general
Technique
live action
Label
Ace in the hole, a Paramount picture ; written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman ; produced and directed by Billy Wilder, (videorecording)
Instantiates
Publication
Note
  • Enclosed folded sheet, designed to look like a newspaper, includes essays by Molly Haskell: Noir in broad daylight and Guy Maddin: Chin up for mother
  • Originally produced as an American motion picture in 1951
Accompanying material
1 folded sheet ([4] pages : illustrations ; 36 cm (folded to 12 x 19 cm))
Carrier category
videodisc
Carrier category code
  • vd
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
black and white
Configuration of playback channels
monaural
Content category
two-dimensional moving image
Content type code
  • tdi
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
  • Disc 1: the film: Arrival in Albuquerque -- "Where's my desk?" -- Life sentence -- "Good news is no news" -- Human interest -- Leo -- "Forget the rattlesnakes" -- Lorraine wants out -- Mr. and Mrs. America -- "Everybody likes a break" -- Ace in the hole -- Twenty minutes -- New community -- Gentlemen of the press -- From the top -- Leo suffers as the carnival arrives -- Accusations from Boot -- Rounding third -- Song for Leo -- Turn for the worse -- Out of options -- Present -- Last rites -- Circus is over -- Tatum special -- "For nothing" -- Color bars -- special features commentary by Neil Sinyard [optional audio feature] ; theatrical trailer (2 min.)
  • Disc 2: the supplements: "Portrait of a '60% perfect man': Billy Wilder", a film by Annie Tresgot and Michel Ciment (direction: Annie Tresgot ; interview: Michel Ciment) (60 min.) ; excerpts from a 1986 appearance by Wilder at the American Film Institute (24 min.) ; 1984 interview with Kirk Douglas (14 min.) ; Walter Newman interview (audio only) (10 min.) ; Spike Lee afterword (6 min.) ; stills gallery ; insert (a facsimile newspaper) includes essays "Noir in broad daylight" by Molly Haskell and "Chin up for Mother" by Guy Maddin
Control code
123452228
Dimensions
4 3/4 in. +
Dimensions
other
Extent
2 videodiscs (111 min.)
Isbn
9781934121689
Media category
video
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • v
Medium for sound
videodisc
Note
MU: Performance rights: Home view.
Other control number
715515024723
Other physical details
sound, black and white
Publisher number
CC1705D
Sound on medium or separate
sound on medium
Specific material designation
videodisc
System control number
(OCoLC)123452228
System details
DVD ; Region 1 ; NTSC ; Dolby Digital mono ; aspect ratio 1.33:1
Video recording format
DVD
Label
Ace in the hole, a Paramount picture ; written by Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman ; produced and directed by Billy Wilder, (videorecording)
Publication
Note
  • Enclosed folded sheet, designed to look like a newspaper, includes essays by Molly Haskell: Noir in broad daylight and Guy Maddin: Chin up for mother
  • Originally produced as an American motion picture in 1951
Accompanying material
1 folded sheet ([4] pages : illustrations ; 36 cm (folded to 12 x 19 cm))
Carrier category
videodisc
Carrier category code
  • vd
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Color
black and white
Configuration of playback channels
monaural
Content category
two-dimensional moving image
Content type code
  • tdi
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
  • Disc 1: the film: Arrival in Albuquerque -- "Where's my desk?" -- Life sentence -- "Good news is no news" -- Human interest -- Leo -- "Forget the rattlesnakes" -- Lorraine wants out -- Mr. and Mrs. America -- "Everybody likes a break" -- Ace in the hole -- Twenty minutes -- New community -- Gentlemen of the press -- From the top -- Leo suffers as the carnival arrives -- Accusations from Boot -- Rounding third -- Song for Leo -- Turn for the worse -- Out of options -- Present -- Last rites -- Circus is over -- Tatum special -- "For nothing" -- Color bars -- special features commentary by Neil Sinyard [optional audio feature] ; theatrical trailer (2 min.)
  • Disc 2: the supplements: "Portrait of a '60% perfect man': Billy Wilder", a film by Annie Tresgot and Michel Ciment (direction: Annie Tresgot ; interview: Michel Ciment) (60 min.) ; excerpts from a 1986 appearance by Wilder at the American Film Institute (24 min.) ; 1984 interview with Kirk Douglas (14 min.) ; Walter Newman interview (audio only) (10 min.) ; Spike Lee afterword (6 min.) ; stills gallery ; insert (a facsimile newspaper) includes essays "Noir in broad daylight" by Molly Haskell and "Chin up for Mother" by Guy Maddin
Control code
123452228
Dimensions
4 3/4 in. +
Dimensions
other
Extent
2 videodiscs (111 min.)
Isbn
9781934121689
Media category
video
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • v
Medium for sound
videodisc
Note
MU: Performance rights: Home view.
Other control number
715515024723
Other physical details
sound, black and white
Publisher number
CC1705D
Sound on medium or separate
sound on medium
Specific material designation
videodisc
System control number
(OCoLC)123452228
System details
DVD ; Region 1 ; NTSC ; Dolby Digital mono ; aspect ratio 1.33:1
Video recording format
DVD

Subject

Genre

Member of

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      38.944491 -92.326012
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      38.947290 -92.328025

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