The stereotypical Western that lots of of us grew up with has a checklist of musts, such as a cowboy, a like interest, a shootout, and a panoramic shot of the hero riding off into the sunset. While just about every film fan knows John Wayne (True Grit is a milestone in American cultural literacy), A Big Hand for the Little Lady, starring Henry Fonda and Joanne Woodward, stands as a testament to the versatility of the Western genre. As if Matchstick Men met High Noon, or Oceans Eleven met Rio Bravo, the film is amongst the most effective of the Western and, additional importantly, heist genres. Forgoing higher noon for higher hands, the film represents a departure from the typical formulas, although, yielding a genuinely original story.

A Big Hand for the Little Lady requires spot in Laredo, Texas, exactly where the town holds an annual higher-stakes poker game. Coincidentally, Meredith, a reformed gambler played by Fonda, is riding by way of town with his wife and son when their wagon breaks down. Not becoming in a position to aid himself, he, of course, enters the game with their life savings. After suffering a heart attack when holding an fantastic hand, he provides his cards to Mary, his wife played by Woodward, below the situation that no one else, such as the audience, gets to see it. From there, the story evolves into a guessing game, with the viewers’ curiosity about the hand developing stronger and stronger all through the rest of the film.

A Big Hand for the Little Lady

Comedy western in which a traveler bets additional revenue than he can afford in a poker game, and uncommon events adhere to.

Actors

Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Paul Ford, Charles Bickford, Burgess Meredith, Kevin McCarthy

Release Date

May 31, 1966

Director

Fielder Cook

Studio

Warner Bros.

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‘A Big Hand for the Little Lady’ Changes the Rules for Western Heists

The character study that we see in A Big Hand for the Little Lady is unusually complicated for a Western of its day, exactly where characters have been normally reserved for brawny, rugged varieties that exude macho charisma, not household guys that struggle with addiction. The other guys in the poker game, such as Kevin McCarthy and Jason Robards, match the Western stereotype to a tee, even although they clearly sympathize with Mary. Here, we see a hint of emotional intelligence that is distinctive for characters meant to be gruff and brutish. When Mary is told that she need to get in touch with the bet or forfeit the hand, the audience gets the sense that the gamblers take pity on her simply because she’s a lady (which comes into play at the finish), but she does not relent.

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The genuinely challenging, gritty character in A Big Hand for the Little Lady is not Meredith, but Mary, who need to be the powerful leader for their household in spite of her husband’s physical and mental wellness challenges. Put in a bit of a spot, Mary then requires out a loan from the regional bank to get in touch with the bet, displaying the hand to the bank manager as collateral. From this, the audience starts to recognize with Mary, who is seemingly prepared to do what ever it requires to care for her household, in spite of the perplexing situation she finds herself in. While this is not the very first western to function a powerful, female lead, Woodward’s commanding presence sells the film’s premise so properly that it feels not only as opposed to other Westerns of the day, but other films in basic. Mary, although desperate, is in a position to confidently assuage the other gamblers in such a way that even the audience is prepared to ante up and see what’s in her hand.

Even the Audience Isn’t In on the Score in ‘A Big Hand for the Little Lady’

But therein lies the rub: neither the audience, nor the other gamblers, ever see what’s in Mary’s hand. What’s worse is that the whole plot of the film depends on what is in this “too good to be true” hand that need to be unbeatable. Yet, at the conclusion of the film, the other gamblers make a decision that the banker is a lot as well frugal to loan big amounts of revenue primarily based on a bluff, and fold devoid of obtaining noticed what they have been betting against.

Now, it ought to be admitted that this wouldn’t fly in a lesser film, but the convincing performances by the lead characters are so skillful that it feels appropriate, and the audience does not get the sense that the townspeople are acting out of character. Given the situations that a desperate household is about to be ruined by an out-of-manage father, the viewer understands the other gamblers’ willingness to give up the pot. As the game ends, Mary manages to acquire the respect of not just the other gamblers, but the whole town, and saves her household from monetary disaster.

The Characters Are Thoroughly Convincing in ‘A Big Hand for the Little Lady’

Except, of course, that it actually is an elaborate ruse. After the gamblers leave, it is revealed that, with the aid of the medical doctor and banker, the whole issue was a sham, appropriate down to their “son,” whom they have to get to his true parents in time for bed. But as opposed to other heist films, exactly where the audience roots for the protagonists to steal the revenue, in A Big Hand for the Little Lady, they can not aid but really feel betrayed. Fonda and Woodward play such convincing components that the audience is confident that they’re genuine. After all, who would bet their whole life savings, and borrow thousands of dollars, on an elaborate ploy? Plus, the Western genre makes use of so handful of self-assurance schemes that it by no means happens to the viewer that it would be a deception. At the conclusion of the film, having said that, the audience is left holding the bag, but it is carried out so properly that they can not aid but admire the film for it.

In the interest of fairness, twist endings are not a rarity in themselves, with the likes of Maverick or Two Mules for Sister Sara becoming additional recognizable. What tends to make A Big Hand for the Little Lady so memorable are the flawless executions by the cast, which are so moving that the audience lets their guard down for the major twist. The reveal in related films could be a surprise, but the conclusion of A Big Hand for the Little Lady is pretty much private. Better nevertheless, as opposed to other heist films, A Big Hand for the Little Lady could nevertheless fool viewers even although they’ve study what’s coming, given that the characters will play a tune on their heartstrings worthy of Mozart.

A Big Hand for the Little Lady is obtainable to invest in or rent Prime Video in the U.S.

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