128-449: The Cincinnati Kid is a 1965 American drama film directed by Norman Jewison . It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression -era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best. This quest leads him to challenge Lancey "The Man" Howard, an older player widely considered to be the best, culminating in a climactic final poker hand between the two. The script, adapted from Richard Jessup 's 1963 novel of
256-466: A $ 5,000 marker with Howard, only to have Lady Fingers, an ex-lover of Howard’s, deal Howard a queen-high straight flush. Howard then chastises the Kid, telling him that he will always be "second best" as long as Howard is around. Leaving the game, the Kid unexpectedly runs into Christian, and they embrace. In some cuts, the film ends with a freeze-frame on Steve McQueen's face following a penny-pitching loss to
384-466: A Portuguese fisherman in the adventure movie, based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling . He was uncomfortable feigning a foreign accent, and resented having his hair curled, but the role was a hit with audiences and Tracy won the Academy Award for Best Actor . Captains Courageous was followed by Big City with Luise Rainer and Mannequin with Joan Crawford , the latter of which performed well at
512-537: A brash young shoeshine boy who had been seeking, unsuccessfully, to “cut” him earlier in the movie. Turner Classic Movies and the DVD feature the ending with Christian. Jewison wanted to end the film with the freeze-frame but was overruled by the producer. A cockfight scene was cut by British censors. The Cincinnati Kid was filmed on location in New Orleans, Louisiana, a change from the original St. Louis, Missouri, setting of
640-590: A convenience store and post office. He attended Kew Beach School and Malvern Collegiate Institute , and while growing up in the 1930s displayed an aptitude for performing and theatre. He was often mistaken for being Jewish due to his surname and direction of Fiddler on the Roof , but Jewison and his family are Protestants ( Methodists ) of English descent. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy (1944–1945) during World War II , and after being discharged travelled in
768-432: A conventionally vicious Southern gentleman (Rip Torn), whose pleasures include a Negro mistress, a pistol range adjacent to his parlor, and fixed card games. As Malden's wife, Ann-Margret spells trouble of another kind, though her naive impersonation of a wicked, wicked woman recalls the era when the femme fatale wore breastplates lashed together with spider web. By the time all the bets are in, Cincinnati Kid appears to hold
896-485: A drama starring Steve McQueen , and Jewison considered it one of his personal favourites because it was his first challenging drama. This success was followed in 1966 by a satire on Cold War paranoia, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming ; it was the first film Jewison also produced, and it was nominated for four Academy Awards , including Best Picture. He felt that doing "a plea for coexistence, or
1024-482: A film with the red and black of playing cards in greyscale. He did mute the colors throughout, both to evoke the period and to help pop the card colors when they appeared. Strother Martin , who appears early in the film, but is never seen again, said he was fired after Jewison replaced Peckinpah. The film features a theme song performed by Ray Charles , the Eureka Brass Band performing a second line parade , and
1152-662: A losing hand. A retrospective review published in 2011 by the New York State Writers Institute of the University at Albany also noted the similarities the film has to The Hustler , but in contrast said The Cincinnati Kid ' s "stylized realism, dreamlike color, and detailed subplots give [the film] a dramatic complexity and self-awareness that The Hustler lacks". Through 2023 The Cincinnati Kid holds an 87% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 23 reviews, with an average user rating of 7.6/10. Joan Blondell
1280-581: A member of the college debate team , Tracy excelled in arguing and public speaking. It was during a tour with the debate team that he auditioned for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York City. He was offered a scholarship to attend the school after performing a scene from one of his earlier roles. Tracy left Ripon and began classes at AADA in April 1922. O'Brien was also enrolled there and
1408-582: A one-armed protagonist who faces the hostility of a small desert town in Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), a film directed by John Sturges . For his work, Tracy received a fifth Oscar nomination and was awarded the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival . Tracy had personally been unhappy with the picture and threatened to leave during production. This behavior became a regular occurrence for Tracy, who
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#17330856829821536-604: A raise in his weekly salary to $ 1,500 convinced him to stay. He continued to appear in unpopular films, with Me and My Gal (1932) setting an all-time low attendance record for the Roxy Theatre in New York City. He was loaned to Warner Bros. for 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932), a prison drama co-starring Bette Davis . Tracy was hopeful that it would be his break-out role, but despite good reviews, this failed to materialize. Critics began to notice Tracy with The Power and
1664-603: A scene in Preservation Hall with Emma Barrett (vocalist and pianist), Punch Miller (trumpet), Paul Crawford (trombone), George Lewis (clarinet), Cie Frazier (drums) and Allan Jaffe (helicon). The world premiere was held at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans on October 15, 1965, with a nationwide release on October 27. The film opened in Los Angeles on November 5. The television premiere of The Cincinnati Kid
1792-555: A scholarship for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts . He spent seven years in the theater, working in a succession of stock companies and intermittently on Broadway . His breakthrough came in 1930, when his lead performance in The Last Mile caught the attention of Hollywood . After a successful film debut in John Ford 's Up the River (in which he starred with Humphrey Bogart ), he
1920-597: A script writer for a children's television program and bit part actor for the BBC , while supporting himself with odd jobs. Out of work in Britain in late 1951, he returned to Canada to become a production trainee at CBLT in Toronto, which was preparing for the launch of CBC Television . When CBC Television went on the air in the fall of 1952, Jewison was an assistant director. During the next seven years he wrote, directed, and produced
2048-472: A sold-out crowd and tepid response. It was a difficult production; director Garson Kanin later wrote: "In the ten days prior to the New York opening all the important relationships had deteriorated. Spencer was tense and unbending, could not, or would not, take direction". Tracy considered leaving the show before it even opened on Broadway, and lasted there just six weeks before announcing his intention to close
2176-409: A successful play. Agnes of God (1985), set in a Quebec convent, starred Jane Fonda , Meg Tilly , and Anne Bancroft ; it received three Academy Award nominations. In 1986, he then discontinued the agreement with film producer Columbia Pictures , citing the behaviour of British filmmaker and head of production David Puttnam . After the falling out with Columbia, his Yorktown Productions company
2304-427: A suspense film about an escape from a Nazi concentration camp, met with critical acclaim. It was followed by the aviation film Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944). On the strength of these three releases, the annual Quigley poll revealed Tracy was MGM's biggest money-making star of 1944, His only film the following year was his third with Hepburn, Without Love (1945), a light romantic comedy that performed well at
2432-600: A team in the public imagination. Based on the positive response he had received in San Francisco , MGM again cast Tracy as a priest in Boys Town (also 1938). Portraying Edward J. Flanagan , a Catholic priest and founder of Boys Town in Nebraska, was a role Tracy took seriously: "I'm so anxious to do a good job as Father Flanagan that it worries me, keeps me awake at night." Tracy received strong reviews for his performance, and
2560-511: A triple murder in New Jersey during the mid-1960s. Denzel Washington won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Carter. In 1999, Jewison's work was recognised by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences when he was given the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for lifetime achievement. Jewison continued directing and producing up until his last film to be released,
2688-451: A two-week binge . Tracy was removed from the Fox payroll while he recovered in a hospital, and then sued for $ 125,000 for delaying the production. He completed only two more pictures with the studio. The details on how Tracy's relationship with Fox ended are unclear: later in life Tracy maintained that he was fired for his drunken behavior, but the Fox records do not support such an account. He
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#17330856829822816-407: A wide variety of musicals, comedy-variety shows, dramas, and specials, including The Big Revue , Showtime , and The Barris Beat . In 1953 he married Margaret Ann "Dixie" Dixon, a former model. They had three children – Michael, Kevin, and Jennifer – who all pursued careers in the entertainment industry. In 1958 Jewison was recruited to work for NBC in New York, where his first assignment
2944-580: A wordless robot in R.U.R. He graduated from AADA in March 1923. Immediately following graduation, Tracy joined a new stock company based in White Plains, New York , where he was given peripheral roles. Unhappy there, he moved to a company in Cincinnati , but failed to make an impact. In November 1923, he landed a small part on Broadway in the comedy A Royal Fandango , starring Ethel Barrymore . Reviews for
3072-543: Is Lynne St. David–Jewison. Norman Jewison died in his Malibu home on January 20, 2024, at age 97. Producer only Executive producer Acting roles Ref.: TV specials TV movies Ref.: Jewison was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times in three separate decades for In the Heat of the Night (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Moonstruck (1987). He also won
3200-522: Is set in the near future when corporations rule the world and entertainment is centred around a deadly game. The next film he directed, the labour union drama F.I.S.T. (1978), loosely based on the life of Jimmy Hoffa , also provided some controversy, this time regarding the screenwriting credit. Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas was unhappy to share the screenwriting credit with the film's star Sylvester Stallone , as he felt that Stallone's input had been minor, while Stallone claimed to have basically rewritten
3328-406: The 53rd Annual Academy Awards (1981), which was slated to air the day President Ronald Reagan was shot and had to be rescheduled. Revisiting the theme of racial tension that had characterised In the Heat of the Night , Jewison's A Soldier's Story (1984), based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play, was nominated for three Academy Awards , including Best Picture. His next film was also based on
3456-536: The American South , where he encountered segregation , an experience that influenced his later work. Jewison attended Victoria College in the University of Toronto , graduating with a B.A. in 1949. As a student, he was involved in writing, directing, and acting in various theatrical productions, including the All-Varsity Revue in 1949. Following graduation, he moved to London, where he worked sporadically as
3584-708: The Canadian Film Centre . In 2003, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement for his multiple contributions to the film industry in Canada . He was Chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto , his alma mater, from 2004 until 2010. Jewison was born in Toronto , Ontario, the son of Dorothy Irene (née Weaver) and Percy Joseph Jewison (1890–1974), who managed
3712-432: The "badness" out of him and helped him improve his grades. It helped me develop memory for lines that has been a godsend since I started stage work; it gave me something of a stage presence; and it helped get rid of my awkwardness. Also, I gradually developed the ability to speak extemporaneously. At Marquette Academy , he began attending plays with lifelong friend and fellow actor Pat O'Brien , awakening his interest in
3840-404: The "hopeless miscasting of Mr. Tracy". The film became Tracy's biggest money-loser at MGM. Tracy finished off the 1940s with Malaya (1949), an adventure film with James Stewart , and Adam's Rib (also 1949), a comedy with Tracy and Hepburn playing married lawyers who oppose each other in court. Tracy and Hepburn's friends, Garson Kanin and Ruth Gordon , wrote the parts specifically for
3968-409: The "two films that changed his career and gave him the status of a major star". By this point, Tracy entered a period of self-imposed sobriety and MGM expressed pleasure with Tracy's professionalism. His public reputation continued to grow with Libeled Lady (also 1936), a screwball comedy that cast him with William Powell , Loy and Harlow. According to Curtis, "Powell, Harlow and Loy were among
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4096-486: The 2003 thriller The Statement , based on a novel by Brian Moore starring Michael Caine . That same year his autobiography This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me was published, expressing the enthusiasm, conviction, and creative passion that sustained his career. In 1999, he directed the HBO television movie Dinner with Friends starring Andie MacDowell , Greg Kinnear , Toni Collette , and Dennis Quaid . The film
4224-448: The Bride (1950). In the comedy film, Banks attempts to handle preparations for the upcoming wedding of his daughter ( Elizabeth Taylor ). "It's the second strong comedy in a row for Spencer Tracy, doing the title role, and he socks it", Variety commented. The film was the biggest commercial success of Tracy's career to date, earning $ 6 million worldwide. MGM wanted a sequel, and while Tracy
4352-524: The CFC Award for Creative Excellence to CFC alumni in recognition of their outstanding work and contributions to the screen-based entertainment industry. Jewison presented the inaugural award to CFC alumna Semi Chellas ( Mad Men ) in 2014, to Graeme Manson and John Fawcett ( Orphan Black ) in 2015, and to Don McKellar ( The Red Violin , Highway 61 ) in 2016. Jewison was the Chair Emeritus of
4480-538: The CFC. Norman Jewison and Margaret Ann Dixon married on July 11, 1953. She died on November 26, 2004, the day following her 74th birthday, in Orangeville, Ontario , from undisclosed causes. They had three children and five grandchildren. In recognition of his contributions to the arts, as well as his sustained support, Jewison was installed as Chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto in 2004; he held
4608-689: The Canadian Centre for Advanced Film Studies in 1986, which opened two years later as an advanced film school on Windfields Estate in Toronto, Ontario. This was subsequently renamed the Canadian Film Centre (CFC). More than 1,700 alumni and 100 alumni companies have come out of CFC's programs to date, including Shaftesbury Films , Conquering Lion Pictures , CopperHeart Entertainment, Smiley Guy Studios, and Secret Location. The centre has helped incubate and/or develop groundbreaking original content, including hit television series Orphan Black (from creators Graeme Manson and John Fawcett , CFC alumni),
4736-470: The Glory (1933). The story of a man's rise to prosperity had a screenplay by Preston Sturges and Tracy's performance as railroad tycoon Tom Garner received uniformly strong reviews. William Wilkerson of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "This sterling performer has finally been given an opportunity to show an ability that has been boxed in by gangster roles ... [the film] has introduced Mr. Tracy as one of
4864-504: The Kid's girl Christian are close friends, Melba tries to seduce him while Christian is visiting her parents. Out of respect for Shooter, he rebuffs her and spends the day before the game with Christian at her family's farm. Back in New Orleans the next day the big game begins. It starts with six players, including Shooter playing as he deals, and a relief dealer, Lady Fingers, a popular but faded gambling diva. Howard busts an overconfident player called Pig, then Shooter bows out but remains as
4992-429: The Kid, only to have Christian make a surprise visit and catch them after the fact. She walks out broken. When the game resumes the Kid maneuvers to have Shooter replaced by Lady Fingers, claiming Shooter is ill. He then wins several major pots from Howard, who is visibly losing confidence. The Kid is clearly ready to break him. Over a massive pot, the Kid is confident enough of his full house of aces over tens to place
5120-673: The Year was followed by an adaptation of John Steinbeck 's Tortilla Flat (also 1942) which met with a tepid response. MGM did not hesitate to repeat the teaming of Tracy and Hepburn and cast them in the dark mystery Keeper of the Flame (1943). Despite a weak critical reception the film out-grossed Woman of the Year confirming the strength of their partnership. Tracy's next three appearances were all war-based. A Guy Named Joe (1943) with Irene Dunne surpassed San Francisco to become his highest-grossing film to date. The Seventh Cross (1944),
5248-525: The absurdity of international conflict was important right at that moment". While reaction to Russians was positive, Jewison was labelled as "a Canadian pinko" by right-wing commentators. Continuing his string of successes was one of the films that has become closely identified with Jewison as its director, In the Heat of the Night (1967), a crime drama set in a racially divided Southern town and starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger , which won five Academy Awards , including Best Picture, while Jewison
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5376-402: The actor, telling journalist Louella Parsons : "Spencer Tracy will become one of MGM's most valuable stars." Curtis notes that the studio managed Tracy with care, a welcome change from the ineptitude and apathy he had known while at Fox, which was like "a shot of adrenaline" for the actor. His first film under the new contract was the quickly produced The Murder Man (1935), which included
5504-494: The award-winning first feature Closet Monster (from writer/director alumnus Stephen Dunn ), and internationally award-winning documentary feature Stories We Tell (from director and CFC alumna Sarah Polley ). Additionally, feature films such as Rhymes for Young Ghouls (director Jeff Barnaby ), Cube (director Vincenzo Natali ), and Rude (director Clement Virgo ) have been developed and produced through CFC Features. Each year in Los Angeles, Jewison bestowed
5632-467: The best goddamned actor I've ever seen!" Yellow opened on September 21; reviews were mixed but it ran for 135 performances. It was the beginning of an important collaboration for Tracy: "I'd have quit the stage completely," he later commented, "if it hadn't been for George M. Cohan." Cohan wrote a part specifically for Tracy in his next play, The Baby Cyclone . It opened on Broadway in September 1927 and
5760-401: The biggest draws in the industry, and equal billing in such a powerhouse company could only serve to advance Tracy's standing". Libeled Lady was his third hit picture in the space of six months. Tracy appeared in four films released in 1937. They Gave Him a Gun , a crime-drama, went largely unnoticed, but Captains Courageous was one of the major film events of the year. Tracy played
5888-517: The box office despite muted enthusiasm from critics. In 1945, Tracy returned to the stage for the first time in 15 years. He had been through a dark patch personally—culminating with a hospital stay—and Hepburn felt that a play would help restore his focus. Tracy told a journalist in April, "I'm coming back to Broadway to see if I can still act." The play was The Rugged Path by Robert E. Sherwood . It first previewed in Providence on September 28, to
6016-467: The box office. In the 1930s, MGM was the most respected movie production studio in Hollywood. When Tracy arrived there, he was all but unknown. Biographer James Curtis writes: "Tracy was scarcely a blip on the box office barometer in 1935, a critics' darling and little more". He was, however, well known for being a troublemaker. Producer Irving Thalberg was nevertheless enthusiastic about working with
6144-471: The box office. Tracy was set to star in a film version of The Yearling for 1942, but several on-set difficulties and bad weather on location forced MGM to shelve the production. With the end of that project, he became available for the new Katharine Hepburn film, Woman of the Year (1942). Hepburn greatly admired Tracy, calling him "the best movie actor there was". She had wanted him for her comeback vehicle, The Philadelphia Story (1940). Hepburn
6272-407: The box office. Tracy found himself typecast in comedies , usually playing a crook or a con man. The mold was broken with his seventh picture, Disorderly Conduct (1932), and it was the first of his films since Up the River to return a profit. In mid-1932, after nine pictures, Tracy remained virtually unknown to the public. He considered leaving Fox once his contract was up for renewal, but
6400-475: The box office. With two years of hit movies and industry recognition, Tracy became a star in the United States. A 1937 poll of 20 million people to find the "King and Queen of Hollywood" ranked Tracy sixth among males. Tracy was reunited with Clark Gable and Myrna Loy for Test Pilot (1938). The film was another enormous commercial and critical success, permanently cementing the notion of Gable and Tracy as
6528-495: The comedy 40 Pounds of Trouble , and embarked on a motion picture directing career that spanned over 40 years. His notable films included The Cincinnati Kid (1965), The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Rollerball (1975), F.I.S.T. (1978), ...And Justice for All (1979), A Soldier's Story (1984), Agnes of God (1985), and The Hurricane (1999). In 1988, Jewison founded
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#17330856829826656-436: The comparison, in part because of the subject matter. Director Jewison can put his cards on the table, let his camera cut suspensefully to the players' intent faces, but a pool shark sinking a tricky shot into a side pocket undoubtedly offers more range. Kid also has a less compelling subplot. Away from the table, McQueen gambles on a blonde (Tuesday Weld) and on the integrity of his dealer pal, Karl Malden. Pressure comes from
6784-416: The contract did not include a clause that he receive top billing, but from this point onward, every film Tracy appeared in featured his name first. Tracy returned to the role of Father Flanagan for the sequel Men of Boys Town (1941). It was followed by Tracy's only venture into the horror genre, an adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (also 1941), co-starring Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner . Tracy
6912-417: The crime caper The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). From that point Jewison produced all feature films he directed, often with associate Patrick Palmer, and he also acted as producer for films directed by others, beginning with his former film editor Hal Ashby 's directorial debut The Landlord (1970). After the completion of the period comedy Gaily, Gaily (1969), Jewison, having become disenchanted with
7040-648: The critics than any film I ever made in all the years, and we didn't make enough to pay for the ushers in the theatre." For his performance in The Actress , Tracy won a Golden Globe Award and received a nomination for the British Academy Film Award . MGM lent Tracy to Fox for the well-received Western film Broken Lance , his only film released in 1954. In 1955, Tracy turned down William Wyler 's The Desperate Hours because he refused to take second-billing to Humphrey Bogart . Instead, Tracy appeared as
7168-434: The dealer. Later, Yeller and Sokal also drop out. After a few unlikely wins, the Kid abruptly folds what would have been a winning hand and calls for a break. He then privately confronts Shooter, who admits to being forced into cheating by Slade. The Kid insists he can win on his own and tells Shooter to deal straight or he will blow the whistle, destroying Shooter's reputation. Before the game resumes, Melba succeeds in seducing
7296-549: The duo's most popular and critically acclaimed films. Tracy followed it with Plymouth Adventure (also 1952), an historical drama set aboard the Mayflower , co-starring Gene Tierney . It met with poor critical and box office response and posted a loss of $ 1.8 million for MGM. Tracy returned to the role of a concerned father in The Actress (1953). Producer Lawrence Weingarten recalled: "That film ... got more [acclaim] from
7424-530: The eighth time in the office-based comedy Desk Set (1957). He again had to be convinced to stay with the film, one which met with a weak response. Tracy appeared in The Old Man and the Sea (1958), a project that had been in development for five years. An adaptation of Ernest Hemingway 's novella of the same title , Hemingway's agent, Leland Hayward , had previously written to the author: "Of all Hollywood people,
7552-408: The feature film debut of James Stewart . Thalberg then began a strategy of pairing Tracy with the studio's top actresses: Whipsaw (1935) co-starred Myrna Loy and was a commercial success. Riffraff (1936) put Tracy opposite Jean Harlow . Both films were, however, designed and promoted to showcase their leading ladies, thus continuing Tracy's reputation as a secondary star. Fury (1936)
7680-534: The film January Man (1989), executive producer for the Canadian movie Dance Me Outside , and branched back into television both as director and producer, including the TNT biographical film Geronimo (1993) and the series The Rez (1996–1998). The Hurricane (1999) was Jewison's third film to explore the effects of racism, telling the story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter , who had been falsely convicted for
7808-408: The film a "respectably packaged drama" that is "strictly for those who relish—or at least play— stud poker ", and notes that the "film pales beside The Hustler , to which it bears a striking similarity of theme and characterization". Time magazine also noted the similarities to The Hustler , writing that "nearly everything about Cincinnati Kid is reminiscent" of that film, but falls short in
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#17330856829827936-439: The film that allowed him to make the transition from the lighter comedic films he had been making and take on more serious films and subjects. The film garnered mixed reviews from critics on its initial release. Joan Blondell earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance as Lady Fingers. Eric Stoner is "The Cincinnati Kid", an up-and-coming poker player in 1930s New Orleans . He hears that Lancey Howard, an old master of
8064-482: The film, Tracy considered The Old Man and the Sea the toughest part he ever played. In reviewing the performance, Jack Moffitt of The Hollywood Reporter said it was "so intimate and revealing of universal human experience that, to me, it almost transcended acting and became reality". Tracy received Oscar and BAFTA Award nominations for the work. After abandoning two projects, including a proposed remake of The Blue Angel with Marilyn Monroe , Tracy's next feature
8192-598: The first time in his movie career. Tracy's first post-MGM appearance was in The Mountain (1956) with Robert Wagner , who played his much younger brother (Wagner had earlier played his son in Broken Lance ). The location filming in the French Alps proved a difficult experience, and he threatened to leave the project. His performance earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Actor. Tracy and Hepburn then paired together for
8320-468: The game, is in town, and sees it as his chance to achieve recognition as the new king of five-card stud. Before they square off, Howard arranges a tune-up game with wealthy, corrupt William Jefferson Slade. For a dealer, he agrees to the services of Shooter, renowned for his integrity and a good friend of the Kid. Howard wins $ 6,000 from the prideful Slade in a 30-hour game, angering the man enough to seek to get even. Slade then tries to bribe Shooter with
8448-476: The greatest poker movies of all time". Upon its 1965 release, The Cincinnati Kid was favorably reviewed by Variety , which wrote, " Martin Ransohoff has constructed a taut, well-turned-out production. In Steve McQueen he has the near-perfect delineator of the title role. Edward G. Robinson is at his best in some years as the aging, ruthless Lancey Howard...." Howard Thompson of The New York Times called
8576-399: The lead role in his next picture, a prison movie. Production company Fox Film Corporation was unsure about Tracy, saying that he did not photograph well, but Ford convinced them that he was right for the role. Up the River (1930) marked the film debut of both Tracy and Humphrey Bogart . After seeing the rushes , Fox immediately offered Tracy a long-term contract. Knowing that he needed
8704-475: The money for his family, with his young son deaf and recovering from polio , Tracy signed with Fox and moved to California. He appeared on the stage only once more in his life. Winfield Sheehan , the head of Fox, committed to making Tracy a bankable commodity. The studio promoted the actor, releasing ads for his second film Quick Millions (1931) with the headline "A New Star Shines". Three films were made in quick succession, all of which were unsuccessful at
8832-457: The most anticipated films of the year. The film opened to the biggest crowd since Gone With the Wind . Tracy signed a new contract with MGM in April 1941, which paid $ 5,000 a week and limited him to three pictures a year (Tracy had previously expressed a need to reduce his workload). The contract also stated for the first time that his billing was to be "that of a star". Contrary to popular belief,
8960-430: The movie grossed $ 4 million worldwide. For the second year running, Tracy received an Academy Award for Best Actor. He was humble about the recognition, saying in his acceptance speech: "I honestly do not feel that I can accept this award ... I can accept it only as it was meant to be for a great man—Father Flanagan". Although he did keep his Oscar, a second statuette was struck and immediately sent to Flanagan. Tracy
9088-512: The next day—October 29—the New York stock market crashed . Unable to obtain funding, Dread did not open on Broadway. Following this disappointment, Tracy again considered leaving the theater and returning to Milwaukee for a more stable life. In January 1930, Tracy was approached about a new play called The Last Mile . Looking to cast the lead role of a murderer on death row , producer Herman Shumlin met with Tracy, and later recounted: "beneath
9216-468: The next decade Jewison continued to direct feature films released by major studios: In Country (1989), a drama concerned with Vietnam veterans and the daughter of a war casualty; Other People's Money (1991), a social comedy about greed in the 1980s; Only You (1994), a romantic comedy set in Italy; and Bogus (1996), a fantasy about a young boy and his imaginary friend. He also served as producer for
9344-615: The notable stock manager William H. Wright in the spring of 1924. A stage partnership was formed with the young actress Selena Royle , who had already made her name on Broadway. It proved a popular draw and their productions were favorably received. One of these performances brought Tracy to the attention of a Broadway producer, who offered him the lead in a new play. The Sheepman previewed in October 1925, but it received poor reviews and closed after its trial run in Connecticut . Dejected, Tracy
9472-410: The novel. Spencer Tracy was cast as Lancey Howard, but ill health forced him to withdraw from the film. Sam Peckinpah was hired to direct; producer Martin Ransohoff fired him shortly after filming began for "vulgarizing the picture". Peckinpah's version was to be shot in black-and-white to give the film a 1930s period feel. Jewison scrapped the black-and-white footage, feeling it was a mistake to shoot
9600-478: The one that comes the closest to me in quality, in personality and voice, in personal dignity and ability, is Spencer Tracy." Tracy was delighted to be offered the role. He was told to lose some of his 210 pounds before filming began but failed to do so. Hemingway thus reported that Tracy was a "terrible liability to the picture", and had to be reassured that the star was being carefully photographed to disguise his weight problem. Appearing alone on screen for most of
9728-572: The political climate in the United States, moved his family to England. At Pinewood Studios northwest of London, and on location in Yugoslavia , he worked on the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1971, re-issued 1979), which won three Oscars and was nominated for five others, including Best Picture and Director. During the filming of Fiddler , Jewison was also the subject of the 1971 National Film Board of Canada documentary, Norman Jewison, Filmmaker , directed by Douglas Jackson. Jewison's next project
9856-587: The position until October 2010. In 2010 Blake Goldring donated $ 1,000,000 to Victoria University at the University of Toronto to establish a specialised first-year liberal arts program in Jewison's name. The program began in September 2011 welcoming fewer than 30 select students into Norman Jewison Stream for Imagination and the Arts. Goldring is a 1981 graduate of the school. Also in 2010, Jewison married Lynne St. David, whom he had begun dating in 2008. Her married name
9984-560: The prestigious Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival and earned Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Directors Guilds of both Canada and America . He also won a BAFTA Award . Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age , Tracy
10112-534: The proceeds of a $ 25,000 bet into cheating in the Kid's favor when he and Howard meet. Shooter declines, but Slade calls in Shooter's markers worth $ 12,000, and blackmails him by threatening to reveal damaging information about Shooter's sleazy wife, Melba. Slade then throws in canceling the markers as a goose. Shooter agonizes over his decision, having spent the last 25 years building a reputation for honesty. Eventually, however, he caves in. Meantime, even though Melba and
10240-536: The reviews. A fifth film with Hepburn, Frank Capra 's political drama State of the Union , was released in 1948. Tracy played a presidential candidate in the movie, which was warmly received. He then appeared in Edward, My Son (1949) with Deborah Kerr . Tracy disliked the role, and told director George Cukor , "It's rather disconcerting to me to find how easily I play a heel." Upon its release, The New Yorker wrote of
10368-409: The same name, was written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Terry Southern ; it was Lardner's first major studio work since his 1947 blacklisting as one of The Hollywood Ten . The film stars Steve McQueen in the title role and Edward G. Robinson as Howard. Director Jewison, who replaced Sam Peckinpah shortly after filming began, describes The Cincinnati Kid as his "ugly duckling" film. He considers it
10496-441: The screen's best performers". Mordaunt Hall of The New York Times stated: "No more convincing performance has been given on the screen than Spencer Tracy's impersonation of Tom Garner." Shanghai Madness (1933), meanwhile, revealed Tracy to have a previously unseen sex appeal and served to advance his standing. Despite this attention, Tracy's next two movies went largely unnoticed. Man's Castle (1933) with Loretta Young
10624-518: The show were poor and it closed after 25 performances; Tracy later said of the failure, "My ego took an awful beating." When he took a position with a struggling company in New Jersey, Tracy was living on an allowance of 35 cents a day. In January 1924, he played his first leading role with a company in Winnipeg , but the organization soon closed. Tracy finally achieved some success by joining forces with
10752-401: The show. It closed on January 19, 1946, after 81 performances. Tracy later explained to a friend: "I couldn't say those goddamn lines over and over and over again every night ... At least every day is a new day for me in films ... But this thing—every day, every day, over and over again." Tracy was absent from screens in 1946, the first year since his motion picture debut that there
10880-487: The surface, here was a man of passion, violence, sensitivity and desperation: no ordinary man, and just the man for the part." The Last Mile opened on Broadway in February, where Tracy's performance was met by a standing ovation that lasted 14 curtain calls. The Commonweal described him as "one of our best and most versatile young actors". The play was a hit with critics, and ran for 289 performances. In 1930, Broadway
11008-513: The theater. With little care for their studies and "itching for a chance to go and see some excitement", Tracy and O'Brien enlisted in the Navy together when Tracy turned 18. They were sent to the Naval Training Station in northern Illinois, where they were still recruits-in-training when World War I came to an end. Tracy achieved the rank of seaman second class , but never went to sea and
11136-402: The time. In 1935, Tracy joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Hollywood's most prestigious studio at the time. His career flourished after his fifth MGM film, Fury (1936), and in 1937 and 1938 he won consecutive Oscars for Captains Courageous and Boys Town . Tracy teamed with Clark Gable , MGM's most prominent leading man, for three major box office successes, and by the early 1940s, he
11264-421: The top male star in Hollywood. Taking on the role of a priest, Tracy reportedly felt a heavy responsibility in representing the church. Despite having only 17 minutes of screen time, Tracy was highly praised for his performance and received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor . San Francisco became the highest-grossing picture of 1936. Donald Deschner, in his book on Tracy, credits Fury and San Francisco as
11392-452: The two leads. The film received strong reviews and became the highest-grossing Tracy-Hepburn picture to date. Film critic Bosley Crowther wrote, "Mr. Tracy and Miss Hepburn are the stellar performers in this show and their perfect compatibility in comic capers is delightful to see." Tracy received his first Academy Award nomination in 12 years for playing the role of Stanley Banks in Father of
11520-506: The two pictures for Curtis Enterprises were not made, both films for Universal-International Pictures were. He made two comedies starring Doris Day : The Thrill of It All , released in 1963 and co-starring James Garner , and Send Me No Flowers , released in 1964 and co-starring Rock Hudson . After another comedy, The Art of Love (1965), Jewison was determined to escape from the genre and tackle more demanding projects. His breakthrough film proved to be The Cincinnati Kid (1965),
11648-426: The two shared a small studio apartment. Money was scarce, and the two often lived on meals of rice and pretzels and shared one decent suit between them. Tracy was deemed fit to progress to the senior class, allowing him to join the academy's stock company . He made his New York debut in a play called The Wedding Guests , which opened in October 1922. He made his debut Broadway appearance three months later, playing
11776-689: The whole script. In 1978 Jewison returned to Canada, settling in the Caledon area in Ontario and establishing a farm that produced prizewinning cattle, as well as maple syrup. Operating from a base in Toronto , as well as one maintained in California, he directed high-profile actors Al Pacino in ...And Justice for All (1979), and Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn in the romantic comedy Best Friends (1982), and he produced The Dogs of War (1981) and Iceman (1984). During this period Jewison also produced
11904-529: Was The Last Hurrah (1958). It reunited him with his debut director, John Ford, after 28 years and his childhood friend Pat O'Brien. Tracy took a year to commit to the project, in which he played an Irish-American mayor seeking re-election. The movie was favorably reviewed, but not commercially successful. At the end of 1958, the National Board of Review named Tracy the year's Best Actor . He nevertheless began to ponder retirement, with Curtis writing that he
12032-471: Was Your Hit Parade , followed by The Andy Williams Show . The success of these shows led to directing specials featuring performers such as Harry Belafonte , Jackie Gleason , and Danny Kaye . The television production that proved pivotal to Jewison's career was the Judy Garland "comeback" special that aired in 1961, which included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin , and led to a weekly show that Jewison
12160-411: Was "chronically tired, unhappy, ill, and uninterested in work". Tracy did not appear on the screen again until the release of Inherit the Wind (1960), a film based on the 1925 Scopes "Monkey Trial" which debated the right to teach evolution in schools. Director Stanley Kramer sought Tracy for the role of lawyer Henry Drummond (based on Clarence Darrow ), from the outset. Starring opposite Tracy
12288-697: Was a critical and commercial failure, but the historical drama Northwest Passage —Tracy's first film in Technicolor —proved popular. He then portrayed Thomas Edison in Edison, the Man . Howard Barnes of the New York Herald Tribune was not charmed by the story, but wrote that Tracy, "by sheer persuasion of his acting", made the film worthy. Boom Town was the third and final Gable-Tracy picture, also starring Claudette Colbert and Hedy Lamarr , making it one of
12416-572: Was a hit. Tracy followed this success with another Cohan play, Whispering Friends , and in 1929 took over from Clark Gable in Conflict , a Broadway drama. Other roles followed, but it was the lead in Dread , written by Pulitzer Prize -winning dramatist Owen Davis that gave Tracy high hopes for success. The story of a man's descent into madness, Dread previewed in Brooklyn to an excellent reception, but on
12544-411: Was a transition that was nothing short of miraculous ... [and showed] a willingness on the part of the public to embrace a leading man who was not textbook handsome nor bigger than life." Fury was followed one month later with the release of the big-budget disaster movie San Francisco (1936). Tracy played a supporting role alongside Clark Gable in the film, allowing audiences to see him with
12672-471: Was anticipated to be a hit, but made only a small profit. The Show-Off (1934), for which he was lent to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , proved popular, but his subsequent outings continued to be unsuccessful. Tracy drank heavily during his years with Fox and gained a reputation as an alcoholic. He failed to report for filming on Marie Galante in June 1934, and was found in his hotel room, virtually unconscious after
12800-478: Was based on the play of the same name by Donald Margulies . Jewison was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie . Describing the key characteristic of the films he made, he once said: "I want people to recognise themselves in the movies I make. I don't enjoy no-brainer action movies." Jewison's commitment and contribution to film in Canada is evidenced by his creation of
12928-468: Was being scouted to find actors to work in the new medium of sound films . Tracy was cast in two Vitaphone shorts ( Taxi Talks and The Hard Guy ), but he had not considered becoming a film actor: "I had no ambition in that direction and I was perfectly happy on the stage", he later explained in an interview. One person who saw Tracy in The Last Mile was director John Ford . Ford wanted Tracy for
13056-460: Was born in Milwaukee on April 5, 1900, the second son of Caroline (née Brown; 1874–1942) and truck salesman John Edward Tracy (1873–1928). His mother was from a wealthy Presbyterian Midwestern family, while his father was of Irish Catholic descent. He had a brother Carroll, who was four years older. Tracy was a difficult and hyperactive child with poor school attendance. Raised Catholic , he
13184-606: Was delighted that Tracy was available for Woman of the Year , saying "I was just damned grateful he was willing to work with me." The romantic comedy performed well at the box office and received strong reviews. William Boehnel wrote in the New York World-Telegram , "To begin with, it has Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in the leading roles. This in itself would be enough to make any film memorable. But when you get Tracy and Hepburn turning in brilliant performances to boot, you've got something to cheer about." Woman of
13312-437: Was discharged in February 1919. His father's desire to see one of his sons gain a college degree drove Tracy back to high school to finish his diploma. Studies at two more institutions, plus the additional allowance of " war credits ", won Tracy a place at Ripon College . He entered in February 1921, declaring his intention to major in medicine. Tracy was a popular student at Ripon, where he served as president of his hall and
13440-491: Was forced back to Wright and the stock circuit. In the fall of 1926, Tracy was offered his third shot at Broadway: a role in a new George M. Cohan play called Yellow . Tracy swore that if the play failed to be a hit he would leave stock and work in a "regular" business instead. Tracy was nervous about working with Cohan, one of the most important figures in American theater, but during rehearsals Cohan announced, "Tracy, you're
13568-533: Was increasingly lethargic and cynical. He began production on Tribute to a Bad Man in the summer of 1955, but pulled out when he claimed that the shooting location in the Colorado mountains gave him altitude sickness . The problems caused by the picture fractured Tracy's relationship with MGM. In June 1955, he was one of the two remaining stars of the studio's peak years (the other being Robert Taylor ), but with his contract up for renewal, Tracy opted to freelance for
13696-513: Was involved in a number of college activities. He made his stage debut in June 1921, playing the male lead in The Truth . He was very well received in the role and quickly developed a passion for the stage; he was reportedly "obsessive about acting to the degree that he talked about little else". He and some friends formed an acting company called the Campus Players, which they took on tour. As
13824-406: Was known for directing films which addressed topical social and political issues , often making controversial or complicated subjects accessible to mainstream audiences. Among numerous other accolades, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times in three separate decades, for In the Heat of the Night (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and Moonstruck (1987). He
13952-453: Was later called in to direct. Visiting the studio during rehearsal for the special, actor Tony Curtis suggested to Jewison that he should direct a feature film. Jewison's career as a film director began when Tony Curtis ' and Janet Leigh 's film production company, Curtleigh Productions , hired him to direct the comedy 40 Pounds of Trouble in February 1962. The film was financed and distributed by Universal-International Pictures and
14080-625: Was listed as the fifth biggest box office star of 1938. Tracy was absent from screens for almost a year before returning to Fox on loan and appearing as Henry M. Stanley in Stanley and Livingstone (1939) with Nancy Kelly . Curtis maintains that Tracy's non-visibility did little to affect his standing with the public or exhibitors. In October 1939, a Fortune magazine survey of the nation's favorite movie actors listed Tracy in first place. MGM capitalized on Tracy's popularity, casting him in four movies for 1940. I Take This Woman with Hedy Lamarr
14208-472: Was moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for a three-year agreement to direct, produce, and develop pictures from the studio, and gave MGM the right of first refusal on films he wished to make. Jewison's next film proved to be one of the most popular romantic films ever made. Moonstruck (1987), starring Cher , was a box office hit that garnered three Academy Awards , including Best Actress for Cher. Jewison also received his third Best Director nomination. For
14336-537: Was no Spencer Tracy release. His next film was The Sea of Grass (1947), a melodrama set in the American Old West with Hepburn. Similar to Keeper of the Flame and Without Love , a lukewarm response from critics did not stop it from being a financial success both at home and abroad. He followed it later that year with Cass Timberlane , in which he played a judge. It was a commercial success, but Curtis notes that co-star Lana Turner overshadowed Tracy in most of
14464-455: Was nominated for Best Director. While he was filming, Robert Kennedy told Jewison that this could be "a very important film. Timing is everything". Kennedy reminded Jewison of that prediction a year and a half later when he presented him with the Critics' Choice Movie Award for best drama. As a follow-up he directed and produced another film with McQueen, using innovative multiple screen images in
14592-492: Was nominated for an additional four Oscars, three Golden Globe Awards , and a Primetime Emmy Award , and won a BAFTA Award . He received the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences 's Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1999 . Born and raised in Toronto , Jewison began his career at CBC Television in the 1950s, moving to the United States later in the decade to work at NBC . He made his feature film debut in 1962, with
14720-479: Was on February 11, 1971, when it was broadcast on the CBS Thursday Night Movie . It was released on Region 1 DVD on May 31, 2005. The DVD features a commentary track by director Norman Jewison, commentary on selected scenes from Celebrity Poker Showdown hosts Phil Gordon and Dave Foley and The Cincinnati Kid Plays According to Hoyle , a promotional short featuring magician Jay Ose . A Blu-ray disc
14848-610: Was one of MGM's top stars. In 1942, he appeared with Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year , beginning a professional and personal partnership that led to nine films over 25 years. In 1955, Tracy won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film Bad Day at Black Rock . Tracy left MGM in 1955 and continued to work regularly as a freelance star, despite several health issues and an increasing weariness and irritability as he aged. His personal life
14976-476: Was placed in the care of Dominican Order nuns at the age of nine in an attempt to transform his behavior. Later in life, he remarked that he "never would have gone back to school if there had been any other way of learning to read the subtitles in the movies". He became fascinated with movies, watching the same ones repeatedly and later re-enacting scenes to his friends and neighbors. He attended several Jesuit academies in his teenage years, which he claimed took
15104-400: Was released on June 14, 2011. With the release of the film on DVD, one modern reviewer said the film "is as hip now as when it was released in 1965", and another cited McQueen as "effortlessly watchable as the Kid, providing a masterclass in the power of natural screen presence over dialogue", and Robinson as "simply fantastic". Poker author Michael Wiesenberg calls The Cincinnati Kid "one of
15232-454: Was signed to a contract with Fox Film Corporation . Tracy's five years with Fox featured one acting tour de force after another that were usually ignored at the box office, and he remained largely unknown to movie audiences after 25 films, nearly all of them starring him as the leading man. None of them were hits, although his performance in The Power and the Glory (1933) was highly praised at
15360-420: Was singled out for her performance as Lady Fingers, with an award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress . Motion Picture Exhibitor magazine nominated Robinson for its Best Supporting Actor Laurel Award. Norman Jewison Norman Frederick Jewison CC OOnt (July 21, 1926 – January 20, 2024) was a Canadian filmmaker. He
15488-400: Was still under contract with the studio when MGM expressed their interest in the actor. They were in need of a new male star, and contacted Tracy on April 2, 1935, offering him a seven-year deal. That afternoon, the contract between Tracy and Fox was terminated "by mutual consent". Tracy made a total of 25 pictures in the five years he was with Fox Film Corporation, most of which lost money at
15616-509: Was the first actor to win two consecutive Academy Awards for Best Actor , from nine nominations. During his career, he appeared in 75 films and developed a reputation among his peers as one of the screen's greatest actors. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Tracy as the 9th greatest male star of Classic Hollywood Cinema . Tracy first discovered his talent for acting while attending Ripon College , and he later received
15744-420: Was the first film to prove that Tracy could make a success on his own merit. Directed by Fritz Lang , Tracy played an innocent man who swears revenge after narrowly escaping death by a lynch mob . The film and performance received excellent reviews. It made a profit of $ 1.3 million worldwide. Curtis writes: "audiences who, just a year earlier, had no clear handle on him, were suddenly turning out to see him. It
15872-474: Was the first motion picture ever filmed at Disneyland . Curtleigh Productions' contract with Jewison had a negotiable option for further films if the initial picture was successful. In early October 1962, Jewison formed his own independent film production company, SImkoe Productions, and signed a two-picture deal with Curtis' new film production company, Curtis Enterprises , as well as an additional two-picture deal with Universal-International Pictures. Although
16000-520: Was the musical Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), based on the Broadway musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice . It was filmed in Israel, where Jewison also produced the western Billy Two Hats (1974), starring Gregory Peck . Superstar , controversial for its treatment of a religious subject, was followed by another movie that sparked critical debate, this time over violence. Rollerball (1975)
16128-497: Was troubled, with a lifelong struggle against severe alcoholism and guilt over his son's deafness . Tracy and his wife Louise became estranged in the 1930s, but the couple never divorced. His 25-year relationship with Katharine Hepburn was an open secret . Towards the end of his life, Tracy worked almost exclusively for director Stanley Kramer . Tracy made his last film with Kramer, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), completed just 17 days before he died. Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
16256-404: Was unhappy with the film, disliking the heavy make-up he needed to portray Hyde. Critical response to the film was mixed and brought Tracy the only negative reviews of his career. Theodore Strauss of The New York Times wrote that "Mr. Tracy's portrait of Hyde is not so much evil incarnate as it is the ham rampant." The film was financially successful, however, taking in more than $ 2 million at
16384-519: Was unsure, he accepted. Father's Little Dividend (1951) was released ten months later and performed well at the box office. On the strength of the two movies, Tracy polled as one of the nation's top stars once more. Tracy portrayed a lawyer in The People Against O'Hara (1951) and re-teamed with Hepburn for the sports comedy Pat and Mike (1952), the second feature written expressly for them by Kanin and Gordon. Pat and Mike became one of
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