Poker in the Movies

Had a chance recently to see Rio Bravo, the 1959 western starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan, and Angie Dickinson. I’d never seen it previously, and while it didn’t exactly bowl me over on an initial viewing, I could see why some like to list it as a favorite.

Just like with Tall in the Saddle (discussed here last week), I dialed up Rio Bravo primarily because I am looking for additional examples of poker in American film. I will be teaching my course again this fall, that American Studies class called “Poker in American Film and Culture,” where I often show clips of films in class. That’s one reason why I am looking for more poker scenes that connect with various topics we cover.

Another reason is I’ve also started to plan a book-length project about poker in American film, and so for that purpose have begun seeking and watching movies from a long list of titles I’ve never seen before.

Rio Bravo actually doesn’t feature poker much at all beyond games being incidentally played by those sitting around saloon tables. There is one subplot, however, involving Angie Dickinson’s character, named Feathers, who falls under suspicion for having cheated at poker when a deck is found to be missing three aces.

It turns out Feathers is innocent, as another player in her game was the one pilfering the cards. John Wayne’s character, the awesomely-named John T. Chance who is sheriff of the Texas border town, checks out the situation with the help of young Colorado (Ricky Nelson) who literally pulls the aces from the guilty party’s sleeve.

If I were to spend a little more time thinking about it, I could probably trace some sort of symbolic link between the three aces taken from the deck and the characters of Chance, Dude (Dean Martin), and Stumpy (Walter Brennan) -- the three who find themselves in a somewhat desperate spot of having to maintain order in Rio Bravo, a task made especially difficult after Chance arrests and jails Joe Burdette for murder and his brother gathers a gang of hired killers to bust him out.

Of course, calling those three “aces” would be an ironic reference. Though tough and ready for the challenge, Chance’s age marks him as vulnerable. Dude, Chance’s deputy, is a recovering alcoholic whose recovery is still not complete. And Chance’s other deputy Stumpy is even older than he is and walks with a limp.

The trio end up getting considerable help against the Burdette clan from both Colorado and Feathers. I suppose Chance, Dude, and Colorado are probably better regarded as the “three aces” here, as Wayne, Martin, and Nelson were often highlighted in publicity photos and posters. By the way, Martin is kind of awesome as the troubled Dude, and the scene near the end when he and Nelson sing a couple of tunes is a genuine highlight.

It’s an enjoyable film with memorable characters and scenes, even if the pace slows to a crawl at times as it stretches out over two hours and 20 minutes. And it’s easy to see how the story represents both a rethinking of High Noon (1952) as well as an influence over later, similarly-structured films like John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13 (1976).

I’ve gathered a long list of films I’d like to write about, a list that already includes all of the usual titles often brought up in discussions of poker movies (good and bad). I have yet to decide whether I want to highlight a select group of movies (say, 50 or so) for lengthy treatment or go for a more comprehensive anthology that tries to cover the entire category of films in which poker appears and has some significance. As I get started and begin pulling the project together, I’ll probably keep sharing some thoughts here about films I watch (and rewatch) along the way.

Meanwhile, tell me this... what are some movies in which poker appears that you think should deserve attention in such a book? I’m especially interested to hear about films that aren’t necessarily known as “poker movies” per se but rather happen to have a poker scene or involve poker in an interesting way.

Poker, John Wayne, and Law and Order

Tall in the Saddle, a fast-paced and entertaining Western from 1944 starring John Wayne, contains most of the elements one finds in “horse operas” of the era, with a complicated plot punctuated by stage coaches, saloons, and shootouts. It also includes poker in an early scene that introduces how Wayne’s character, the independent Rocklin, represents the keeper of order amid the lawless Old West.

We first meet Rocklin arriving at Garden City by train, then catching a coach to Santa Inez. The driver, Dave, is played by frequent sidekick George “Gabby” Hayes, who carries Rocklin -- or “Rock,” as Dave calls him -- as well as two women, the pretty blonde Clara Cardell (Audrey Long) and her mean-spirited aunt Miss Martin (Elisabeth Risdon).

Dave and Rocklin engage in conversation along the route, with one topic being Dave’s boss, Harolday, whom he dislikes.

“He’s too darn sane, believing in law and order,” says Dave of Harolday between swigs of whisky. “What’s wrong with law and order?” asks Rocklin. “Well, it depends on who’s dishing it out. I never was much on taking orders myself, and as for the law... heh... you’ll find out what that means around these parts.”

Dave’s words are confirmed even before the group reaches Santa Inez in a sketchy scene that shows law enforcement to be corrupt. Stopping over for a bite to eat, Dave ends up offending the sheriff -- calling him a “four-flusher” (among other accusations) -- and as a result gets pistol-whipped into unconsciousness.

Once they arrive at Santa Inez, Rocklin gets Dave some medical attention, then joins a poker game at the Sun-Up Saloon.

The game includes several players, including Clint Harolday (Russell Wade), the stepson of Dave’s boss who runs the Topaz ranch, and another named Judge Garvey (Ward Bond). Clint has been winning, they warn Rocklin, and soon enough he and the young gun get involved in a contentious hand of five-card draw.

After the deal, Rocklin opens for $3 and Garvey folds. Clint then raises to $20, forcing the others out. “Call you for six,” says Rocklin, referring to the last bills he has left on the table. “Dig,” says Clint, indicating Rocklin should go into his pockets to produce enough to call the raise.

Garvey reminds Clint they are playing table stakes, but Clint objects. “Not if he wants to dig,” he says with a sneer, and Rocklin does just that, saying “I got you beat” as he puts out the money to call.

Each player then draws one card, with the card delivered to Clint -- the -- being accidentally exposed. He quickly picks it up and fits it into his hand, grinning widely as he does.

“That queen is dead,” says Rocklin evenly. “I can take it if I want it,” Clint responds. “Sure, if you want,” says Rocklin, still calm. “But you gotta beat my hand with four cards,” he adds. “I’m playing these mister,” says Clint defiantly, ignoring Rocklin’s insistence upon the rule regarding the exposed card.

There’s a pause as they look around at the others, and Judge Garvey suggests they consider splitting the pot. “I’m not splitting,” says Clint with a smile. “I’m betting.” He then puts the remainder of his stack of bills in the center. “You calling?”

“Nope,” says Rocklin, and Clint begins to reach for the pot. Then Rocklin interrupts him. “I’m raising,” he says, putting the rest of his money forward. Clint’s face droops.

“Dig,” says Rocklin.

Clint asks another player for more money, but when he refuses Clint says “I’ve called for all I’ve got” and turns over his hand. “Full house,” he says proudly, but Rocklin ignores him.

“Kings up win,” says Rocklin. “That third queen is dead.”

As Rocklin starts to drag the pot, Clint rises up and draws his pistol. “Get away from that table and get out of here,” he says. “Maybe from now on you’ll know a full house beats two pair, you four-flusher,” again using that great old term frequently used in hard-boiled fiction, too.

Rocklin quietly leaves, walking up the stairs to his room above the saloon. As Clint gathers the money, it is reiterated to him how the exposed card was in fact dead.

“When anybody plays poker with me they play my game or not at all,” says Clint. They warn Clint that Rocklin is coming back, but he doesn’t believe it. But of course, Rocklin returns, now sporting a full holster.

“I’ve come for my money,” he says, and Clint immediately relents. “Sure,” he says quickly. “I guess I was wrong about that queen,” he continues, but Rocklin isn’t listening. Instead he deliberately gathers the bills and bids the men good night.

The scene supports Dave’s earlier observation about “law and order.” There are rules, sure, but not everyone cares to follow them, and ultimately what really matters is whether or not someone is willing and powerful enough to enforce the rules.

The scene also positions Rocklin as willing to take on the responsibility, which, as you might imagine, becomes very needful once he gets more deeply involved in the ranch wars happening in Santa Inez.

There’s more reference to poker in the film, including an interesting back story involving Judge Garvey and the ranch owner Red Cardell, the latter having been murdered three weeks before Rocklin arrives. The pair were friends -- poker buddies, in fact -- although Dave tells Rocklin a tale that suggests Garvey might have been cheating Cardell with a marked deck of cards and Cardell found out (thus making Garvey a possible suspect in Cardell’s murder).

The deceased Cardell gets compared to Rocklin more than once. Harolday refers to him as being “too fond of taking the law into his own hands” (not unlike Rocklin). Dave also speaks fondly of Cardell, calling him the “salt of the earth” and noting to Rocklin how “he was a big feller... tall in the saddle, like yourself.”

Dave even thinks Rocklin “could pass as a blood relation” -- a bit of foreshadowing, actually, as later we’ll learn that it wasn’t a coincidence that Rocklin came to Santa Inez so soon after Red Cardell’s murder.

I won’t delve into the complicated plot or the love triangle that predictably develops between Rocklin, Clara, and the tough cowgirl brunette Arly Harolday (Ella Raines), but instead just recommend the film as an engaging ride with Wayne and Hayes both delivering solid performances.

I’ll also add that Tall in the Saddle integrates poker well into the story, neatly using the game to introduce both Rocklin’s character and themes that are relevant to the film.

The scene additionally gives us an idea of what poker still signified in America, circa the 1940s, namely, a potentially dangerous activity in which ideas of right and wrong -- or law and order -- are frequently challenged. Such a judgment of poker is delivered succinctly in a brief exchange between Harolday and Rocklin the day after the game.

“Mr. Rocklin, what happened between you and my stepson last night?” asks Harolday.

“Poker,” says Rocklin.

“Oh,” replies Harolday with a nod. No other explanation is needed.

PokerStars Standing Tall in the Saddle

In the last couple of posts I’ve been making references to the “wild West” days of online poker, which got me in the mood to watch an old Western. Ended up looking at the old John Wayne title Tall in the Saddle -- a film that actually includes a neat poker scene -- and had in fact written up a post about it to share here.

Gonna save that, though, because like everyone else, my attention has suddenly been taken up with the just-breaking news that an agreement between PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and the U.S. Department of Justice has at last been finalized.

For a good summary of the news, check out Diamond Flush’s blog post “PokerStars Acquires Full Tilt Poker’s Assets, DOJ Agreement Complete.”

There she outlines how FTP is forfeiting whatever it has left to the government, while PokerStars is also paying a $547 million settlement. In return, civil forfeiture claims and money laundering charges against both sites are being dismissed, although other criminal charges will remain unresolved.

She also explains how PokerStars will make it possible for non-U.S. Full Tilt Poker players to withdraw their FTP balances within 90 days. Meanwhile we Yanks who had money on FTP will be able to file a petition with the DOJ to get our money back.

Also of note, Isai Scheinberg (named in the original Black Friday indictment) will no longer be involved in running PokerStars. Additionally, neither Stars nor FTP will be allowed to offer real money poker in the U.S. until the law allows for such. In other words, the door isn’t completely closed to a return of either or both sites to the U.S., although obviously much would have to change legislatively for that to happen.

Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications at PokerStars, has issued a statement about the agreement over on the PokerStars blog. Hollreiser explains Stars’ plan to repay players as well as its intention reopen Full Tilt Poker and operate it as a separate brand (outside the U.S., natch). Wild stuff.

Full Tilt Poker also issued a press release which you can find in various places, including Diamond Flush’s blog. The FTP statement adds nothing new other than apologies to customers and expressions of appreciation to loyal employees.

The DOJ has sent out a press release as well. There we also see spelled out how Stars will be paying the $184 million or so owed to non-U.S. FTP players and how U.S. players will be paid back in part from that $547 million Stars is shelling out to the DOJ. (In other words, Stars is covering FTP’s entire tab here.)

Aside from reiterating the wrongs done by those indicted and charged in the civil complaint -- and the DOJ’s earnest desire to enforce U.S. laws -- the DOJ’s statement also includes a few other particulars. Stars can’t ever hire Ray Bitar, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Rafe Furst, or Nelson Burtnick (like they would). A motion has been filed for Absolute Poker/UltimateBet to forfeit their assets, too. And in the DOJ’s statement there appears a lengthy reiteration of the sites’ various crimes is spelled out as well.

Also worth a look, Lee Jones has posted an FAQ over at Two Plus Two answering questions about the agreement and providing further specifics about what is to come.

As I was saying yesterday, the whole idea of PokerStars acquiring Full Tilt Poker -- and now actually running it as a separate brand -- is kind of mind-blowing. Was utterly unimaginable pre-Black Friday, and really for the year that followed almost no one even speculated something like this could happen.

However, like a hand that has gone to showdown it is now perhaps possible to begin to decipher a certain logic behind the players’ decisions. Such will be the “game” that will occupy a lot of us as we await the return of funds. And as we continue to hope for the eventual return of the game, too.

Funny... in that post about Tall in the Saddle I talk about how John Wayne’s character -- like happens a lot in those old Westerns -- finds it necessary to enforce the law himself when the official means of keeping order have broken down.

Almost seems like PokerStars is here playing a similar role, perhaps having come to it with a backstory of having been “reformed” (so to speak) and now working for the cause of good. (Not that Stars believes it was formerly the outlaw the DOJ painted it to be.)

Like I say, we’ll have plenty of time to figure out how to identify and judge all of the good guys and bad guys here. Meanwhile I’ll be grabbing another bag of popcorn, as this story has taken a most exciting turn.