A Big Hand for the Little Lady **** (1966, Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Paul Ford, Kevin McCarthy, Charles Bickford, Burgess Meredith) – Classic Movie Review 9829

Director Fielder Cook’s 1966 A Big Hand for the Little Lady [Big Deal at Dodge City] is based on the 1962 NBC TV play Big Deal at Laredo by Sidney Carroll, and stars Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Paul Ford, Kevin McCarthy, Charles Bickford and Burgess Meredith.

Let’s give a big hand for this entertaining The Sting-style Technicolor comedy Western, in which a family of con merchants take on a handful of wealthy gamblers at a game of poker.

Writer Sidney Carroll retells a winning shaggy dog story from his American television play, and it has got the right star players in Fonda and Woodward as a gambling married couple (Meredith and Mary) plus Robards, McCarthy and Bickford as the local card players.

The lovely supporting performances of scene-stealers Ford, Meredith, Robert Middleton and John Qualen complete a full deck.

A Big Hand for the Little Lady is taut and lively and not one bit overextended, and director Cook surely keeps the suspense on the burner right up to the twist finish.

In short, A Big Hand for the Little Lady is winning hand.

It was amusingly retitled Big Deal at Dodge City in Britain, which would be even more amusing if they weren’t ignoring the fact that it happens at Laredo!

Also in the classy cast are James Kenny, Allen Collins, Jim Boles, Virginia Gregg, Chester Conklin, Mae Clarke, Ned Glass, James Griffith, Noah Keen and Milton Selzer.

James Berwick [billed under his real name as James Kenny] reprises his TV role of barman Sam Rhine.

The $20,500 pot in 1880 is worth about $520,000 in 2020.

Final film of Charles Bickford and Chester Conklin.

The TV play starred Walter Matthau in Fonda’s role as Meredith.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9829

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