Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 13-April-08
Spoiler Rating: Medium

Ace in the Hole (1951)

Billy Wilder's Ace in the Hole relates an event that could happen and probably has happened, in essence if not particulars, since mass media began to influence American life. It tells of a newspaper reporter so desperate for a story that he inflicts great misery and danger upon another man. You watch with horror but not surprise. It fits right in with the era of tabloids and reality TV.

The reporter is played by Kirk Douglas, whom I have come to regard as one of Hollywood's finest. Charles Tatum has been fired by a number of major papers for drinking or womanizing or playing too freely with the truth, yet he seems loath to consider any other way of life. He appears one morning at the office of the Albuquerque daily and secures himself a job. He makes plain to his editor and colleagues that he intends to stick around only until the scoop arrives that will propel him back to the big leagues.

Months go by without bringing this blessed event, so when opportunity knocks, Tatum takes it. On the way to a rattlesnake hunt, he and his trusty young photographer (Bob Arthur) pull into a rest stop and discover that the proprietor, one Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict), has been trapped inside a nearby cave. Leo was looking for Indian pots when part of the roof fell in, pinning his legs and making the cave too unstable to allow his extraction by force. Scenting a human interest story, Tatum quickly befriends the victim and assumes the lead role in the rescue effort. A local engineer inspects the scene and advises bracing the walls and ceiling of the cave to ensure a safe removal. But as Tatum grows more certain of the story's potential, he asserts his will and instigates a different method — one which will take days instead of hours, leaving Leo alone in the dark.

Oh, it's a nasty thought, being immobile and injured in a cave for days, but it is the nastiness outside upon which the legendary Wilder chooses to dwell. As Tatum conspires with the sheriff to solidify his control, his articles attract crowds from all over. Soon the once-desolate desert is filled with campers and day-trippers wanting to be part of the excitement. A traveling circus sets up rides while radio crews rush in and vendors sell everything from food to western artifacts to songs commemorating Leo's misfortune. Back at the ranch (or rest stop, in this case), Tatum pimps himself to city newspapers and messes with Leo's jaded wife (Jan Sterling, an American Angela Lansbury). He responds to her come-ons with hunger or disgust depending on his mood. Mostly he despises her because her corruption mirrors his own.

Tatum gets that one thing right. You have to despise almost everybody in this sordid tale, including the tourists who may feel compassion for Leo but would be satisfied with any dramatic ending as long as they could say, "I was there!" (They get one.) It is all completely believable, right down to the last balloon. Ace in the Hole is nothing less than an exposé of certain base qualities in human nature.

Copyright © 2008 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.