Ace in the Hole (1951) Action, Drama, Horror (DVD)

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling, Robert Arthur. Ace in the Hole (aka The Big Carnival) is a 1951 American film noir starring Kirk Douglas as a cynical, disgraced reporter who stops at nothing to try to regain a job on a major newspaper. It marked a series of firsts for auteur Billy Wilder: it was the first time he was involved in a project as a writer, producer, and director; his first film following his breakup with long-time writing partner Charles Brackett, with whom he had collaborated on The Lost Weekend and Sunset Boulevard, among others; and his first film to be a critical and commercial failure. The story is a biting examination of the seedy relationship between the press, the news it reports and the manner in which it reports it. The film also shows how a gullible public can be manipulated by the press. Contained in: Transparent Plastic Wallet. Format: Either PAL or NTSC (depending on world location), Region 0 (Multi-Region/Worldwide).