Henry Fonda in suspense filled card game with twist ending

"A BIG HAND FOR THE LITTLE LADY" is a great film which on the face of it appears to be a Western but how can it be when there is no gunfight on the Town's main street, no saloon fights or bar room brawls, no sheriff to keep order and put the bad guys in jail, no Indians, in fact, not much "action" of any kind that would usually be associated with the Western film. So what is the appeal of this very unusual film where most of the story takes place during a long drawn out card game in the back room of the town's hotel? The tension mounts as stranger in town Henry Fonda is tempted to get into the high stakes poker game with some wealthy cattlemen after he had promised his wife (Joanne Woodward) that he would give up gambling. Obviously, he does join the game and is convinced that he has been dealt a hand that can't lose but the other players in the game also have good hands that each one feels could be the winner. Who is bluffing who? Can Fonda risk losing all the family savings of his wife and young son? Will the stakes go too high for Fonda to stay in the game? Can wife Joanne Woodward persuade Fonda to see sense and walk away. Surprise is piled upon surprise as the game progresses and the final twist is a beauty. Favourite line: Joanne Woodward (to card players): "How do you play this game?". Henry Fonda and Joanne Woodward in the lead roles are admirably supported by a strong cast including Jason Robards Jr, Charles Bickford, Kevin McCarthy, Burgess Meredith, Robert Middleton and Paul Ford. Upon release in the U.K. the title was changed to "Big Deal at Dodge City" which was a strange choice as the action takes place in Laredo. To sum up, a great film with finely plotted screenplay and impeccable performances by the first rate cast.

Clive "movie buff" Roberts