The five richest men in the territory — undertaker Benson Tropp, saloon owner Dennis Wilcox, Henry Drummond, Otto Havershaw and Jesse Buford — gather in Laredo for their annual high-stakes poker game.
They’re in the middle of that game when a family of homesteaders arrive, bound for their 40-acre claim in San Antone, with a wagon wheel in need of fixing.
While wife Mary (Joanne Woodward) is seeing the blacksmith about the wheel, husband Meredith (Henry Fonda) convinces her to let him watch the poker game, promising only to watch.
But Meredith’s addicted to gambling and, despite pleas from his son Jackie, eventually convinces the other players to let him join their private game.
Next thing you know, the family’s entire life savings are in the middle of the poker table, up for grabs, and Meredith is lying on the floor, suffering from chest pains.
With no other option, Mary takes what her husband is sure is a winning hand, then takes his place at the poker table.
There’s just two minor problems: She needs another $500 to continue in the game. And she doesn’t know how to play poker.
Henry Fonda as Meredith tries to make a point in his poker game with Henry Drummond (Jason Robards, right) and Benson Tropp (Jason Robards). His wife Mary (Joanne Woodward) looks on in A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)
Review:
A comedy Western that relies on Henry Fonda playing an unusual role and a big twist at the end to make it work.
Fortunately, director Fielder Cook has a talented group of stars and character actors to help make it work, including Charles Bickford and Jason Robards as poker players and Burgess Meredith as the town doctor.
Robards delivers one of the film’s most memorable scenes. Inspired by Mary’s pluck and dedication to her husband, he rushes home and breaks up his own daughter’s wedding. He decides his own daughter isn’t good enough for the groom!
This marked Bickford’s final film. He died the next year at age 76 from a blood infection.
Joanne Woodward as Mary with bartender Sam Rhine (James Berwick) in A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)
Directed by:
Fielder Cook
Cast:
Henry Fonda … Meredith
Joanne Woodward … Mary
Jason Robards … Henry Drummond
Paul Ford … C.P. Ballinger
Charles Bickford … Benson Tropp
Burgess Meredith … Doc Scully
Kevin McCarthy … Otto Habershaw
Robert Middleton … Dennis Wilcox
Jean-Michel Michenaud … Jackie
John Qualen … Jesse Buford
James Berwick … Sam Rhine
Allen Collins … Toby
Jim Boles … Pete
Virginia Gregg … Mrs. Drummond
Chester Conklin … Old man in saloon
Mae Clarke … Mrs. Craig
Ned Glass … Owney Price
James Griffith … Mr. Stribling
Noah Keen … Sparrow
Milton Seizer … Fleeson
Runtime: 95 min.
The poker plays in A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966), Otto Habershaw (Kevin McCarthy), Jesse Buford (John Qualen), Henry Drummond (Jason Robards, Benson Tropp (Charles Bickford) and Dennis Wilcox (Robert Middleton).
Memorable lines:
Hotel manager Sam Rhine to Meredith: “Mister, the five richest men in the territory are in that backroom. Playing for blood.”
Undertaker Benson Trapp: “I hate women.”
Otto Habershaw: “I believe you. You’ve buried enough of them.”
Trapp: “Sure, I did. I put ’em back where they belong.”
Dennis Wilcox, when Meredith runs out of money: “Now look mister, the first rule of the game of poker, whether you’re playing Eastern rules or Western or the kind they play at the North Pole is put up or shut up.”
Mary to the other card players as she takes Meredith’s spot at the poker table: “How do you play this game?”
Benson Trapp: “What’d you say, lady?”
Mary: “I asked you how you play this game.”
Dennis Wilcox: “You mean to tell us you don’t know the rules.”
Mary: “I’ve never played a game of cards in my life.”
Joanne Woodward as Mary checks on her husband Meredith (Henry Fonda) with the help of Doc Scully (Burgess Meredith) in A Big Hand for the Little Lady (1966)
Mary, quite factiously: “You’re all such gallant gentlemen.”
Henry Drummond: “We’re gallant on Sunday. This Friday, and we’re playing poker.”
Henry Drummond to Arthur McKenzie, his daughter’s intended groom, after establishing that she’s homely, sneaky and six years older than he is: “Arthur, I want you to light out of that window right there and shimmy down the rain pipe and get on my horse and get the hell and gone away from us and your old man as far as you can get.” He hands him a wad of bills. “And don’t waste any time, Arthur. There’s a whole world waitin’ for you out there. Good places and bad places; nice people and some not so nice. Look them all over, Arthur. Bide your time and maybe somewhere, some place, you’ll find a real woman. A good woman. Now get!”
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