A Big Hand for the Little Lady
A desperate frontier housewife must bluff her way through an elite poker game to save her family’s farm money.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- suspenseful
- warm
- classic movie night
- western double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly enjoyed the seasoned ensemble, lively cinematography, and surprise-driven blend of comedy and drama, while noting that its tonal shifts can feel uncomfortable.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot is organized around a winner-take-all poker game involving the family’s savings.
Mary is forced to replace her incapacitated husband at a table of expert gamblers despite not knowing how to play.
The poker comedy is interrupted by the husband’s heart attack and the threat of financial ruin.
The film withholds crucial information about the poker game and uses its surprise resolution as the principal payoff.
Films like A Big Hand for the Little Lady, and why
The Cincinnati Kid
comic western setting, ensemble of colorful gamblers, and high-stakes poker suspense
Cat Ballou
classic western comedy balancing broad humor with tense gambling and reversals
Support Your Local Sheriff!
witty western ensemble, outsider protagonist, and escalating comic peril
Movie Details
- Director
- Fielder Cook
- Release Date
- 1966-06-08
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (87)
Cast
- Henry Fonda
- Joanne Woodward
- Jason Robards
- Paul Ford
- Charles Bickford
- Burgess Meredith
- Kevin McCarthy
- Robert Middleton
- John Qualen
- Jean-Michel Michenaud
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Big Hand for the Little Lady about?
- A desperate frontier housewife must bluff her way through an elite poker game to save her family’s farm money.
- What is A Big Hand for the Little Lady like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Big Hand for the Little Lady as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Big Hand for the Little Lady violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A Big Hand for the Little Lady.
- What did critics think of A Big Hand for the Little Lady?
- Critics broadly enjoyed the seasoned ensemble, lively cinematography, and surprise-driven blend of comedy and drama, while noting that its tonal shifts can feel uncomfortable.
- Which films are like A Big Hand for the Little Lady?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cincinnati Kid, Cat Ballou, and Support Your Local Sheriff!.
- How long is A Big Hand for the Little Lady?
- A Big Hand for the Little Lady runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Big Hand for the Little Lady?
- In United States, A Big Hand for the Little Lady streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
