Thanks to Jack Shafer for bringing Billy Wilder's way-ahead- of its time vision of sensationalist reporting to the public's consciousness. (By the way, it was also shown under the title "The Big Carnival.") My Dad, my older brother and I used to watch this movie every time it was shown on LA television -- which was a lot -- in the early 1970s, when I was seven or eight. My father's affection for it really revealed a lot to me about my dad, who treated us like we were fully capable of appreciating it, and discussed it accordingly. As a result, "Ace in the Hole" and the Robert Wise directed, Abraham Polonsky scripted "Odds Against Tomorrow" are two movies I will always watch.

Thanks, johnnyb! I was scratching my head, thinking "wait, I've seen that movie, but it ain't called Ace in the Hole!"

Jack Shafer leaves out a telling example of Billy Wilder's statement to the effect that, "If you're going to be subtle, be obvious about it." I haven't seen the movie in well over a decade, maybe two, but I still remember Kirk Douglas talking in an outside phone booth as the circus trucks drive in in the background. On their side, writ large: "The Great S&M Amusement Corp."

I remember seeing this movie as a child, and the title was "The Big Carnival". It made a very big impression on me then, one that I've remembered for years. I can't wait to see it again.