The Big Town Movie – Roll the Dice & See the Prize
Gambling, love, and danger are what you find in “The Big Town” movie from 1987. Follow the young and ambitious gambler, J.C. Cullen, as he rolls the dice on the Chicago casino’s tables. But, unfortunately, his desire to become a professional craps player draws the attention of other players, young ladies, and a dangerous gangster.
In our The Big Town movie review, we will summarise the plot (SPOILER ALERT!) and give you information about the Big Town cast and crew. We will also tell you who came up with this incredible story and share some filming locations. Since this is a gambling movie, we can’t miss mentioning the game of craps. Check details about this game, and don’t miss to read the answers to the popular questions people have regarding this gambling movie.
The Big Town (1987) Movie Plot
The 1980s gave us many amazing gambling-themed movies. Alongside Rain Man (1988) and The Colour of Money (1986), the Big Town movie was released in 1987. Just like many other gambling-related films, this romantic drama with a touch of thriller combines an excellent cast and an interesting story. All characters are people you can meet and befriend at a casino at the end.
| ⭐ The Big Town Character | ✔️ Character’s Profession |
|---|---|
| 😎 J. C. Cullen | 🎲 Gambler |
| 👱♀️ Aggie Donaldson | 🍹 Waitress |
| 👩 Lorry Dane | 💃 Stripper |
| 😈 George Cole | 💀 Gangster |
| 💑 Mr Edwards & Ferguson Edwards | 🃏 Pro-gamblers |
What differs The Big Town movie from the rest of the bunch is the stellar cast including Matt Dillon, Tommy Lee Jones, and Diane Lane. Even though we have seen those actors in action movies, there are no wild car chases or excellent gambling schemes like in the Ocean’s Eleven movie(2001). Here, the storyline follows the young and ambitious gambler J.C. Cullen who works hard to become a professional gambler.
Right from the start, we learn that J.C. has a talent to roll the dice. So he leaves the small town and heads to Chicago. The craps tables are where he feels at home, and every win brings him money and new friends. J.C.’s excessive wins at Gem Club’s private craps game draws the owner’s attention – the dangerous gangster George Cole.
The Big Town movie introduces us to the side stories and extra plot twists alongside the main story. J.C. gets in trouble with Mr. Edwards and his wife, Ferguson Edwards. The two high-roller pro-gamblers notice the young players’ potential right away. They are yet to decide if he could become a good collaborator and help them win, or he could potentially become a problem.
The young gambler’s life gets even more complicated when he falls for two women. Just like in gambling, you have to make a choice when considering the top roulette online bonus offers discussed here. The first one is Aggie Donaldson, a hard-working waitress with a child. The second woman is Lorry Dane, Cole’s wife, who seduces J.C. and entangles him into her schemes. This is one more reason why Cole decides to destroy the charming young player. J.C.’s future is decided on the craps table where he plays against Cole.
We warned you about the spoilers, but even so, we are not going to tell the whole tale. Watch Big Town movie and find out if J.C. won against the gangster the biggest prize of his life and the Gem Club itself. The second mystery you will find out is who Cullen chooses to be with. If you are interested in the details, you should know that the side stories will also be untangled by the film’s end.
The Big Town Film Craps Games
There are many things we can learn from the Big Town movie, but the Illinois gambling laws are not amongst them. If you feel inspired to roll the dice after watching this film, we recommend you read the legislation and play at licensed gambling establishments. Here are some of the rules for some of the many different betting variations in craps that you should know before getting near the dice.
All a player has to do is make a bet and throw two dice towards the opposite side of the table. You win if your dice show 7 or 11. As you can guess, those are the most desired numbers in this game, and everyone will cheer for you. Getting 2, 3, or 12 is called “craps”, and you lose, but you can roll again.
When you roll 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, the dealer will place a pug on the number to mark it as your point. At this point, your goal is to roll the same number as the one the pug is on before you roll a 7. If you do, you win the bet and roll again, but if 7 comes up first, you lose, and the dice go in the hands of the next player.
The Big Town film shows us also how to place bets in a craps game. When you place a bet on “Pass Line”, your bet is for the shooter to win, and your payout is “even money”. Betting on “Don’t Pass Line” means that you bet on the shooter to lose. With this bet during a “come out roll”, if a shooter rolls 12, the bet is considered a push (tie), and nothing happens. If you wonder which is the push number, check the “Don’t Pass Line” on the table.
The last and most favourable to the players bet is the “Free Odds Bet” where the casino has no house edge. It is recommendable to make this bet because it increases your chance of winning a larger amount. Even so, before you commit to this, make sure to read the house rules first.
Many of the smaller ticks in craps can be spotted in The Big Town movie if you pay attention. However, something like the side of the pug is easily missed when you are focused on rolling the dice until you win. If you feel inspired to try this centuries-old game, but you don’t feel ready to hit the tables, try some of the best online casinos for 2024. Many operators include craps and dice games on their lists alongside the rest of the classic casino games like classic roulette, blackjack, poker, and baccarat.
The Big Town Cast, Crew, and Reviews
This is the moment in our The Big Town movie review, where we introduce you to the cast and the crew behind the camera. At the end of this section in our article, you can read the opinions of the viewers and the critics.
The Big Town (1987) Cast & Crew
The Big Town (1987) is a classic casino gambling movie with a touch of life drama like in the Casino (1995) movie. Here, you will even see the familiar characters – a gambler, a gangster, and a femme fatale, which give us a good spin of real-life people you can meet at a gambling location. The main people sitting behind this project are:
- 🎬 Directors: Ben Bolt
- 🖋️ Writers: Clark Howard (novel “The Arm” 1967) and Robert Roy Pool (screenplay)
- ✨ Stars: Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Lee Grant, and Oscar nominees Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Sarah Polley, and Bruce Dern
- 🎶 Soundtrack: (Ivory Joe Hunter, Big Joe Turner, Little Willie John, Ray Charles, Red Sovine)
Everything began with Clark Howard’s 1967 novel “The Arm”. Ever since the start, there was a plan for this book to have a film version, but this became a reality in 1987. The story of the small-town gambler J.C. Cullen intending to hit the craps table at the Chicago casinos and win every roll, captured the attention of the producer Martin Ransohoff.
This continuation of Ransohoff’s gambling-themed movies with The Hustler (1969) and The Cincinnati Kid (1965) naturally continued with The Big Town. His idea was supported by the original director (Harold Becker), who later on left and was replaced by Ben Bolt. The crew grew and expanded, and everyone was busy making the 1950s world come to life in modern Chicago.
It’s not really about a kid but about growth. Umm, he’s a small-town guy who outgrows the town. He’s nocturnal, a gambler who shoots dice all night – but he’s got a certain amount of naivete. He’s naive. He’s not a dark character, even though he lives in the dark. He’s honest even though he doesn’t make an honest living. He’s got purity. Matt Dillon
Making a movie is impossible without good actors, and the Big Town cast are as great as they come. With the Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Lee Grant, and the Oscar nominees Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Sarah Polley, and Bruce Dern in the lead roles, this movie became a sensation. All those professionals gave their best to make this story come to life. Having devoted actors who like their characters and have fun during the filming brings chemistry to the set.
Even though the events in the Big Town (1987) are in Chicago’s South Loop, under the L tracks, the filming took place in Toronto, Canada. So even though there was a delay, we can all agree that the delay was worth it. In the next paragraph, you can see how the critics and the viewers evaluated the team’s hard work.
The Big Town Fans & Critics Reviews
Right after the movie was released came the first The Big Town movie review. Even though some labelled it as a 1950s nostalgia piece or compared it to the old-time noir movies, it is much more. The former Columbia Pictures Chairman David Puttnam’s efforts were noted and appreciated as he decided to bring less starry and commercial films to Hollywood.
| 🌆 The Big Town Movie | ✔️ Stats |
|---|---|
| 🦅 Gross USA | $1,733,017 |
| 🗺️ Worldwide Gross | $1,733,017 |
| ⭐ IMDB | 5.9/10 Stars |
| 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes | Tomatometer 57% and 36% Audience Score |
| 🔥 Metacritic | 48% Score |
Today The Big Town (1987) can be seen on Amazon Prime and enters the long list of the best gambling movies on Netflix. The critics may not leave glamorous reviews about the film and the directorial debut for Robert Bolt, but the fans went crazy for the young Matt Dillon. His age and appearance were perfect for the role of the eager gambler J.C. Cullen. The established actors and the lovely young female actors complete the adventure around the Chicago craps tables.
The Big Town & Other Gambling Movies
The Big Town film may not offer the rolling on the floor gambling entertainment like the Vegas Vacation (1997), but that is not the point of this story. If you are into relaxed and gambling games-oriented movies, we have a few suggestions for your movie nights. One of the many good sides of those movies is following the game and learning how to play.
Movies make gambling look extremely easy, and you can decide to try a few games. In this case, it is recommendable to check the gambling laws in the USA and your local gambling laws. This is a precaution measure that can help you decide on legal gambling games and, for example, the best PayPal casinos in the US. We also recommend you to stay away from jinx players and casino coolers like the one in The Cooler (2003) movie. Otherwise, enjoy The Big Town film and the rest of the gambling-themed movies any time you like.
The Big Town Movie Popular Questions
The Big Town movie is an interesting spin on the familiar story of the young gambler who goes to the big city in search of a great prize. In our The Big Town movie review, you can read about the plot, crew, actors, and even the opinion of critics and viewers. Below, you can find answers to popular questions related to this movie.
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