‘California Split’ Movie Review – Two Poker Buddies
The ‘California Split’ movie shows the tragic yet funny journey of two compulsive gamblers – Charlie Waters and Bill Denny. Directed by Robert Altman and written by Joseph Walsh, this production is easily one of the best poker movies of all time. Actors George Segal and Elliott Gould brought to life the tragicomic script with the help of the director. Tag along until the end to find the surprises we have prepared for you.
‘California Split’ 1974 – Plot Summary
The ‘California Split’ movie is about a couple of poker buddies who join forces and win lots of cash during their shared journey. The film begins with a poker game; there, we meet the main characters, Charlie Waters and Bill Denny. Despite a heated argument over who wins and who loses, one of our guys cashes out the prize. Then, Charlie and Bill chuck down some celebratory drinks. Upon leaving the parlour, they get robbed by the guy who lost the poker game.
At that moment, all the two fellows knew about each other is that both of them are compulsive gamblers. One is a carefree jokester type of guy, while the other is rather glum and focused. This is where their adventure begins. The great thing about the ‘California Split’ 1974 film is that anyone can easily follow the story. Plus, it is created by a person who understands the gambling scene deeply, so it’s very accurate.
Once a friendship is formed between the two, they start going to horse tracks, private poker parties, bars, and, of course, they visit Las Vegas. This movie is thoroughly enjoyable thanks to the brilliantly written script and incredibly authentic actor performance. In the ‘California Split’ full movie, we see the main characters in all sorts of bizarre and humorous situations, making it very entertaining. Some movie critics have dubbed this production as one of the best poker movies of all time.
‘California Split’ Trailer
Typically, movie trailers show several scenes that briefly outline the story without giving away the entire plot. This time around, the director decided to go in a different direction. The ‘California Split’ trailer is a single movie scene where the main characters read a poker table before taking a seat. We think that the way Charlie and Bill managed to profile their opponents was absolutely brilliant. What are you waiting for – check out the trailer below!
See?! We told you! Those two are the perfect unlikely duo to play poker. We have the chatty, cheeky fellow who loves to mess around and the quite meticulous and sober chap who seems like the brains of the operation. In all seriousness, this scene’s authenticity is simply outstanding, from the décor and costumes to the actors’ dynamic.
‘California Split’ Cast, Trivia, and More
The ‘California Split’ full movie was directed by the beloved New Hollywood era director, Robert Altman. The script was written by actor Joseph Walsh, whose inspiration was his own gambling addiction and the lack of authentic representation of the gambling scene in American movies. Being a gambler himself, Walsh already had a perfect understanding of the industry and presented it in an easy to digest way to the broad audience.
However, it takes more than a great director and a nicely written scrip for a film to succeed. The actors are the ones bringing the words to life. The ‘California Split’ cast features big-time actors like George Segal in the role of Bill Denny and Elliott Gould as Charlie Waters. This Columbia Pictures production also includes actors Ann Prentiss, Gwen Welles, Edward Walsh, Joseph Walsh, Bert Remsen, Jeff Goldblum, and Barbara Ruick.
| 🌇 Name: | California Split |
| 📅 Premier Date: | 7th August 1974 |
| 🎭 Genres: | Comedy, Drama |
| 🎥 Directed by: | Robert Altman |
| ✍️ Written by: | Joseph Walsh |
| 🏆 Box Office: | $5 million |
| ⭐Cast: | George Segal, Elliott Gould, Ann Prentiss, Gwen Welles, Edward Walsh, Joseph Walsh, Bert Remsen, Jeff Goldblum, Barbara Ruick |
| 🎬 Runtime: | 108 minutes |
| 🍿 IMBD Score: | 7.2/10 |
| 🍅 RottenTomatoes Score: | 7.5/10 |
The ‘California Split’ film is widely popular among the broad audience and movie critics to this day. Upon its release, in 1974, newspapers published generally positive reviews that praised the director’s work and the actors’ genuine performances. Even today, this movie ranks high in IMDb and RottenTomatoes, with an average score of 7 out of 10. This means that the film is still relatable, and the jokes are still funny to the general public.
Interesting Facts About the Movie
Now, it is time for some trivia about the ‘California Split’ movie. One of Robert Altman’s trademarks is the overlapping dialogue, which we can enjoy thanks to the eight-track stereo used for this production. Speaking of the director, Steven Spielberg was the first choice, not Altman. Furthermore, Joseph Walsh worked with Spielberg on the script for the first nine months.
On a separate note, part of the ‘California Split’ cast, specifically many of the extras and background artists, were members of Synanon – an organisation that helps former drug addicts. Moreover, Columbia Pictures pulled this production from the theatres only a few weeks after its premiere. This was because they did not know how to advertise it. Despite that, this movie was in the top 10 movies for 1974 and hit $5 million in the box office.
Gambling in ‘California Split’
Next, in our ‘California Split’ movie review, we are moving to the gambling scenes. Let’s begin with the opening scene, where we have Charlie Walters being accused of cheating. Many of the background extras were actually professional card players. It is rumoured that George Segal felt a little insecure about his performance around Elliott Gould as he impersonated a compulsive gambler so well.
On that note, Altman and Welsh made Segal play against professional poker players of the likes of Amarillo Slim Preston, who also appears in the movie. This was so he can experience the pain of losing and transfer that onto the big screen. However, lady luck was on his side, and he ended up winning the game.
Throughout the ‘California Split’ film, we see the main characters play different casino games. This is after we see Bill win $18,000 on a poker game in Reno. Then, the character is convinced that luck is on his side, so he plays blackjack, roulette, and craps, which helps him multiply his winnings. We have prepared a little something extra for those of you who are ready to play with real money. Check out our ranking of the top live dealer roulette casinos for 2024.
Watch ‘California Split’ Online
In our experience, it can sometimes be difficult to find old movies online, impossible even. Luckily, this Columbia Pictures production is still popular today, which means that streaming platforms have decided to include it in their libraries. Currently, you can watch ‘California Split’ online on several popular streaming platforms, namely:
- 🖥️ Amazon Prime Video (Best Streaming Platform for Old Movies)
- 📺 Apple TV (Top Choice for Apple Users)
- 💻 Vudu (Best Digital Video Store and Streaming Service)
Final Thoughts About the Movie
The time has come for our final verdict about this brilliant gambling movie. Written by an actor struggling with gambling addiction, Joseph Walsh, this film is an absolute gem. Even from the ‘California Split’ trailer, we could see that this is one of Robert Altman’s masterpiece productions. Of course, that is not all, the leading actors, George Segal and Elliott Gould embody the characters perfectly, making the movie ever so more enjoyable.
Moreover, Walsh took inspiration from his own gambling experiences to create this authentic tragicomedy. Let us not forget that the one and only Steven Spielberg also worked on the script for the first nine months. Furthermore, even though the movie was pulled from the big screen earlier, it still got many positive reviews. All in all, we cannot recommend this film enough – it is relatable, funny, and easy to follow – you must add it to your watch list.
Popular Questions
We hope that our ‘California Split’ movie review has helped you decide whether or not to get the popcorns ready. Before you go, we have one last surprise for you. We took our time to prepare answers to the most common questions about the film, so you can check them out below.
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