Carefree single guy Charlie Waters rooms with two lovely prostitutes, Barbara Miller and Susan Peters, and lives to gamble. Along with his glum betting buddy, Bill Denny, Charlie sets out on a gambling streak in search of the ever-elusive big payday. While Charlie and Bill have some lucky moments, they also have to contend with serious setbacks that threaten to derail their hedonistic betting binge.
Acting
Segal and Gould's improvised disasters feel painfully lived-in.
Direction
Altman's overlapping chaos makes casinos feel like purgatory.
Editing
That strobe-cut fight scene—pure disorienting adrenaline.
Director
Robert Altman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gould and Segal improvised so much that screenwriter Joseph Walsh tried to have his name removed; he lost that bet too. SpoilerLevel: FREE
Shot in real casinos with hidden cameras—some patrons didn't know they were in a movie, which explains the documentary-level despair. SpoilerLevel: FREE
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