Bret Maverick is a gambler who would rather con someone than fight them, and needs an additional $3k in order to enter a winner-takes-all poker game beginning in a few days. He joins forces with a woman with a marvelous Southern accent, and the two try and enter the game.
Acting
Gibson and Foster's endlessly watchable con-artist banter.
Direction
Donner balances slapstick, suspense, and genuine western affection.
Production
Lavish riverboat sets that practically creak with personality.
Director
Richard Donner
Mel Gibson
Bret Maverick
Jodie Foster
Annabelle Bransford
James Garner
Marshal Zane Cooper
Graham Greene
Joseph
Alfred Molina
Angel
James Coburn
Commodore Duvall
Dub Taylor
Room Clerk
Geoffrey Lewis
Matthew Wicker / Eugene, Banker
Paul L. Smith
The Archduke
Dan Hedaya
Twitchy, Riverboat Poker Player
Dennis Fimple
Stuttering
Denver Pyle
Old Gambler on Riverboat
Clint Black
Sweet-Faced Gambler
Max Perlich
Johnny Hardin
Art LaFleur
Poker Player
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
James Garner originated the role of Bret Maverick in the 1957 TV series, making this a generational handoff disguised as a co-starring gig.
US
