The action in A Big Hand for the Little Lady centers around a high-stake poker game. The participants include some of the wealthiest men in the West (among them Jason Robards Jr.,
Kevin McCarthy,
Charles Bickford and
Paul Ford). Into this rarefied atmosphere trudges impoverished farmer
Henry Fonda, who despite the protests of his wife
Joanne Woodward plunks down his last dollars to join the game. Halfway through the proceedings, Fonda falls ill. With quiet desperation, Woodward sits down daintily at the table and says in a firm voice, "Gentlemen, how do you play this game?" End of story? Not by a long shot! This O. Henry-style shaggy dog story is based on a
Dupont Show of the Week TV presentation Big Deal at Laredo. Keep an eye out for two movie veterans in bit parts: silent screen comic
Chester Conklin and 1930's leading lady
Mae Clarke. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide