Ace In The Hole (aka The Big Carnival) (1951)

A cynical and selfish big city reporter (Kirk Douglas) fallen on hard times finds himself stuck writing for a small newspaper in New Mexico. When he comes across a local man (Richard Benedict) trapped in a collapsed cave in the desert, he exploits the injured man and connives to have his rescue delayed so he can milk the story and get bigger offers on major newspapers. Co-written and directed by Billy Wilder, the film's dark and contemptuous eye toward the fourth estate outraged many mainstream critics when first released. Apparently they were outraged by the suggestion that a journalist could be so corrupt and its examination of human nature at its worst made sure that audiences stayed away. We've lost our innocence since 1951 and posterity has been much kinder to the film and it is now considered one of Wilder's best films. Douglas (who passed away this week at 103) was almost always at his best playing heels and here, he's positively poisonous though he's matched by Jan Sterling as the trapped man's icy wife with the heart of a cash register. Strong stuff but you can't shake it off. With Porter Hall, Robert Arthur, Gene Evans and Ray Teal.