California Split

Plot synopsis:
A friendship develops between Bill Denny (George Segal) and Charlie Waters (Elliott Gould) over their mutual love of gambling. Charlie is a wisecracking joker and experienced gambler constantly looking for the next score. Initially, Bill is not as committed a gambler (he works at a magazine during the day), but he is well on his way. The two bond when they are wrongfully accused of colluding at a casino's poker table by an irate fellow player.
As the two men hang out more, Bill becomes more addicted to the gambling lifestyle. He goes into debt to Sparkie (Joseph Walsh), his bookie. Bill hocks possessions to fund a trip to Reno, where he and Charlie pool their money to stake Bill in a poker game (where one of the players is former world champion Amarillo Slim, portraying himself). Bill wins $18,000 and becomes convinced he is on a hot streak. He plays blackjack, then roulette and finally craps, winning more and more money.
But something happens at the craps table. When he finally stops, Bill is drained, almost apathetic. After they split their winnings ($82,000), he tells Charlie he is quitting and going home. Charlie does not understand it, but sees that his friend means what he says, so they go their separate ways.

Tags: cult

Review:
Its stars -- Elliot Gould and George Segal -- were at the top of their form, free and comfortable working in Altman's off-the-cuff, low-key style.
Altman makes the camera disappear in a movie about gambling that still feels fresh 35 years later.
It's surprising how little known California Split is but even in a career filled with great movies such as Robert Altman's it deserves more recognition.
I'll say the success rests on a combination of three things: the infectious chemistry between the two leads Elliot Gould (in a hilarious role) and George Seagal; the fully realized world Altman creates for his characters; and that overall the movie is capable of both belly-laughs and profound sadness but it is always subtle, never says anything more than it has to, leaving just enough for the viewer to participate.
This is not the first time Altman succeeds in doing so but California Split is still a very good indication of the craftsman at the top of his talent.The gambling world here is not the glitzy and glossy Las Vegas of Ocean's 11 or Four of a Kind - not it is for gambling movies what The Long Goodbye was for neo-noir.
George Segal (always good) and Elliott Gould (sometimes good) make a great team of "losers" who just can't resist their addiction.
Put the Godard of the early sixties in a polyester shirt, lay him down among the rummies and compulsive cases of the American gambling subculture, and fill him with equal parts beer and caffeine, and you have some idea of this thoroughly amazing, free-and-easy comedy, which has a scary undertow: the scene where George Segal tries to persuade co-addict Elliott Gould of the hollowness of the big win might be the most scarily desolate in any Altman picture..
As usual, the greatness in Altman comes in the unexpected nuances: the perfect Las Vegas lounge act, with Elliott Gould putting in his repartee like joining a musical theatre number onstage.
George Segal "getting down to the oldies" may date the film, along with his sweaters, but this is an enjoyable and surprising movie that exposes the hollowness and joylessness of compulsion without getting all holy about it.
The younger working girl's search for feeling with her endless succession of tricks is a more easily noticeable parallel to what emerges as the film's core: George Segal's character finding his capacity for change.
Meaning it stood out the most for me and it still feels so fresh after all this time, like most of Altman's films anyway.Even if you don't care for this director's films, watch it just for the marvelous chemistry between George Segal and Elliott Gould, two outstanding actors, and for those who want to see how real improvisation is done, watch closely how Elliott Gould does it in this movie, I guarantee you've never seen anything like it before or since.
It's also the last screen appearance of the enchanting Barbara Ruick (whose best known performance was as Carrie in the movie version of Carousel--she sings the song about "Mr. Snow"--she was married to film composer John Williams)--she plays the delightful barmaid in the Reno gambling joint, and Altman dedicates the film to her.
Altman takes the genre of the gambling movie, in which there usually can be only a happy ending or a sad one, and completely explodes it.
California Split provides a couple of stellar performances through Robert Altman's direction.
George Segal, who is an actor I'm not too familiar with (I never watched the TV show 'Just Shoot Me' or his other 70s movies), but here is very believable as the down-on-his-luck Bill Denny, a sometimes magazine writer who can be spotted at the track or in a poker room more often than in his office.
By the end, however, there's something about the gambler's life that is left on a bittersweet note.The two lead males are contrasted against actresses Ann Prentiss and Gwen Welles, who are not really elaborated on much as characters aside from being possible hustlers or prostitutes of some sort.
Such scenes though are meant for simple character lift, albeit not totally satisfying when compared to other scenes.But to see an Altman film, any Altman film, is to see a piece of what Altman at the 2006 Oscars called "one very long body of work." In viewing California Split, I'm reminded as well of how substance, in a matter of speaking, trumps style.
He's a great director of actors and of setting, if nothing else.For the most part, California Split is splendid at telling more about the nature of the mind-set, of the attitude and near existentialism of gambling than any specific story; there aren't any real contrivances holding these characters to the necessities of the script.
Altman handles this mood and these characters like a pro, with the end result being one of the most fascinating, unconventional and entertaining films made about the small, maligned world of gamblers..
George Segal and Elliott Gould play chronic gamblers who meet by chance in a gaming room and embark upon a friendship founded entirely on each man's desire to seek out the next sure thing.
They head to Reno, where Segal falls into an amazing streak of luck and wins hundreds of thousands of dollars.....and then the movie just sort of ends, not because the story itself reaches any sort of natural conclusion, but more because Altman runs out of things to say about it.Like many of Altman's films, "California Split" isn't as interested in telling a story as it is in establishing a tone, and that it does wonderfully.
He plays up the comic elements in the film too broadly, whereas Gould feels more at home with Altman's sarcastic, off-the-cuff sense of humour.
Several moments in the film -- mention of a failed marriage, his reaction to someone calling him a "faggot," an aborted attempt at lovemaking with a ditzy hooker -- suggest that Segal's character has homosexual tendencies that he's trying to suppress, or at the very least that his shaky sense of his own manhood suggests to HIM that he has homosexual tendencies.This isn't really fleshed out in the movie, but then nothing else is either.
"California Split" feels like a warm up to Altman's masterpiece, "Nashville," released a year later, but it doesn't have that movie's sense of scope or amazing cast of characters, so it feels underdeveloped and lightweight.Still, it kept me interested for 105 minutes, and it is a fascinating look into the chronic gambler's mind, if nothing else.Grade: B.
When I first saw Elliot Gould in The Long Goodbye I thought "This guy can't seriously be considered a great actor." However, after seeing him in M*A*SH, California Split, and again in The Long Goodbye, I realized that the lazy, slob-like attitude is what makes him such a great actor...he is a reflection of US.
George Segal and the amazing Elliot Gould perfectly portray the ups and downs, the manic lifestyle that masks the unhappiness of the degenerate gambler.
The opening titles shots (which are in widescreen) and show Gould softly babbling to himself and watching a gambling instructional video are incredible - and it would be amazing to see the whole movie in proper aspect ratio.
I just saw this film for the first time a few months ago on late night cable.Being an Altman fan(Macabe and Ms.Miller is one of my favorite films)I found myself staying up to late and loving this movie.It stars George Segal and Elliot Gould.What happened to these guys?These are amazing performances and proof that these two were among the best actors of their generation.It's sad that today they are only visible,it seems,on ocasional sitcom stints.They play off each other so well you do'nt want the film to end.You really want to keep up with these characters.Needless to say I reccomended this film to friends only to find out that it is not available on vhs or dvd!Also the version I saw on tv was obviosly a bad pan and scan job.This is a shame for all movie lovers and Altman fans,which I assume are one and the same.I guess I'll lose more sleep trying to catch this one again so I can tape this inferior version.As I write this I am unsure of the distributer of this film but if you're reading this it can be easily obtained on this site.Please attempt to contact them and beg for a release of this great movie,I'll do the same..
Anyway, this minor criticism aside, this is a great, funny movie with possibly the most naturalistic-feeling acting and dialogue ever achieved; and personally I find it better than M.A.S.H. in terms of humour and character depth.
Their names are Bill and Charlie, and they're played by Elliott Gould and George Segal with candid realism and unadulterated fussy weariness.
And since Joseph Walsh's screenplay is amusing and Segal and Gould are genuinely engrossing, we have a good time.However then there are scenes that assume darker implications, like at one point, at the craggy fringe of sleep, inebriated, conquer, Bill and Charlie stick hopelessly to a bar and rather gravely bet with one another on the names of the Seven Dwarfs.
As California Split rambles along we find that Altman has not made a farce about gambling.
This movie begins with a gambler by the name of "Charlie Waters" (Elliott Gould) going into a casino to play some poker.
At the same table is a man by the name of "William Denny" (George Segal) who he comes to realize loves gambling as much as he does.
Nonetheless, CS held my interest as two compulsive gamblers, Segal and Gould, stumble through a life of poker, craps, racetracks, and the Seven Dwarfs.
Trouble is they're obviously going nowhere, though I'd like to have Segal's undemanding job that allows so much free time.Altman keeps things moving, along with a steady supply of close-ups and fluid camera.
THE CINCINNATI KID (1965) notwithstanding, my own lack of interest for (and knowledge about) the game of poker - though, as it turns out, it deals with a number of other activities (boxing, basketball, casinos, horse races) where gambling is rife - and my mistaken impression that it was a minor film has kept me away from this one several times on Italian TV but when Sony opted to put it out-of-print, I decided to give it a try regardless.Well, while it was as easy-going, rambling and plot less as I had been anticipating, it was also surprisingly compelling and very enjoyable.
George Segal and Elliott Gould are perfectly cast as the two gamblers forever searching for that elusive winning streak.
Segal is the more cautious of the two who, despite run-ins with bullying bookmakers and muggers, invariably finds himself sucked into another bet by his optimistic partner but, by the end of it, even if his luck does turn around, he is a hollow man yearning to return home to his uncomplicated lifestyle as a columnist for a magazine.I can certainly understand why Elliott Gould took it upon himself to personally ask Sony what was holding up the release of this film on DVD as he is simply terrific and so charismatic in the film as the fast-talking schemer, who thinks nothing of leaving his partner and girlfriend at a moment's notice and relocate to Mexico for a week just because he had had a dream of him winning it big over there and they weren't in it!
Likewise, the director allows his actors the freedom to improvise and open up their characters leading to some memorable routines: betting that they can remember the names of all of Snow White's seven dwarfs (and its hilarious punchline), the ebullient dance Segal bursts into after his first meeting with Gould, etc.The film also offers notable roles to Altman regular Gwen Welles (as Segal's sensitive girlfriend), screenwriter Joseph Walsh (as Segal's flustered bookmaker), Ed Walsh (as a bad loser who beats both of the leads up after a game, though Gould eventually manages to get back at him) and Bert Remsen (as a transvestite who gets booked by Segal and Gould posing as members of the Vice Squad); it was also Jeff Goldblum's film debut (as Segal's boss!).
Besides, its vivid milieu is effectively created through the use of real-life gamblers and addicts.An unfortunate result of the film's DVD release, however, was the loss of some three minutes of footage (condoned by Altman himself) because some of the music rights could not be cleared; though considerable changes - listed on "DVD Beaver" - appear to have been made, since I had never watched the film before I wasn't affected by them!.
First off, I should probably say that I am commenting on this film simply as a general movie viewer, and not someone that is particularly knowledgeable about Altman's work.
George Segal's character could have used a little bit of setup, as it was a big difficult to determine his interest in the whole gambling scene.
"California Split" portrays compulsive gamblers Bill Denny (George Segal) and Charlie Walters (Elliott Gould).
Needless to say, it occasionally gets them in trouble, to the point where they have to go in for a final showdown.Robert Altman actually used to have a gambling problem, so I'm assuming that he based this movie on what he experienced during those years.
One of the funniest scenes includes a cross-dresser named Helen.Elliott Gould came across as someone who really enjoys winning when he gambles.
One other character I liked was the woman Charlie met on the bus on the way to the horse track.This was probably a worthwhile movie..
Elliot Gould and George Segal both give great performances.
If Robert Altman had cut that scene out "California Split", it would be my favorite gambler movie.
This has some of the very best work of both Gould and Segal's careers, reminding you of how good both could be in the right situation.
Not a lot happens in the film -- this is very much a character study - not a plot driven movie -- but I was left very moved and a more than a bit shaken by the ending, even if there are a couple of overly cute, or self-referential moments along the way.
Bill Denny (George Segal) and Charlie Waters (Elliott Gould) are accused of colluding to cheat a poker game.
The guys go to Reno for a big poker game.It's got director Robert Altman's style of overlapping dialog and long meandering takes.
Segal and Gould have a good sense of the gambler's mind.
"California Split" has bored me some two or three times I tried to watch it and the most common feeling I had watching it is that was "Oh it's another movie directed by Robert Altman where dialogs appear out of the blue, nothing makes no sense and there wasn't enough humor to that".
And it was funny.Frequently, stories involving gamblers and people addicted on bets tend to show the dark aspect of losing money, don't control your anxieties, always coming back to casinos, horse races and that kind of thing.
In Altman's films this overused scenario is substituted for an comedy where two gamblers discovers what they call a "winning streak" and they start to get involved in all kinds of bets, playing cards, blackjack, horses, dice, boxing, all you can imagine.
Very good acted by both actors who really seems to be knowing exactly what they're doing, playing cards, knowing the schemes of bets and all; and of course many real gamblers acted in the movie.
Robert Altman is a master of exploring particular scenes and undercurrents of the American lifestyle and he does so with great flair and dramatic weight in California Split, starring George Segal and Elliot Gould as two gamblers who create a kind of lucky vibe together and use it to take on Reno in hopes of cashing in big time.That exposition makes it sound like a typical gambling film but this is so much more.
The movie is the story of Elliot Gould and George Seagal two compulsive gamblers who meet by chance and form a friendship.
How long does it take a sweet-pea to pee?" - Charlie Waters "California Split" is a surprisingly straightforward film by director Robert Altman.
The plot: Elliott Gould and George Segal play a pair gamblers who meet up one night at a poker game.
Segal and Gould are both gambling addicts, but respond to their addictions in completely different ways.
And not only does the addict's primary relationship with the addictive object mirror the isolation or "split" caused by capitalism's emphasis on individualism and commodity consumption, but it is in capitalism's interest to engender addictive dependency in its subjects to maintain itself and produce the illusion that there is no alternative.As such, the film ends with both Segal and Gould winning a bundle of cash at a high stakes poker game.
George Segal and Elliott Gould are both superb in Robert Altman's engrossing portrait of two compulsive gamblers.
Bored divorced sadsack Bill Denny (splendidly played by George Segal) and brash, free-spirited wild card Charlie Waters (the equally outstanding Elliott Gould) are a couple of compulsive gamblers cursed with bad luck.
A penetrating two character study of a couple of degenerate gamblers weaving their way through life in southern California --- Elliott Gould is one (he's content with his lot) and George Segal is the other, much more angst ridden.
It's directed by Robert Altman, working from a script by Joseph Walsh although the film has a heavy improvisational feel to it.
The hip Gould-Segal chemistry is undeniable, and Altman's loose, improvisational style leads to some choice moments, but it wears out its welcome; the film is rambling and unfocused, and the incessant overlapping talk begins, after a while, to sound like cacophonous background noise.
And what exactly is Altman's ultimate point here, that for a compulsive gambler even winning leaves you feeling empty?