ACES AND EIGHTS

Cinemavixion Review

Sam Newfield's 1936 Western, "Aces and Eights," offers a classic tale of a gentleman gambler caught in a web of mistaken identity and land swindling. Tim McCoy stars as Tim Madigan, a man who prefers to avoid firearms but finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery in a small Mexican town. The plot, as detailed in external sources, sees Madigan inadvertently taking the blame for a shooting, while simultaneously trying to protect the family of a young man he befriended from unscrupulous saloon owners. The narrative cleverly weaves in the legendary "aces and eights" poker hand, adding a touch of historical lore to the proceedings. Despite its modest runtime and the era's filmmaking conventions, "Aces and Eights" delivers a competent Western, bolstered by the presence of McCoy, Luana Walters, and Rex Lease, who were familiar faces in the genre. It's a solid B-movie Western that provides an engaging, if straightforward, viewing experience, particularly for fans of the era's output.