In 1925, an adventurous cave explorer named Floyd Collins was trapped in Sand Cave, Kentucky (now known as Mammoth Cave), capturing the attention of the entire world and sparking the first media circus. Although he was found dead after 17 days trapped below ground, his story didn’t end there. Over 20 years later, this incident inspired Billy Wilder’s 1951 movie “Ace in the Hole,” the tale of a newspaperman who keeps a man trapped in a cave for days, inciting a spectator carnival and buying off local law enforcement, just for the story.
In 1996, the tale of Floyd Collins was unearthed once more in the form of an off-Broadway musical by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau. This theatrical venture didn’t last much longer than Floyd’s last adventure, closing after only 25 performances. However, at the tragedy’s centennial, “Floyd Collins” has finally made it to Broadway, garnering six Tony nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Leading Actor in a Musical.
‘Ace in the Hole’
Chuck Tatum (Kirk Douglas) is a hard-bitten big city reporter who has been fired from 11 of the biggest newspapers for his dishonesty, drinking, and overall bad character. He ends up at the Albuquerque Sun-Bulletin, a small New Mexico newspaper run by honest Jacob Q. Boot (Porter Hall), hoping for a big story he can exploit.It takes a year, but Chuck finally stumbles across a story while on his way to cover a rattlesnake hunt. Leo Minosa (Richard Benedict) was excavating Indian artifacts. The owner of a small rest stop, Minosa has been trapped by a collapse in the nearby cliff dwelling.
Inspired by the infamous Floyd Collins media circus, Tatum runs with the story. He convinces Minosa’s indifferent wife, Lorraine (Jan Sterling), to stick around and reap her share of the profits. He bribes the local sheriff to give him exclusive access to the trapped man and the story.
To keep the hype going, Chuck convinces the engineer in charge of the rescue operation to drill through the top of the mountain, which will take seven days, rather than his original 12 or 14-hour plan. But as the seven days near their end, Chuck learns that Leo may die before they reach him, and a human-interest story is no good with a dead man as its finale.
After the success of his last film, “Sunset Boulevard,” Billy Wilder was given carte blanche by Paramount executives to make whatever film he wanted. He made “Ace in the Hole” and, while it was a financial disappointment, both he and lead actor Douglas considered it some of their best work. No matter what you anticipate going into this film, it will exceed your expectations.
The narrative of one man’s avarice overcoming the common bond of humanity is jarring, but Douglas portrays it with such nuance that you can understand and even relate to Tatum while being disgusted by his actions. Although Douglas is the film’s only A-lister; the supporting actors are equally strong, each painting a deep and believable character, no matter how small.
Beyond the excellent character-building and acting, one must appreciate the cinematography and overall spectacle of the media circus presented in the film. What starts as a few curious spectators gathering at the site soon becomes a full-blown carnival, with calculating Lorraine even allowing a fair to set up outside the mountain where her husband is trapped.
The picture is then complete, with tents, rides, concessions, a band, and a vast sea of parked cars. The aerial shots from the top of the mountain, with the huge drill visible at the edge of the screen, are some of the most breathtaking I’ve ever seen in a film, both for their sheer visual magnitude and for their emotional impact.
‘Floyd Collins’
In 1925 Kentucky, adventurous cave explorer Floyd Collins (Jeremy Jordan) enters a cave system in search of a new cavern to turn into a tourist attraction. He finds one, but on his way out, his left foot gets trapped by a large rock. While attempting to free his foot, he causes a small cave-in that traps his legs and arms. When Floyd hasn’t emerged by the next day, a local boy alerts Floyd’s family, including brother Homer (Jason Gotay), who has just returned from his latest trip to the big city, and sister Nellie (Lizzy McAlpine), who was recently released from a mental institution.Soon, hopeful young reporter “Skeets” Miller (Taylor Trensch) arrives on the scene. As the only person both small and brave enough to squeeze into the crevice trapping Floyd, he interviews him and joins the rescue mission, led by officious engineer H.T. Carmichael (Sean Allan Krill). When a national newspaper picks up Miller’s article, the story spreads like wildfire. Soon, thousands flock to the scene, creating the tourist carnival Floyd had hoped for, only he, not the cave, is the attraction.
As days pass and every rescue attempt fails, even Floyd’s persistent hopefulness, the intermittent company of Skeets and Homer, and his special telepathic connection with Nellie can’t keep his spirits up. When a second cave-in cuts him off from all contact with the outside world, he must finally face the fact that he’s trapped.
The audience’s first impression of any work is visual; sadly, “Floyd Collins” doesn’t deliver. While Floyd’s opening number is cleverly choreographed with a series of metal trapdoors and ramps, the stage is essentially empty for most of the show. The oversized metal shaft that appears in the second act, while an impressive piece by itself, doesn’t make up for the lack of a cohesive set. The “crevice” in which Floyd is trapped can best be described as a metal lounge chair. There’s no attempt to represent the rocks that trap him, and the audience is required to imagine far too much.
The cast is led by Jordan, whose powerful vocals and raw, emotional acting shine as always. However, the rest of the cast fails to live up to his level of talent and polish. Singer/songwriter McAlpine, in her Broadway debut, sounds weak in her singing, and displays little personality beyond that of a modern influencer. Gotay, while competent, lacks the depth of his onstage brother both as an actor and singer. Trensch’s performance as “Skeets” is emotional, but his character lacks a strong arc. A better script would have more impact if his character went from a news-hungry journalist to a deep, sympathetic friend, then to the man in the cave.
Guettel has been noted for his symphonic and at times atonal style of composition, with many comparing him to the late Stephen Sondheim. While his songs lack the catchiness and memorability of those written by his grandfather, Broadway legend Richard Rodgers, there is heartfelt sincerity and depth to this score. The scenes in the cave are touching and beautiful, both musically and emotionally. The lack of sets and sometimes sporadic narrative are disappointing, but the beauty at its heart is unmistakable.
Spectacle and Soul
Librettist Landau stated that the work is commentary on how we, as a society, capitalize on tragedy. In contrast, “Ace in the Hole” focuses on one man’s greed and ambition, rather than condemning society as a whole. As Tatum observes in the film, a story about hundreds of men caught in a tragedy isn’t nearly as impactful as one man suffering alone. The same can be true of a villain. Perhaps the onlookers outside the New Mexico cave behave in poor taste, but many truly hope to see Leo emerge alive. They feel grief-stricken when he doesn’t.The musical’s minimalist production and notably small cast keep it from feeling like the huge, bustling circus that gathered at the real-life tragedy. Instead, it focuses on the characters’ emotions and inner narratives, particularly those of Floyd and his siblings. The carnival number, while impacting with its projected fireworks and strobe lights, is still far from the overwhelming spectacle that Wilder put onscreen.
Both the musical and the film have unique, affecting qualities. “Ace in the Hole” is readily available to buy or stream on many platforms, and “Floyd Collins” is currently playing at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre. Why not explore both caves for yourself and find out which one deserves true glory?
