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70% Critic Match
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
7.0 / 10• 1976• 2h 15m•R• English
ThrillerCrimeDrama
Storyline
Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up his dingy establishment. He also has a major gambling problem that has gotten him in trouble before. When Cosmo loses big-time at an underground casino run by mobster Mort, he isn't able to pay up. Mort then offers Cosmo the chance to pay back his debt by knocking off a pesky, Mafia-protected bookie.
Cast & Crew
Ben Gazzara
Cosmo Vittelli
Lead
Timothy Carey
Flo
Seymour Cassel
Mort Weil
Robert Phillips
Phil
Morgan Woodward
The Boss
Al Ruban
Marty Reitz
Azizi Johari
Rachel
Haji
Haji
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. John Cassavetes's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
