Ace in the Hole

For as long as there has been news there have been those who would spread it. Modern journalism may trace its roots back to the advent of radio and television reporting, but the practice of informing people of the goings on in the world far predates media journalism. That’s right, when your crazy uncle leaves you a fifteen minute voicemail urging you to start digging a bunker in preparation for the illuminati’s forthcoming global conquest, he’s inheriting a rich and noble tradition that is thousands of years old and peopled with hundreds of diligent, respectable, hard-working public servants. This, of course, is not always how it pans out. While good people like your uncle might be patient, thorough guardians of truth and justice, there are charlatans, con men, and fraudsters printing news as well. Sensationalism and manipulation in the news has long been a concern of those who consume it, as evidenced by Ace in the Hole, a 1951 Billy Wilder directed drama about a scandal-peddling, tragedy-mongering tool who resorts to dubious methods to spring him out of the career grave his indiscretions have landed him in. Ace in the Hole promises the usual Billy Wilder things: a sharp, tightly written script, quippy humor, and simple yet understandable characters, and today we’ll talk about all of that and more in a new episode of Magellans at the Movies. Hot off the presses! Nathan and Elliot Magalhães to Release New Installment of Podcast - Public Response Lukewarm. Nathan distraught over plunging numbers, Elliot unavailable for comment, suspected dead, more on page 12A.